Shadows of Man
by Maddog3060
Summary: A tale of an alternate timeline, where a Peripherybased Republic has stopped the Blakest Jihad. But not all of the Blakests have been killed... FINISHED! Additional Extra uploaded! WARNING: Bad Language and bloody violence.
1. Chapter 1

Rain poured down from the sky, drenching everything within sight, though the night tended to hide much of it. The forest around her was filled with all sorts of sights, sounds, and smells conjured up by the storm. Alexis knew this, as she ran heedlessly through the brush, yet it helped her near-panic not a whit. She had already seen something that defied any specter or demon made real in the storm.

She arrived at Big George, the largest tree her people knew of. There she paused, stopping to catch her breath underneath the mighty oak's broad-leaved branches. Though she knew it was futile, she nevertheless tried to shake her fur out after catching her breath some. Alexis really did it more to give her a chance to clear her mind a bit, as well as a chance to linger near the comfortingly large trunk of the great tree. Being a Gatón, a tiger-like anthropomorph, the tree was as comforting to her as wet fur was not.

The Gatón were a simple people, caring only for quiet living and living close to nature. Alexis was typical of her species, 1.3 meters high and weighing in at about 55 kilograms, she was hardly what anyone would call an outsider... At first glance, anyway, for Alexis had a curiosity larger than most of her people, which caused some dark jokes about her really being a Lupar in disguise. The comparisons to the other sentient race on the planet weren't always meant in good humor, especially since the wolf-like Lupar were far more violent and technologically inclined than the Gatón. They lived in large cities, and made war against each other and the Gatón, whenever the latter got in the way.

Alexis, unlike what the ill wishers would have believed, actually didn't mind the comparison so much. True, the Lupar were violent, but they had created wonderful works of art and science that made Alexis long to be able to visit one of their cities.

Which is what she was doing out this night, in the rain. Leaving her village just after sunset, she had hoped to walk through the forest and take a look at the new Lupar encampment that had been built by one of their city-states.

Alexis had been careful to sneak quietly towards the camp, using all of her learned and in-born stalking skills to arrive unnoticed by the Lupar, who were not always hospitable. She had hoped that it would be a chance to observe the Lupar, to learn some of their customs and activities, if at a distance.

She was disappointed when she got her first clear view of the site; spears and swords and armor of all types piled in orderly stacks. _So, a military post?_ She thought. _A pity._ Of course, it gave her the chance to see what the Lupar thought was so great about fighting. Seldom had her own people bothered to wage anything more than the occasional raid against each other or the Lupar, and the thing called 'war' was almost alien to them.

So Alexis has sat in a tree, lazily lying on a thick branch and watching the Lupar go through the silly practices of moving in formation. The Gatón were always a free spirited bunch, and the orderly packs of the Lupar confused them almost as much as the organized fighting that took place between the latter's city-states.

Hardly any of this went through her mind, however, while she was huddling underneath the old oak tree in a storm that seemed to not abate in the slightest for the last few hours. What did go through her mind was the self-chastising that she foisted upon herself. She hadn't meant to fall asleep in that tree, but the orderly marching and soothing rhythm of the Lupar camp had lulled her to sleep.

Alexis had been awakened, along with the Lupar, by a horrendous noise that had echoed across the plains that stretched between the border of the forest and the far horizon, where the Lupar city of Tanzano sat, tantalizing Alexis in earlier trips to this spot.

At first, she thought the noise was thunder coming from the clouds that hung low in the sky. The rumbling had certainly seemed to come from above, and at the time she could have thought of no other reason for the noise. She was, of course, dead wrong.

The Lupar noticed it first, their senses apparently giving them a reason to arm themselves. She had been too preoccupied with watching them that she hardly noticed the sound had changed. It was no longer coming from the entire sky, but rather, a small part of the sky that now glowed, a if with the strength of the sun, though the sun, she knew, was far below the horizon. The sound had also become lower in pitch, and its source was clearly moving, following the patch of sky that glowed through the clouds as it moved to hover near the Lupar encampment.

Nothing in her life, or the lives of her ancestors, could possibly have prepared her for what she saw. Alexis simply could do nothing but stare, slack-jawed and limp-tailed as a great silver fire came out _upside down_ from a large ball-shaped object broke through the thick rain clouds. The noise was terrific, but she couldn't move from her spot. She did, however, look at the Lupar encampment to see them equally transfixed at the sight of this improbable object.

The great sphere had come to rest on a ridge that gave some shelter to the Lupar encampment. The great fire died and the rumbling ceased along with the light from the bottom of the structure. Alexis didn't know how long it was, from the dying of the fire to the time the large door opened up on the side of the sphere and out walked a nightmare.

It was huge, like the giants of the oldest tales, and it strode with purpose towards the Lupar camp. The threatened storm had started in earnest by then, and the skin of the giant glinted in the flashes of lightning, almost like polished stone or metal. The giant frightened her, now that it appeared to not be made of flesh, but something else, which was made apparent by the fact that it had no hands, only large cylinders that seemed to make up its arms. Its legs were far too blocky as well, yet they seemed too thin to support the creature. Despite this, the giant walked easily and with a stride that bespoke power.

Power was, indeed, to be unleashed that night. In the downpour the Lupar charged the giant, though only at the orders of their officers. The ranks of soldiers rushed forward, seemingly invincible, even when faced with such a massive foe.

Alexis found out how wrong that assumption was. In the time it took her to change position to sitting-up on the branch, the Lupar had closed half the distance to the giant.

The giant didn't flinch, but instead unleashed its awesome power. From both of its arms came great gouts of flame that reached out to engulf the forward half of the Lupar force. Alexis stared in abject horror as she saw the bodies of the men burn, the unlucky ones still alive and writhing. The Lupar force, too, stood in shock, then promptly began to flee in every direction away from the monster, all semblances of discipline and civility lost in the face of overwhelming terror. Some even reverted to an all-fours position, to run faster in the short run, though their hands would hurt tomorrow. Somehow, that was all Alexis could think of for a minute, as the giant strode forward, spewing more flame not only from its arms, but also from its front and back as well.

Then the horror became worse, as the monster began to fling something else besides fire. Streams of light stitched from its torso to the fleeing Lupar, and wherever a stream of such lights touched, dirt and blood flew from the ground and the hapless wolf-men. Capping this was the emergence of another, different-looking giant from the sphere.

Alexis couldn't take it anymore; she bolted, flinging herself from branch to branch in a fashion typically reserved for people who had fell off of a branch by accident. Reaching the ground, she had run as fast and as far as her limbs, all four of them, could carry her.

One thing she couldn't outrun was the smell of burning meat that was carried on the wind, even in an air-cleansing rainstorm. It was a smell she had never known before, yet she knew instinctively that it was the smell of death for the Lupar soldiers.

That smell she could no longer sense in her nose, but it would forever be etched into her brain, she seemed sure, sitting underneath the great tree. She had been sitting there for a time, revisiting the moments of terror even as she caught her breath. Now, as fully rested as she would allow herself to be at a time like this, she pulled herself up, using a fallen branch to help prop herself up on legs made unsteady from fear and exertion. _Get a hold of yourself, Alexis_, she chided to herself. She couldn't know what the reason was for the events of the night, and she even began to wonder if she had possibly dreamed it up entirely.

She shook her head. _No_, she thought, _the smell... it was too real, the images... oh Maker..._ All she knew was that she had to tell the village shaman what had happened, and as she set about to run the rest of the way home, she briefly wondered if she'd be believed at all. Her disheveled looks, with her clothes torn and her green and black-striped fur stained in mud, she knew what some of the worst gossips would say. Namely, that she had gotten too close to the Lupar, despite all the warnings, and had been raped, or perhaps not raped, but something else, something more, voluntary? And they would say that all her story was an attempt for her to keep some of her family's honor.

As she began her last leg towards home, she knew it didn't matter what others would think; it was right to let those in control to know what was happening. The shaman would know what to do, and he would be able to 't he?

Alexis limped into her village just before dawn, using a fallen branch for a crutch. She hadn't walked more than two dozen feet from Big George when she realized that her wobbly legs weren't just from nervousness, but from the fact that she had pulled her right calf when she had bolted from the tree in the night.

The going had been slow from then on, as she couldn't move very fast limping on a hurt leg, and moving on all fours hurt her hands too much to do it for very long. And so, while the night and the rainstorms passed, she had quietly but assuredly made her way home.

_Home,_ she thought. A home she now knew to be threatened by something that she couldn't comprehend. She didn't even know for sure that there was danger, yet something told her that this was the case. Maybe it was the way that the Tanzano Lupar, renowned for their fighting prowess in a race of fighters, had been cowed so badly in a few seconds that they had broke and ran like frightened kits. Or maybe it was the sight of so many dead bodies, and the smell of-

_No!_ She thought to herself. _I cannot panic, I must tell the Shaman._ Fortunately, she was an apprentice to the old holy man and could have an audience with him immediately for important things. _And this IS important._

She was quite the sight to her fellow Gatón. Her clothes had been torn in her flight, and her fur was marred by mud and blood from a few gashes from prickly bushes. She got her share of looks from the early risers, mostly women heading into the forest to hunt or men heading out to tend the fields. The looks she got made her tail curl around her good leg in embarrassment. She didn't return any looks, however, but simply stared forward as she headed for the Shaman's house.

A fellow apprentice, Soru, was just outside to begin his chores for the old man. Soru was a young gatón, barely into his fourteenth year, and he had the typical features of the Gatón. Green fur with irregular black stripes, brown hair and yellow eyes were all common, though it was not unusual to see brown or green eyes.

Alexis, however, was unusual for a gatón in not only being curious, but in also having dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, both aspects very unusual in a species adapted to life in forests. Thus, it was no surprise to her that Soru looked up and instantly recognized her as she approached the house.

"Alexis! By the gods, what happened?" Soru asked in surprise at her disheveled look. He didn't even put down the water bucket that he was carrying.

"I've, had a long night." Replied Alexis. "I need to see the Old Man, now."

"He won't be up fo-"

"NOW, Soru." Alexis said, letting some of her worry turn into fierce annoyance at Soru's stalling.

Soru, realizing Alexis' determination, nodded his head and went inside with the bucket, since he HAD drawn it for the shaman's bath.

Alexis would have liked to go in herself, but it was tradition that only the appointed housekeeper of the shaman could enter his house without first obtaining permission. And so Alexis sat down heavily on one of the sacred stones set outside the circular, yurt-like house. Normally, she wouldn't have even thought to do so, but at the moment, her strength was ebbing as the last of her fight-or-flight reflexes shut off from the long night of stimulation.

It was only a few minutes. _Some may say he's loosing his faculties,_ she thought, _but I've never seen a crazy person get out of bed so promptly._ Soru came out of the front door and nodded to Alexis to come in. She leaned heavily on her branch-cane to pull herself up to her feet, for it was looked down on to approach the shaman on all fours, unless you had a medical condition. Technically Alexis did, but she had too much respect for Revalo Forbasa to greet him like that.

And so, she walked into the house, passing through the front audience room where supplicants came to have rituals performed, or for getting advice from the sage old man. It was empty now, this early in the morning. Alexis was honored that Forbasa had decided to receive her in his private rooms in the back. She walked carefully behind Soru, following him into that holy of holies, the library. Here were the books that held all the knowledge of the Gatón, held in trust by their respected elder and spiritual leader.

Who was, at the moment, sitting at the table in the cramped room, sipping his morning tea. Alexis nearly fell at the sight. Imagine, the Shaman honoring her with the show of familiarity! He looked up at her and almost smiled, until he saw her state and the way she leaned on her makeshift cane. His face, lined though it was and streaked with white that infiltrated his normal coloration, displayed very little, though concern clearly showed through.

"Alexis, you look horrible. Please, sit down." Forbasa said, indicating a small stool that was the only other seat in the cramped room.

"Shaman, I can-"

"You bloody will can!" He said, hardly raising his voice by a shade, yet all the more forceful because of its lack of decibels.

Shocked, Alexis sat down, again a bit too fast for politeness' sake. Forbasa didn't notice as he said, "My dear, it appears that I was indeed right for receiving you so soon. What happened? Are you all right?"

Alexis shook her head, and started. "I am fine, Shaman. I pulled a muscle coming too fast from out of a tree."

A slight grin appeared for a moment on Forbasa's face. "Yes, you ought to be more careful, even with the reflexes your youth grants you. However," his face turned serious again, and both of his ears cocked all the way forward - the equivalent of a human raising an eyebrow - "I doubt you came here this early because you pulled a muscle and fell in some mud." He gestured in her direction to indicate her muddy fur and clothes.

"No, I did not come because of that." Alexis took a deep breath, and recounted the events of the night.

Forbasa listened almost casually at first, until she mentioned the sphere and the giant. Despite the feelings of panic that welled up inside her as she told her story, Alexis continued on. Even Soru, passing by on his chores, had stopped to listen.

A few minutes later, she finished. Alexis sat there quietly, hoping that her Shaman could tell her that things would be all right. But the look she saw in Forbasa's eyes gave her a chill she had never felt, even during the night's storms. It was a look of emptiness, as Forbasa seemingly retracted his mind into his body so far that even those windows to the soul, his eyes, were seemingly lifeless.

The look passed, however, and when he came back, Forbasa looked as alive as ever. Yet, Alexis thought she saw caution in those eyes and perhaps... was that Fear? _No, it can't be_, she chided herself mentally. This was the Shaman! The man who was her village's direct connection to the gods of creation, surely they could not be so angry as to forsake them against this strange threat.

Alexis had her doubts, however, as the silence grew. Finally, Forbasa broke the awkward pause. "Soru, is breakfast ready?"

"Yes sir." Replied the young gatón.

"Get it set up, and bring it in here."

Soru nodded and went into the kitchen. He reappeared a moment later, carrying a platter that held all the favored dishes; drekka eggs, fatback from a mogg, and bread.

Forbasa nodded to Alexis, and Soru placed the plate in front of her, to her surprise. She looked first at the plate, then to Forbasa, then at the plate, then to Forbasa again. "Elder! I can't eat this, it's for you!"

"My dear, you've been up all night running from an unmentionable vision, in the cold rain, and managed to hurt yourself on the way back." Forbasa said, ending that sentence with a slight smirk that stopped when he began another. "And besides, it's not like I eat consecrated food. I'm sure Soru can make some more for me." With that, he looked at Soru, who took the hint and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alexis and Forbasa sat there for a minute, looking at each other, until Alexis' stomach growled in protest. A sheepish grin spread on her face as her embarrassment lost to her hunger, and she began to eat rapidly.

Forbasa sat there, finishing his tea and waiting until Alexis had finished half the plate before speaking again. "Another thing, Alexis."

"Hmmm?" She mumbled through a full snout, while looking up at her mentor.

"I also want you to take care of yourself. You are an eyewitness to something terribly important to our people." Forbasa said. "This is something that will need to be consulted on by several of our people's greatest sages. They must be contacted so that they may travel here to hear from you."

At this, Alexis froze, a dribble of eggs sliding from her mouth and a look of pure panic on her face. She hastily swallowed the half-chewed food in her muzzle and nearly choked. She recovered soon enough, though, and thus spoke. "B-b-but, I am not worthy of-" Forbasa cut her off. "It is not honor, but duty that is necessary now." He said as Soru brought in another tray covered with his breakfast. He waited until Soru left and went outside before continuing.

"Alexis, there are stories not told by the campfire, things that are only told from one Shaman to the next, or from a shaman to his heir." Forbasa said as he leaned forward, for his words were meant for her alone. "I cannot reveal such things, even to you who have seen something so extraordinary, but I can tell you that what you saw IS of great import to this world, and I shall not have you killing yourself by pushing too hard to earn the so-called 'honor' of being questioned by officious old men and women." He paused to take a breath, and to let his words sink in a bit before going on. "To this end, I don't want you leaving the village. And most of all, I want you to not trifle yourself with anything for now, other than getting yourself cleaned up and remembering every detail you saw last night. Am I understood?" He finished.

Alexis had never heard Forbasa talk in such a manner. He had always been kind, but now he seemed as concerned for her as he would be for his own child. She simply nodded acquiescence to his order.

Forbasa grunted. "Good, then you'll stay in the guest room for now. And no objections!" He finished with that slightly raised voice again as Alexis looked ready to object. "Here is the only place I can make sure you're safe. I will have Soru go to your family when he gets back, and he will inform them that I need you here for a special ritual that requires concentration, so he will be able to bring some new clothes for you."

Again, all Alexis could do was nod her head in acceptance. To hide her embarrassment, she went back to her food, which the Shaman HAD ordered her to eat, after all.

For his own part, Forbasa sat quietly and ate his own breakfast, quietly going over some of the old legends in his head. _By the Gods, has It begun?_


	2. Chapter 2

It had not taken long for runners to be recruited from the village. Each of the youths volunteered when it became known that the Shaman needed someone to take messages and guide others back. So it was surprising to them that they had not yet been dispatched, and were instead standing outside of the Shaman's house while another group, led by the apprentice Soru, went to where many knew a Lupar camp was supposed to be. To do what, no one knew, though stories began to circulate of strange noises from the east, towards the Lupar cities. Of course, it was always the friend of a friend, talking about things that could barely be heard. But when coupled with a request from the Shaman, it looked strange indeed.

It was late in the day when the scouting party came back. Forbasa had dismissed the four messengers when it became clear that the scouts would be longer than anticipated. Now Soru and the other two young males who had gone with him now came back. But they did not come back empty handed.

The villagers coming back from their day at work gave the party a wide berth as the young gatón manhandled a large bundle between them. Their passage through the village raised enough of a commotion that Forbasa and Alexis came out to meet them as they arrived at the house in the center of town.

Alexis noticed that the villagers' tails were all hanging low, as if wary of something. She saw it too, in their eyes and in the body language of Soru and his two companions. A few seconds later, she saw why, as the three lay down the bundle they were carrying.

It was a Lupar, and obviously a soldier from the encampment. His wolf-muzzle face was somewhat obscured by the helmet that covered his head, though it left spaces for his large ears. His clothing was brown leather armor and a blue sash that normally would have been tied around his chest to hold up his sword scabbard. It now was tied tightly around his leg to form a tourniquet against any blood loss from a nasty wound on his upper leg. His pants and the sash were stained with mud and blood.

It was clear to Alexis that this was one of the men who had faced the giant the night before. She guessed, accurately, that this was one of the ones hit by the stuttering streams of light. She looked up as Forbasa asked, "Where did you find him?"

Soru responded. "He was just in the woods. He apparently crawled there from... Where his friends fell." Soru and the two other young gatón looked down at that, their expressions clearly showing Alexis that she truly hadn't imagined the terrifying events.

Forbasa spoke again. "Take him inside." And he turned to walk into his house, with three carriers and Alexis following. The other villagers who had gathered around to look at the new curiosity were knowledgeable enough to not try to follow or to bother the Shaman at a time like this. However, like all sentient persons, they began to talk about what was going on.

Inside, Forbasa indicated to the three young men to lay the Lupar on a couch normally reserved for those waiting to talk to the Shaman. The young men were gentle as they set the lupar on the couch, despite the fact that they had to be extremely tired from carrying the heavy man for so long. Their exhaustion finally showed on their faces, now that they didn't have to present an impassive mien for themselves and others. Soru did this without any other emotion, but the other two gatón showed some embarrassment, since they were in the house of the Shaman.

Forbasa ignored them, for the moment, as he quickly examined the lupar now dirtying up his house. He didn't care about that, however, but rather cared for the life of the young person in front of him. For a shaman was also a village's doctor, as well as wise man and religious leader. He quickly determined that the wound was created by something puncturing the skin at a fast rate, most likely an arrow. _Yet there is no shaft sticking out..._ "Did you do anything to this man, besides carrying him here?" Forbasa asked of Soru.

Soru shook his head. "No, shaman. We made sure that his tourniquet wouldn't come loose, but that's it." He said for his companions, who simply tried to relax a bit. However, there was something more in their eyes than exhaustion. Alexis saw it for what she knew her eyes must've shown; fear. Fear at something that they couldn't explain.

Forbasa had seen it too, but he had a patient to attend to. He told Soru to get a bucket of water and some soap, while he looked more closely at the wound. It was horrible to look at, but he detached his emotions while he examined the lupar's leg. Apparently, whatever had done this damage was no arrow, yet it looked much like an arrow wound. Forbasa had seen those before, and messy as they were, this looked both better and worse. It looked better in that the wound had none of the typical shards of stone or metal or wood that came from the arrow when it hit flesh, and indeed, there was no arrow to worry about puling out. What made it worse was that the wound went through the entire leg, and so it needed to be taken care of at both ends.

Soru came in just then with the bucket and soap. Forbasa washed his hands and went to work, cleaning the wound and bandaging it, adding in some medicinal herbs he had Alexis bring him from the nearby shelves. After he was done, he motioned for all of them to move into the kitchen, so as to not disturb their guest.

"Soru, you, Jahni and Fayet did well to bring him back. Especially as young as you are." Forbasa said. His words had their intended effect, and the three youths became a bit calmer and even a bit proud. "Now, tell me, what else did you see at the place that Alexis spoke of?"

It was almost like Soru had been lightly slapped as he unconsciously tried to ignore his memories. He recovered quickly, though, and spoke. "Shaman, it was nothing I've seen or heard of before." He looked at Alexis and continued. "You were right, Alexis, in that there was an army encampment there. But no longer, for the tents and wagons have been burned, and many lupar bodies lay strewn about the ground." Soru paused, his eyes showing more fear now, though he had to continue his report. "Many more were where Alexis said they would be, about halfway to the ridge from the camp. They were burned as she said, shaman, and they looked like no ordinary burns."

"What do you mean?" Asked Forbasa.

"Shaman, it looked- It seemed as if their flesh had been consumed so rapidly as to not have even had a chance to melt their armor more than a little bit. Many of them had-" He choked for a minute, seeming to come to a full realization of the sights he'd been sent to report on. "Many had almost no flesh at all, just bones and metal melted onto their skeletons." At this last statement, he lowered his head, as did the two youths, Jahni and Fayet. They, too, seemed like their experience was finally catching up to their consciousness.

Alexis, feeling for them, decided to steer the conversation away from the dead bodies. "The sphere I told you of, was it still there? Was the Giant around?"

Soru and the others looked up at that; no one was supposed to ask questions in the shaman's home save the shaman or anyone who asked permission first. But Soru answered when he noticed that Forbasa cared not a whit at the breach of manners. "No. We saw no such thing as a large sphere, though where you said it had been, we saw that the ground had been charred black, as if by some evil source."

"Or as if a fire scorched the ground." Said Jahni, adding his own view to that of Soru's.

Forbasa nodded. "Yes, indeed. Did you see anything else of import?"

Soru nodded a bit. "We did find many tracks, leading in several directions from the camp and the battlefield. Mostly Lupar, though we almost looked past the second kind of tracks, for they were so big, like, like-"

"Like a giant." Alexis finished for him. Soru nodded at the observation. "There was one other thing, shaman." He said.

"Yes?"

"We looked northeast to the Lupar city of Tanzano, and saw a great pillar of smoke coming from it."

Forbasa froze then, as did Alexis. The former because of what he had been told years before, and the latter because of what she had seen last night.

Forbasa shook himself slightly. "This is- Unfortunate. I thank you for your frank observations." He said to the youths. He turned to face Jahni and Fayet. "I release you from this duty, and I ask you to not speak of this until I give you permission. Do you understand?" The two young gatón nodded their heads obsequiously. "Good," Forbasa said. "Now, please go to your homes. And give my regards to your families and thanks to your fathers for releasing your services for this errand."

The two youngsters seemed buoyed by the shaman's words, and they thanked him and left, leaving Forbasa, Alexis, and Soru standing in the kitchen. Forbasa now felt the weight of his years, and silently motioned them to head to the library.

Once in the room, Forbasa went and sat down in his chair to rest his aching feet. Both Alexis and Soru followed, but stayed standing. "Soru," Forbasa said, "In the morning, I want you to gather back the messengers. Each will have a scroll waiting for them that I shall prepare tonight, and I want you to have them take it with them when they leave so they can deliver it to my colleagues."

Soru nodded. "Anything else, shaman?"

"Yes," said Forbasa. "I want you to go home and rest now. You're the youngest of the three I sent out today and you've done some of the heaviest work, so you should go rest."

Soru looked ready to object, but he instead bowed. "As you wish, shaman. Might I ask a question before I go?"

"You already have," remarked Forbasa with a hint of a smile. He went on before Soru became too confused "Go ahead, child."

"Some will begin to talk tonight, shaman. Many saw us bring the lupar in, and some will wonder why Alexis does not return home at night." Soru paused, but Forbasa said nothing. "Is there anything I can say or do that will help prevent the rampage of rumors?"

Forbasa shook his head. "No, Soru, you've done enough today. Go home, and if anyone asks, tell them... Tell them that I sent you to find the lupar after the gods told me where he was. That should be enough."

"Yes, shaman. With your leave?" Soru asked. Forbasa nodded and the youngster left through the back door in the kitchen.

Through this, Alexis had stood or sat quietly, still coming to grips with the unfolding events. Mostly, she went back to last night with the thought that it wasn't a dream or nightmare now. It was real, Soru had confirmed it. So deep in thought that she just barely noticed Forbasa talking to her. "Excuse me, shaman, but I was, distracted. Could you please repeat what you said to me?"

Forbasa didn't show any ire as he began to talk again. "I said, child that you will have to keep watch over the lupar for a while tonight whilst I write up those scrolls I mentioned to Soru."

Alexis seemed shocked. "But, shaman, shouldn't I write them? I am your scribe and you know much more about medicine than I."

"True, child, but I must use an old style of writing, known only to shaman, to ensure that I will be taken seriously by my colleagues." Forbasa said. _And to make sure that the no one who cannot be trusted will read them_. "As for medicine, you know enough in that regard to take care of the young man in there. His wounds are cleaned and treated with yumma, so there is nothing more I can do now. You will get me if he should change, correct?"

Alexis simply nodded. "Good," said Forbasa. "Now, go child, and help yourself to some food from my kitchen. I must work quickly now."

"Yes, shaman." Said Alexis. "Would you like me to make up a meal or snack for you?"

Forbasa thought for a few seconds. "Yes, dear child, if you could bring me a small snack, that would be gracious of you."

Alexis nodded, while Forbasa went to work, grabbing some empty paper scrolls and his pen and its inkwell from their storage places. He had much to say to his colleagues, some of whom he had never even seen.

Alexis made herself busy in the kitchen, trying to hold back her thoughts. It helped to be able to do something, especially after she had slept for most of the day, recouping from the night's exertions. The nightmares of what she witnessed had startled her awake more than once, and so had made it a fitful rest. Still, her leg was much better, and she now could do some duties to keep herself busy.

Unfortunately, it wasn't too hard or time-consuming to make dinner for herself and the shaman. Soon after eating her dinner and delivering Forbasa's, she had nothing to do than to sit in the fore room and keep watch over the wounded lupar.

Despite the unusual circumstances, her curiosity about the lupar managed to draw her temporarily away from her dark thoughts. Gazing quietly from her seat near the door, she could easily make out the lupar's gray fur and defined musculature in the dimming light.

As the day waned into night, Alexis got up to light a lantern, and when she did she noticed more details about their guest. His leather armor had a symbol engraved on the right side of the chest, which looked like some stylized tooth with blood dripping from it. The sight made her pause, for she was unfamiliar with military insignia, but she soon took her eyes it to look over the young man some more.

He appeared to be about her age - 20 in Terran years - and had had something done to the fur on his face. Lines of black came down from the top of his snout to run down the sides, and two triangular spots had been put under his eyes. _How strange_, Alexis thought. _I wonder why they'd want to do something like that?_

She decided she'd hovered enough around him, and so she checked to make sure the bandages were on properly, and then went back to her seat, to think more about the night before and of the stranger in front of her.

He awoke to the muted sounds of people outside and the occasional birdcall. He opened his eyes only to screw them shut again when he realized he was facing the sun through a window.

His first conscious thought was that his leg hurt like hell. His next thought was to wonder where he was. He took a few sniffs through his long nose. _It smells like a house, but not like most houses I've smelt_, he thought to himself. There were the usual house smells, of wood, fabrics, food, paper even. But there was not any of the smells of people, at least not any people he recognized. Then he caught another scent, and sniffed a bit more to find it underneath the other smells. _Smells like trees, like a forest. Like the forest we set up by before-_

He bolted upright as his memories of what happened flooded his consciousness. His eyes opened wide and he looked about frantically. Yet, all he saw was what one would associate with a house; Furniture, walls, a door and some windows, certainly nothing that would hurt him.

He began to calm a bit after realizing that he was indeed, safe. _But where?_ He wondered again. As his fight or flight mode shut down, he started to feel again how badly his leg was hurt. He looked down to see the horrid wound patched up and bandaged properly, even though he remembered only being able to use his sword sash as a tourniquet the night before.

He shook his head. _Was it really last night? What day is this? How long was I out?_ Since he didn't have an answer for those questions, he decided to find out about where he was. Opening his eyes again he looked around at the room he was in.

It was, for him, a fairly simple room. He lay on a couch that was on one end of the room, nearly filling up the part it was in. At the foot of the couch was a series of shelves built into the wall, all of them holding some containers of some sort. Looking to his right, he saw that there was a couple of simple chairs sitting at the other end of the room, and hanging on the walls there were a couple of cloth articles, perhaps some sort of tapestries or blankets. At least one had to be a blanket; for it was draped over a chair near the door in a fashion that suggested it had been used in just that function by whoever had sat there.

His head was clearing a bit now, despite the terrible pain of the wound. He realized that there were people outside talking, though he didn't understand the muffled speech. This worried him a bit, for that could mean he was taken prisoner. _But by whom?_ Would that monstrosity have bothered to take prisoners? And even if it did, why was he in a small house?

That clicked something in his thoughts and he looked around again. He didn't notice it before, but all the furniture seemed a bit smaller than it should be if Lupar were to use them. That left only one possibility. _The Gatón_, He thought. _Could they be behind what happened?_ The question was so absurd that he almost rejected it out of hand, but most of what he had seen, what he had experienced, that was pretty absurd too. Wasn't it?

_No_. He had heard many tales of the Gatón, mostly from his grandmother about how they cast spells against the Lupar and generally preyed upon the unwary. Some tales he heard from his friends while growing up, which ranged from the ridiculous when they were young, to the absurdly raunchy when they were nearly grown. But none of what he had heard over the years mentioned the Gatón as capable of summoning such things as that terrible giant.

_That, and I'm not supposed to believe in such things,_ He mused. He had always been a skeptical one, believing more in science than magic. Supposedly, there was a whole movement going on throughout most of the southern cities, including his own, where men of learning were making all sorts of discoveries, undermining centuries of ignorant superstition.

Now, however, he wasn't so sure. _Never mind,_ he thought to himself. _I must go meet whoever has helped me and learn what has happened._ He turned on the couch, and set his feet on the floor. His leg protested being moved with such a bad wound, but he ignored it and tried to stand up.

"Yip!" He couldn't help but yelp in pain as he tried to put weight on his wounded leg. Fortunately, he had the good sense to try it first to make sure it would be all right before he got into a position where he could fall down. _A fat lot of good it did me_.

The door opened then, and in came something he didn't expect; a female Gatón. He had thought that at least he'd have a guard to watch him, even if the watch post was outside. What made the impression more striking was her appearance. Chiefly the hair at first, then those blue eyes, both rare among the Lupar as well. What was even more startling was the concern he could see in the catwoman's eyes.

"You're awake, that's good. But I don't think you should be standing on that leg just yet." She said to him in a faintly scolding tone of voice. He felt sheepish, and was surprised at feeling that way. "I'm sorry?" He said.

She smirked at that a bit, her upper lip going up enough to barely show the tip of her fang. "I suppose you aren't, but that's alright." The smirk went away, and again the concern came back. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm, fine." He said. "I just wanted to fid out what was going on. How did I get here? Who treated my leg? And how do you know my language?"

"You were brought here by a scout party that found you in the woods. They brought you back here to our village so that our Shaman could heal you. I know your language because it is based off of the ancient Merchant's Tongue, which is the language our Shaman insists we use while studying in his house." She said.

"Shaman?" The young Lupar asked with a raised eyebrow and tail, both the signs of disbelief.

Her eyes darkened a bit at the tone of his voice. "Well, I know you Lupar don't quite think us civilized, but we do know how to treat a hurt or sick person." She said in a bit of a huff.

"I'm sorry." He said, with more feeling than he intended. Why did he do that? He gave a mental shrug and focused. "Where are we? What village?"

Her gaze softened. "You're in the village of Kuamket, about a third of a day's travel from where they found you." She said with some compassion. "Do you- Do you remember how you got wounded?" She asked with some trepidation.

He felt caught. _How could I explain what I saw?_ It was all very mad, and suddenly, the thought that this lady would think him mad became important to him.

The entrance of two more gatón saved him, however. One was an old man who thee Lupar thought must be the shaman, especially from the way the young lady reacted at his entrance; by turning towards him and lowering her tail in deference. Or was it deference? He couldn't be sure, since the Gatón were so different. The other new arrival was clearly an adolescent, though he carried himself with a confidence that some men perhaps twice his age could never have. Both were fairly typical of their race, or so the Lupar thought. Both had the brown hair and yellow eyes that the young warrior's friends had assured him existed. The elder one, however, had white streaks through his hair and in his face and tail fur.

It was the Elder - the young Lupar couldn't think of a better label for him - spoke next. "Ah, you're awake. That's good." The old gatón walked over and leaned over the wounded leg. "Let me see how this is doing."

The Lupar felt nervous and even a bit embarrassed, but he decided this must be the man who had taken care of his leg, so he felt he owed him. The elder gatón, for his part, pretended not to notice his guest's discomfort at the examination, especially when the bandage was lifted so that Forbasa could look at his work.

_The Lupar is taking it well_, or so Forbasa thought. He dismissed the thought from his mind for the moment, and continued to study the wound. "Yes, that's healing nicely. Alexis, could you get me the waso herb from the shelf?" He indicated with his cane which shelf it was.

_Alexis? Interesting name_, the Lupar thought as he patiently watched the young lass get the container and present it to the shaman, who opened it and took out a small handful of powder before turning back to his guest. "This will sting a bit, but please try not to move your leg until we change the bandage. Oh, that reminds me, Alexis, could you?" The old man said to the lady - _No, Alexis_. She went to another shelf as the old man dumped the powder into the wound.

The young Lupar was not quite ready for it, though he managed not to yelp in pain or to fidget, though his face told the story to the others in the room. The shaman moved quickly and soon had the old bandages off and the new ones on. The younger gatón male, who grabbed an oil lamp from a shelf along the far wall, carried out the old ones. _To burn it?_ Mused the Lupar. _Perhaps they aren't as backwards as I've heard._

"Now then," said the elder gatón, "I think it's time for introductions, hmm?" The old shaman motioned for Alexis to bring him a chair, which she did so promptly. "I am Revalo Forbasa, the Shaman of the village of Kuamket." Forbasa said as he sat down. "This considerate young lady is Alexis, whom you've already met, I take it." Alexis bowed her head slightly at the mention of her name, and though her face didn't show embarrassment at the latter comment, her tail began to try and wrap itself around her leg.

The man nodded. "Indeed we have." He turned to his host - for that is what he thought of the old man now, despite his earlier trepidation - and said. "I am Mikula Farkas, member of the Clan Regulus of the city of Tanzano. I take it that you are the one who treated my wound, since you displayed such skills earlier?" Forbasa nodded, and Farkas took a breath before going on. _I must do this_. "Then I owe you my life, and in my clan, that means I must try to repay that debt any way I can. I ask you," he cat his head and eyes downward, "if there is some way this one may be able to serve you?"

Forbasa was taken back as was Alexis and Soru, who had walked into the room after burning the old bandages outside. _What do I do?_ Thought Forbasa. He had heard of the Lupar's so-called "life-debts," but he had also heard from merchants and travelers that the practice was dying out, as the cities grew numerous and the clans began to fade with their merging into the larger framework of civilization. _Yet this young one feels indebted to me to the point of, what? Death?_ Forbasa was in unfamiliar territory, and now he regretted not taking that trip into a Lupar city that a friendly merchant had offered so long ago during Forbasa's youth.

He decided to temporize. "Perhaps, child. Before we can discuss that, there are some questions I must ask you." He waited until Farkas nodded his head before going on. "Good. Now then," Forbasa leaned forward so that he would draw the lupar's attention back to his face. "Now, what gave you that wound?"

Farkas moved back as if physically slapped. He took a couple of seconds to compose himself a bit before replying. "I- I'm not sure you would believe me, sir."

"I have seen many things, heard many things. I assure you, that whatever you say, I could probably believe it." Forbasa said to the nervous young man. When Farkas seemed reluctant still, Forbasa decided to get a bit dirty. "I would consider it a payment on that debt you mentioned if you'll tell me what you remember."

Farkas looked pale, which is hard to do for a species that has no bare skin on the face, save around a few openings. He straightened his shoulders and began his story, taking about ten minutes to do so, as his memory was somewhat jumbled from the fear and the wounding. Still, some helpful questions from Forbasa moved things along.

"...And then I passed out from the pain. Then I woke up here." Farkas finished. _I wonder what the Gatón do people struck by madness?_ He wondered as the other three sat quietly contemplating his story. Yet, as he looked into their eyes, he didn't see disbelief or suspicion, but rather worry and thought. In Alexis' eyes in particular, he saw something else, something he knew to be in his own, brown eyes; Fear.

His own fear diminished a bit and it was replaced by... _Anger? Why should I feel that?_ He didn't know what to think, especially when Forbasa began to speak again, bringing his thoughts again to the memories of the dark night.

"You are not mad, as you surely think yourself, my dear child." Forbasa was saying. "Alexis here too, saw the same sights as you did that night, and I have no reason to think her mad." He finished with a slight smirk on his muzzle.

Farkas looked inquisitively at Alexis, who appeared to have become embarrassed again. "I had heard from some hunters that a Lupar camp was being set up, so I was curious to see what it was about. I fell asleep in a tree while watching your camp and, well..." Her voice trailed off and Farkas knew then why she had indeed shown fear earlier. Few could have seen what they had seen that night and not been permanently changed.

"Then you found me because you sent a party back to verify her story?" Farkas asked of Forbasa, who nodded.

"Indeed we did, for we had to make sure. Not that I distrust my apprentice, however, but because some things must simply be checked." Forbasa replied.

Farkas nodded, then an idea formed in his head. "Mr. Forbasa, sir, this begs a question; do you know what these happenings are?"

Now it was Forbasa's turn to sit back in shock, though he got over it quickly. _A smart one, this lupar is_, he thought. _And he feels himself indebted to me. Is this a message from the Gods? Could he be helpful in the times to come?_ He decided to test the waters a bit more. "That certainly is an, interesting question." He said. "Tell me, why do you ask this?" Farkas looked a bit embarrassed himself, and stayed quiet for a moment. "Come come, I will not be angry, I promise."

"Well," Farkas began, "why believe in such a thing? If I had heard this story from anyone other than myself, and had not seen it with my own eyes, then I'd think the poor person had been touched by madness.

"You, however, take the word of young Alexis there, " he gestured lightly and automatically with his head to indicate her, "at face value. Granted, she's probably well known to you, and perhaps even well trusted as well. But such a thing that we witnessed, I could not come up with such a thing in a hundred lifetimes, and still you felt the need to send a party out to make sure of her observations. Or at least I surmise that, since I hadn't moved too far from the battlefield, and I must've looked dead to them, so why check me for signs of life?" Farkas was beginning to relax a little now as he got into his reasoning. "Normally, they'd want to leave and report in, like I presume Alexis did." He paused while Alexis nodded a confirmation. "So they took their time. Why? I can only surmise that they were told to go there and look for anything unusual, and I suspect a survivor like me would be rather unusual in a place like that." His voice grew bitter at the last sentence, and he took a pause to catch his breath and to settle his feelings a bit.

"So, my dear boy, tell me how this translates into the idea that I may have some information about these... heinous events?" Forbasa asked after a few seconds.

"Simple." Replied Farkas. "They were obviously told to check out the story of a person you trust to not be prone to making up tall tales. But even then, this tale is so tall as to block out the sun, so why," he leaned forward, a predatory look on his face, though he wasn't looking at anyone in particular, "believe it? Even if the witness is trusted, such things have never been even thought of. The only reasonable answer I can see is that you had a reason to make sure of what you were told. And I can see that only if you know something about this even before it happened." Farkas finished, and only then realized that he had perhaps spoken too much. He wanted to trust these gatón for some reason, especially because he owed them a life-debt. Yet, how much did he know about the Gatón? _I have shown this shaman to be carrying a secret. What if he decides I should be 'disposed' of?_ Such things happened in the larger Lupar cities, could they happen here?

_He looks worried_, Forbasa thought. _But he's proven to be flexible of mind, and I would suspect that he has bravery to match_. "I thank you for your observation. You deserve an answer, and that answer is: 'yes.' I do know some... Things. I cannot reveal them, yet." Forbasa said. "But I promise you that I will let you know, in time, and I make that promise to you two, as well." Forbasa turned towards where Alexis and Soru stood quietly as he spoke the last part of the sentence. "You have been of great help so far, and in such confusion. Especially you, Alexis. I thank you both." He finished and waited until the two bowed their heads in respect, then turned back to his guest.

Farkas was still a bit wary, yet the old shaman - _What? Am I really using that word in my thoughts now?_ Another mental shrug. _This wise old man speaks eloquently, far better than I was led to anticipate from the Gatón. Why, they even know _MY_ language!_ So caught up in thought he was that he missed what Forbasa had just said. "Pardon me, Mr. Forbasa, but I was... ordering my thoughts. Could you please repeat that?"

Forbasa didn't look offended, and in fact looked a bit amused. "I was asking, child of whether you have any family that would miss you in your city?"

Again, Farkas wondered if his life was saved, only to be taken more assuredly. However, his hackles hadn't been raised, and he thought he knew why the shaman was asking. "My father died a few years ago in battle with our neighbor city of Gowts. My mother is still alive, but she is busy doing maid work for the others in our clan, and my only siblings are either in the army like me - like I was," he corrected himself. After all, he had a debt to repay that even some old army leaders would agree would need an honorable dismissal. "My only sister was married off to another clan, so I suppose I have no one who would miss me too much... though I would like to at least write my mother to let her know that I did not die like the others." He finished, somewhat downcast. _Oh, Great Maker. Mother, I don't want you to feel bad about something that did not even happen! Well, almost didn't..._

Forbasa tilted his head to his right and revealed a little grin, pleased, as he was that the lad had guessed the reason for the question. "Then if you still wish to honor that life-debt you so rashly offered, I would like you to stay." The grin disappeared and Forbasa tilted his head back upright. "Because one thing I will tell you now, all of you," he waved his cane towards where Alexis and Soru stood tiredly, "is that if what I fear is true, then we - the Lupar and the Gatón- will need to be able to help each other. You might be a great help if that need arises." He finished and looked at the young Lupar.

Farkas lowered his head and looked at the floor. _He's giving me a way out?_ He thought. _I could go home, visit mother, perhaps warn my comrades in the army.... No!_ He chided himself. _Honor is the basis for our clan's way of life, and I will not dishonor it! Besides, this gatón shaman speaks of co-operation. So if there were a threat, Tanzano would be alerted, somehow._ More importantly to the Lupar was the fact that Forbasa had promised the reveal some of what he knew. As horrifying as the events of the other night were, he was intensely curious about them and about what they could mean. In addition, whatever he learned could be used to help his home city to defend himself.

Farkas looked up to see the three gatón waiting politely for his answer. He didn't disappoint Forbasa when he said, "I have my word, and I do not break it. I owe you my life and I will serve until you think I have done enough to repay you." He wanted to get down in a kneeling position, as the formal rules dictated. However, his wound wouldn't allow that, and he suspected neither would Alexis or Forbasa, at least not while he was wounded. So he bowed as deep as he could in front of the old man and held it.

Forbasa, for his part, had learned one thing about Lupar life-debts; the acceptance of one required the accepting party to lay their hand on the offering party's head. This he did, albeit briefly, as he still felt uncomfortable with the affair. _Though with what might be happening, discomfort is the least of my worries_. "Please get up, young Mikula. I am not the kind of person to stand too much on formal ritual, as useful as it is at times."

Farkas sat upright again. "Yes sir."

Forbasa raised an eyebrow. "There is one thing you must do, at least around the village here, and that is to refer to me as 'shaman.' It is respectful of our traditions, you understand."

"Of course si- shaman." _The word is hard to get used to, despite my own use of it in my thoughts_. Farkas thought.

Suddenly, a rumble from his belly made Farkas startle a bit, along with Alexis and Soru. "Pardon me." He said sheepishly.

Forbasa smiled. "We have been talking for a while, and you do need your strength in order to heal. Soru," he said as he turned to the young gatón. "If you would please, get lunch ready for all of us?"

"As you wish, shaman." Soru said and left the room to prepare the meal.

"Now then," said Forbasa, "We too, should get to work." He got up from his chair, leaning on his cane. "Alexis, I need you to go to market for some food supplies. I have a feeling we'll be needing some restock sooner than expected." He said with a wink to Farkas. "But first, come into the library and take down an announcement I want posted there, so you can leave it at the center post while you're out."

"Yes, shaman." Alexis said, and she went to get the materials ready.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Farkas, who felt like he should be active.

"Yes," said Forbasa. "You can lay right back down and get some rest! That wound is healing nicely, but I want you to stay off that leg all day just the same."

Farkas nodded, and settled to lie back on the couch as Forbasa walked into what Farkas presumed was the library. The smell of food was strong, now, as Soru worked to make a good, hearty meal. Farkas just hoped he wouldn't eat anyone before he could get some food, or at least he joked to himself. His joking mood was dampened somewhat when he realized something else.

_I want to protect Tanzano, but... What if I'm too late?_ That thought stayed with him until well after lunch was past.


	3. Chapter 3

The next three days were relatively calm, if somewhat unusual for all involved. The messengers had been dispatched the morning Farkas had woken up, and it was expected that the first one would be back with the persons he was sent to get in about a week. Those particular shamans were from the swamp tribes of the south, whose connections stretched far to the east. Others would come from the plains tribes to the west, and from the snow tribes of the far north. The latter would take some time to arrive, given that they'd avoid contact with the Lupar cities in between their homes and the homes of Forbasa's forest tribe.

Farkas had spent the time well as he waited for his leg to heal up. His three new debtmasters - an old term he found appropriate - had spent their time doing their normal duties of helping the village operate, as well as tending to Farkas' needs and questions. For his part, Farkas was impatient to get well and be able to help repay his debt. Thus, he happily repaid the information he learned from the gatón by answering their questions about Lupar society.

Mostly, however, he sat or lay quietly, either on the couch in the main room, or in a chair in the small library. Farkas was rather surprised that the Gatón even knew of writing, let alone books and libraries. _Of course, I doubt any Lupar has been a guest in a house of a Gatón shaman before._ He mused to himself on the fourth day of his stay, as he sat in the library looking over some of the books. Some were written in the old Merchants' Tongue, which was a direct ancestor of most Lupar languages. He thusly found the books readable, though only barely. The newer books were written in the language of the Gatón, and though he was learning the spoken version, the writing gave him headaches.

What he could discern of the books he found was that most of the stories of the Gatón being uncultured and unlearned, to be totally false. The cat-people had a deep culture, based on their pagan beliefs. His monotheistic upbringing chafed against their system of belief, but his rational mind put that aside as unimportant, since one thing his parents had taught him was that there were more than one way to do things. He reasoned that this applied to religion as well.

Farkas also learned that the Gatón, while somewhat deficient in the physical sciences that his own Lupar race excelled at, were masters of medicine, and their observations of life were deeply insightful.

His learning was never in the direction he really wanted to go, however. The nightmares of the event that brought him to this cozy village still came when he slept, and were now beginning to be supplemented with other nightmares about Tanzano being burned to the ground. The latter dreams had begun when he had learned of what else the scout party that found him had seen. Forbasa had broken it to him quietly two nights ago, and now Farkas spent half his time worrying. His three brothers were all in the army, and they would certainly fight against whatever would attack their city, no matter how monstrous. _That is what worries me, however_, he thought to himself. He knew that whatever had attacked his troop was not easily defeated, _if it can be defeated at all_. Still, he had faith in his brothers' abilities and sense that would, hopefully, get them through any encounter.

His sister he wasn't worried about, as her husband was a minor, non-voting member of Tanzano's ruling council. Though not the most powerful Lupar, he could easily make sure that Farkas' sister would be safe. Then there was his mother, undoubtedly still doing her craftsman job of creating glassware for the emerging middle-class. A strong woman, he knew she would be smart enough to avoid fighting something so... powerful.

The hardest part, of course, was the not knowing. Farkas was always the sort to take action, even when he was little. Being forced into inaction was nerve grinding, and so he did his best to spend the time learning with the hope that the knowledge he sought - that of the mysterious giant - would be revealed when Forbasa had consulted with his peers.

_Great, now I can't concentrate_, Farkas thought. Sighing, he put the book away on its shelf and stood up, using the help of his unusual cane. It actually wasn't a cane, but a crutch that had been made the year before for a young gatón villager that had fell out of a tree and broken his leg. The gnarled piece of wood was too small to be a crutch for Farkas, who was twice the size of the youth, but it was about right to be used like an arcane, and so he used it that way. It was better than sitting alone all day, since Forbasa was visiting a sick child of a family on the edge of town and so had taken Soru with him for support, while Alexis was out taking care of the herbs in the shaman's garden. He decided to exercise his strengthening leg a bit, so he headed for the back door that led into the garden.

Alexis was busy working the soil around a shinuka plant, and trying hard to not think about how strange life had become. Unfortunately for her, the ground was far easier to control, as her train of thought wandered, as anyone's is want to do when engaging in simple manual labor.

Right now, her thoughts were on the young lupar who had sworn an oath to repay the shaman and his apprentices. She shook her head as she pulled her fingers from her completed work and wiped them on her working pants. _It is what our law requires, to help others_. He was not obliged to them at all, as far as she was concerned, but he hadn't wanted to listen to reason. Several times, she had talked to him about it while attending his wound, yet he seemed determined to carry out his 'repayment.'

Alexis stood up to survey the garden. _Looks like I'm done for today_, she thought as she went to the well so she could clean her hands. The water felt cool in the late morning sun, though it did little to distract her mind. Despite his hardheaded nature, Alexis found the young lupar to be a thoughtful and intelligent person. Like Farkas, she had been reared on stories on how the other race, this time the Lupar, were bloodthirsty barbarians determined to enslave anyone who wasn't under their control already. However, her time with the shaman and his own interest in the Lupar had allowed her to keep an open mind, and thus she learned from the occasional trader that the Lupar, though warlike at times, were not too different from the Gatón.

_And Mikula puts lie to most of the 'barbarian horde' stories anyway_, she thought. The young man inside healing up was as normal as most gatón, though occasionally he gave trouble, like when he had tried walking again two days before. Farkas had decided he'd spent enough time waiting, and walked on his hurt leg in order to get the lunch that she was going to bring to him anyway. This had brought a harsh chiding from her and Forbasa. "How can you fulfill your debt to me if you make yourself so hurt that you'd need even more help?" The old gatón had asked in that quiet voice of his that he reserved for some of his harshest chiding. It had worked however, and Farkas had managed to not be a pain until this morning, when Forbasa had agreed to let him use a crutch as a cane and walk in and around the house. He had promptly gotten in Alexis' way after Forbasa and Soru had left to take care of a sick child. It took more than a few stern comments before he had taken the hint and quietly went back to reading in the library.

The opening of the door behind her brought Alexis' attention back to reality. She turned to see Farkas standing on the steps leading to the garden, looking around at the village that surrounded the shaman's house. It amazed her that he could be so curious about a simple village. Though to be fair, she reckoned that if she had visited a Lupar city, she'd be in much the same state. "Oh, decided to annoy me again, have you?" She asked lightly in the lupar tongue, in order to make sure he knew she was jesting.

Farkas turned to her and gave a lopsided grin that was, she was learning, characteristic of him. "No, I think I'd like to be able to walk out of here before I grow gray of hair and white of fur." He said, referring to when she had commented about whether he wanted to see what it was like to have his good leg broken. That was the last time she had seen him before now, and he had then realized that he was being a nuisance

Alexis looked down for a second in embarrassment, her tail slightly curling around her leg before she looked up a second later. "I didn't mean what I said, earlier. You aren't mad at me?" She asked.

Farkas shook his head. "No, no, of course not. Your comment let me know that I wasn't exactly helpful."

She smiled then, something that elicited a warm feeling in the back of Farkas' neck. "Good. It'd be a shame if you couldn't get better by being too afraid to come near enough for me to get your meals." Alexis said. They both shared a laugh at the joke, and then she turned to finish putting things away while Farkas slowly sat down on the topmost step and looked out over the village again.

A few minutes later, Alexis put the last of her tools away, and went over to sit by Farkas. "Why do you stare so at the village?" This time she asked in gatonese, so that he could get some practice.

He thought for a second, organizing his words. "It is because the village is new and... Lively?" He asked the last word, and then went on. "Yes, lively. It is not as I was, told to be expect." Farkas grimaced at the last sentence, which he knew was spoken wrong, yet he wasn't quiet sure how.

Alexis helped out with that. "Told to expect, you mean?" She asked mirthly.

Another grin. "Yes. I am not doing to well, am I?" He asked, switching back to Lupari.

Alexis shook her head. "No, quite the opposite; you're getting good. After all, yesterday you probably wouldn't have even known that you said it wrong."

Farkas looked down and smiled at that. "Oh, thanks for your vote of confidence. Perhaps I _should_ break the other leg, that way I'll have a lot more time to learn and be bored between lessons."

They shared a chuckle at that. "Well, if you want, the shaman said you could leave the house if you wanted to, just so long as I go with and you take it easy."

Farkas looked surprised. "I've been going insane with waiting and sitting, doing nothing, and you tell me this now?" He asked with some incredulity.

"Well, if you hadn't been in my way all morning, maybe I would have mentioned it." Alexis replied with a twinkle in her eye.

Farkas looked away, then laughed. "I suppose I deserve that. Now," he turned back towards Alexis, "shall we go? I would very much like to see your village from more than a set of windows."

She nodded. "It sounds like a good idea. I have to go to the market anyway, and you could pick up a word or two while we're out." She stood up then, prompting Farkas to do so as well. "Just wait here; I must get some of the shaman's money to pay for the supplies." She said and then went inside for a few minutes.

She emerged a minute later holding a bag and some coins, the latter she slipped into a special pocket in the bag as she walked to where Farkas was waiting by the lane. _Not even cobblestone, just dirt_, he thought. Still, he was finally getting to do something other than sitting around, and Alexis wasn't the worst company to have.

They started out quietly, mainly because Farkas was too busy looking around the small back lane at the humble but well-built houses on either side. Alexis decided she'd let him adapt a bit before trying to engage him in conversation.

It was a few moments until they emerged from the lane and onto the village's main way that led to the market square. Alexis led the way, but she kept a slow pace so that Farkas wouldn't fall behind or strain his wound trying to keep up. _Although I wouldn't mind getting this over with sooner_, she thought as Farkas began to draw looks from everyone on the street. Though a proclamation made by Forbasa had let the villagers know that there was a young Lupar being taken care of by the shaman - a necessity in a culture where smells could betray a secret as that - people we still curious, and even a bit suspicious at the appearance of the lupar. Mostly the former, and Alexis realized that this was because Farkas was still limping along on his makeshift cane, which made him less threatening. _That and his open interest in everything make him seem less of a conquering barbarian_.

Farkas, for his part, was almost enjoying the excursion, welcoming the chance to stretch his legs and see the people that he was now learning about. After he got past their outside appearance, he noticed that they acted much like Lupar, bustling about to and from their work, carrying or herding children in the case of the women folk. The little ones especially stared at him, he noticed, their yellow and sometimes green or brown eyes wide with interest.

_Yellow, green, and brown..._ He mused. Questions then popped up. Since the other gatón were giving him and Alexis a wide berth, he decided to ask it. "Alexis?"

"Yes?" She asked from in front, keeping her eyes forward but turning an ear back to catch his voice better.

"May I ask, why do you have blue eyes?" He spoke with care, hoping not to offend her.

At that, she stopped for a second, and then resumed walking, albeit slower than before, allowing Farkas to catch up and see her face. "I don't know, really. Some have said that it's the sign of evil, that a person should have blue eyes. But my mother always tells me that it's a trait that crops up in her family from time to time." Alexis spoke quietly, as to not attract attention to their conversation.

"So I take it that the color is not common among your people?" Farkas asked.

She shook her head. "No. Is it common among yours?"

Now he had to shake his head. "I am afraid not. When I was young, my grandmother, may she rest well, told me a story about blue-eyed people one time after I had seen one while accompanying my mother to market." He said. "Her version said that the blue-eyed people were the direct descendents of the first line of kings who ruled the ancient city of Basun. She said they were neither especially evil or good, just powerful, and therefore not to be trifled with." He concluded his story with a smirk and looked over to Alexis.

She smiled at the last part. "Not to be trifled with, eh?" She asked with mirth. "Then perhaps you should tell that story to the vendors in the market, so that they'll give me an even better deal."

They both chuckled as they arrived at the market. Here their conversation was put on hold, as Alexis bargained with the shop keeps and Farkas tried not to get in anyone's way while he drank in the sights. He also attracted more than one gatón's attention, but most turned away after a minute, deciding that if the Shaman could trust the barbarian in his own house, than the lupar must not be a threat.

They had finished and began walking back to the house when they ran into Forbasa and Soru returning from their sortie to the Grena family to treat the youngest. "Hello Alexis, Mikula." Said Forbasa. "I see you decided to get out for a bit. How does your leg feel?" He asked of the lupar.

"It hurts some, but it is no longer excruciating, just a dull ache; nothing that I cannot stand." Farkas replied. He wouldn't have even admitted that but for the fact that Alexis was carrying the foodstuffs, to his chagrin and relief. His leg did hurt after all, and though he wanted to prove himself a strong person to his new friends - He was surprised a bit at that word, but he couldn't think of them any other way, aside from they being his debtmasters - he really didn't want to risk further harm by straining himself too soon. It was something the army had taught him about, and he had seen a few wounded men ignore the advice, to their detriment.

Forbasa only grunted softly. "Well, you should probably shouldn't walk too much more today after we get back." The shaman said.

Farkas nodded, and was about to say something else when a commotion came from the marketplace. They all turned to see a young gatón running on all fours from a way leading from the outskirts of the village. He stopped and stood up amid a crowd of people, and looked around until he saw the shaman and his party, then went back to his frantic run, this time heading for the shaman.

Farkas didn't like the look of it. Before the youth reached the shaman, and before Forbasa could say anything, Farkas moved himself in between of all three of his gatón companions and the oncoming runner. "Stop!" He barked in gatonese, bearing a bit of his teeth as well to prevent the youth from coming any closer.

His intention was fulfilled, and the young gatón went erect by reflex in order to stop, but he was going a bit too fast and overcompensated, and so fell on his rear. Farkas was about to move forward and, bad leg or no, hold the young man to the ground until Forbasa spoke up. "Mikula!"

Farkas, stopped, and turned to look at Forbasa, who had a concerned look on his face. "Mikula, it is all right. This young one is Jahni, one of the persons that helped carry you to my house. He must have a good reason to see me if he would run like that, so calm down and take your weight off that leg." Forbasa motioned with his own cane to Farkas' legs, which were all that were supporting him as he had brought up his own support to block an attack.

Farkas felt horribly embarrassed, as evidenced by the way his ears went down along the side of his head and his tail held low. He put the cane down and leaned on it as he replied, "I am sorry, shaman, I- It just was surprising and I've seen how deaths start this way before."

Forbasa nodded, though he only could guess at what the young lupar meant. _Still, he thought to defend me, and that is noble of him_. "That is fine, and I know you meant well. Now," he turned to Jahni. "Young man, I am sorry, but you shouldn't run like that, especially to an old man like me who might be hurt." Forbasa said the last part with a slight grin to let the young gatón know there were no hard feelings.

The mood got only worse, however, as Jahni got up. "I am sorry, shaman," he said, "but there is an unusual sight at the edge of the village. A group of Lupar are at the main road are asking to speak to our 'mayor,' whatever that is." He added the last part due to the fact that the Gatón had no word for mayor, though the Lupar did.

"What?" Forbasa was flabbergasted for the first time in years. He quickly regained control of himself, however. "Did they say why? Or what for?"

Jahni shook his head. "No, they just said that they wanted to speak with our 'mayor,' or leader, and that they would wait as long as necessary."

By now a commotion could clearly be heard from the direction that Jahni had came. People were being drawn to it, and some who overheard the conversation on the crowding street stood nearby, with an occasional glance at Farkas.

"Well, we must not let them wait too long, eh? Lead on, child." Forbasa said and indicated the way with his cane. Jahni turned and, with Soru, began to clear the way with shouts of, "Make way! Make way for the shaman!"

Forbasa led off, followed by Alexis and Farkas. The latter was particularly eager to make contact with a lupar, especially if they were from Tanzano, or at least could get word to and from his home city.

The party moved through the parting crowd with speed, and soon they could see the form of pango-drawn wagons, the traditional conveyance of the Lupar. There were a lot of them it seemed, though Forbasa couldn't accurately judge, not having any experience along these lines. "Mikula, I must make this brief, so I ill dispense with the pleasantries. Will you live up to your vow and help me negotiate with these lupar?"

Farkas stopped for a second, causing everyone to slow while he caught up. He was more hurt than truly offended, though he realized that the shaman just wanted to be careful. "I gave you my word, and that is my bond, now and forever." He said to Forbasa, who simply nodded as they arrived at the edge of the crowd, who would get no closer than about fifteen meters from the arrived Lupar.

There were quite a few of them mainly sitting in the wagons, looking out from behind the drivers, and several more on pongoback. Or at least they had been mounted, but now they mainly stood in a tight circle, perhaps discussing what they would say to the gatón leader.

Forbasa decided on the direct approach. He walked forward halfway from the crowd to the Lupar. His limp from using the cane hardly showed at all, and his tail and ears were erect and alert. "I am the leader of the village Kuamket. Who are you to come here, and why do you seek an audience?" His voice boomed like Farkas had not heard before. _It caught their attention_, Farkas mused. _Now let's see what-_ His thoughts froze at seeing who was standing at the head of the Lupar party. "MOM!"

She started, and looked over to see a lupar like her. Like- "MIKULA!"

They both ran forward, meeting closer to the crowd of Gatón due to Farkas' condition. Neither seemed to care as they embraced warmly, ignoring the stares of those around them. The Gatón were a sentimental race, and they kept their distance out of respect, while the Lupar were just too shocked to respond. She pulled away to look her son in the face. "Mikula! We were told you were dead! Where have you been?"

Farkas wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, mother, I'm so sorry. I was hurt, and these gatón brought me here to be treated." He looked up to see two more Lupar join them, and recognized them as his brothers. "Kanu, Pavlo!"

"Mikula, you lucky bastard! Here we were worried you were dead, and you're taking a vacation." Said Pavlo, the younger of the brothers and a born jokester. Another set of hugs was exchanged with them as well.

Forbasa stood where he was, though he did let himself lean in his cane more. A sentimental man himself, he had to wipe a tear from his own eyes as he saw the happy reunion. The other Gatón behind him, although not able to understand what was being said between the Lupar, could tell it was a tender moment and were trying not to stare too much lest they cheapen the moment. The other Lupar behind the family looked uncomfortable, though most of the ones on the wagons wore large smiles.

"What's going on? Why are you all here, mother?" Farkas asked of his kin.

His mother looked down and away, her ears drooping a bit, matching the looks of her other two sons. It was Kanu, the elder brother there who replied. "We had to leave. The whole city is in turmoil, and there is chaos in the streets. Many are being killed in petty family and clan infighting."

"But... But why?" Farkas asked with incredulity.

Their mother answered that. "There's a panic over what the soldiers from your unit were saying after they came back in disarray. Stories of a giant monster that spit fire and killed many. We thought that meant you, when you didn't come back..." Her voiced trailed away for a minute, and again Farkas had a pang of guilt over the sorrow she suffered on his account. She found her inner strength, however, and continued. "That was bad enough, but it turns out that the officers in charge of your unit were from the Yamo and Fanchi clans, and you know the stories of their feuds."

Farkas nodded as his mother stopped to catch her breath. Kanu went on from there. "The army was in disarray, as officers and troopers picked sides, and the ruling council split along the lines of whether it was the fault of the Yamo or Fanchi officers. Then it came."

"The giant." Farkas stated.

Kanu nodded. "I take it you've seen it then."

"Yes," replied Farkas, "but I think that should wait until later. What happened next?"

His mother again spoke. "The thing attacked, and it wasn't alone, for it had two more grotesque giants accompanying it. They struck at the area where the grain silos are, and they smashed aside the walls and defending army troops like they were nothing." She choked up on that last sentence, and Farkas knew why.

"S-S-Senmar?" He asked the name of his the youngest brother of them all, who had just been assigned to the granaries as part of their defense.

Kanu and Pavlo shook their heads while his mother just stood there looking down at the ground. "He was killed, Mikula. None of us saw it ourselves, but a friend of Senmar's let us know about it when we went looking for him. He was burned alive by those... things!" The anger and rage in Kanu's voice was palpable, if not especially loud.

_I... I don't believe it!_ Farkas thought to himself. Suddenly, the weight of the knowledge of his brother's death allowed the pain in his leg to catch up with him. Their combined effects sapped his strength and he fell to the ground in a sitting position.

"Mikula!" His mother exclaimed and kneeled down to check on him. She finally noticed the bandage on his leg. "How did you get hurt?"

A voice preempted Farkas' answer. "He was hurt fighting the giant of which you speak." The lupar turned and saw Forbasa and Alexis walk up. It was Alexis who had spoken, and she continued. "I know this because I saw the thing that attacked him and his camp that night."

"And he shouldn't be straining himself too much." Forbasa said, bringing himself into the conversation. He looked at Farkas. "My dear boy, Are you all right?"

Farkas' embarrassment cut through his sense of loss for his brother. He nodded and replied. "Yes, shaman, I just... Just got a little weak for a moment."

"I heard, and you have my sympathies." Forbasa replied. He looked up to take in the other three lupar. "You all have my sympathies."

The other Farkas family members took the condolences, but still felt a bit suspicious. "Shaman?" Asked Kanu with the same question in his voce that Mikula had when he spoke to Alexis for the first time.

"Yes, that is the traditional title for those who help lead the Gatón people." Said Forbasa, bringing himself a bit more erect and adding some strength to his voice. "And I believe you asked to see me. So, here I am."

"Indeed." Said Mikula's mother. "I am sorry if we've ignored you, but you can probably guess that these circumstances are unusual."

Forbasa nodded. "They very much are. I couldn't help overhearing your story, which is similar to what Mikula and Alexis saw the other night." He motioned to the latter, to make clear whom he was referring to. "But right now is of some importance, as your people have arrived in numbers to make the people of my village nervous. It would be of great help to me if you would include me on your intentions."

Mikula's mother nodded her head and replied. "We left our city for it is in turmoil, as you've undoubtedly heard from us." She waited for Forbasa to nod before continuing. "We decided to come in this direction because the forests can provide us a shelter for the time being, while we seek to find another place to settle. When we found your village, we decided to come here and see if you would treat us as intruders in this forest or not."

Forbasa raised an eyebrow and his tail curled up a bit. "You took a big risk, considering the stories you've heard about my people."

She shook her head. "I've met the occasional gatón trader, and they seemed decent enough. Besides, if we simply tried sneaking past, we'd have to worry about ambushes. At least this way, we either find out whether you bode us ill, and we fight in the open, without giving you a chance to use trickery, or we find you hospitable and therefore know that our path is free of trouble from you."

Forbasa nodded in agreement. "Yes, a good plan for your limited resources. You will find us to be a peaceable people, so long as you do not attempt to do anything... Unpleasant." He waited for a minute for her response, which came in the form of a nod. "As to hospitable, I can even go one better, and let you stay next to our village to rest, if you so desire." He concluded warmly.

Mikula, who had gotten back on his feet after Forbasa had introduced himself, stood quietly as his mother, the apparent leader of the pack - the traditional term for a traveling party - contemplated her answer. _Please say yes mother, these people can be helpful_, he thought. He had seen the maps in the shaman's library, and knew that there were many spots in which a small group of lupar could settle without bothering the Gatón and possibly starting a war. Many of those sites even appeared to be fertile and watered well, if he had read the legends right, and he was sure that he did. Not only that, but any village or town was an important place to acquire information and supplies and, in this case, information. Mikula hoped that his family and their group could stay until the other shamans arrived, and hopefully then have their knowledge shared as Forbasa had promised him.

Forbasa, too, hoped that the lupar would stay for a while. Not only would it be good for the villagers to learn more about the lupar, and therefore fear them less, but also he knew that in dark times, one could use all the friends one could get. The Lupar were, after all, powerful warriors, despite their failures against the new threat. _But with the knowledge that my colleagues posses, and I perhaps we can change that_.

The group was quiet for a minute as the elder Farkas thought over the offer. Finally, she spoke. "If you truly mean what you offer, then I accept it."

Forbasa smiled, then said. "I do truly mean it. Now, as for a place, we have some fields lying to the north of the village that aren't being planted this season. I think they will be a good place for your people to set up a camp."

She nodded and turned to a lupar standing near the lead wagon. "Rakkas, take the pack to the north side, there's some fields there where we'll be staying for a bit." She called to the grizzled-appearing man. He grunted, and began to bellow orders to the wagoneers so that they would move orderly to the site. A few of the lupar looked as suspicious as the gatón standing on the edge of their village, but both sides trusted their leaders well. The wagons began to roll off in the indicated direction as soon as they changed facings.

Mikula's mother turned back to Forbasa. "I believe that if we are to be neighbors for a time, then I should introduce myself. I am Tiana Farkas, of the Regulus clan, and I thank you for your generosity. It can not be easy to trust us as you do."

Forbasa nodded and replied. "I am Revalo Forbasa, and I trust you because I trust your son, whom I've gotten to know as he's been staying at my house to be treated for that wound."

"Then I am doubly grateful to you, for helping my son." Tiana said. She then turned to Mikula. "You should see Doctor Grazno once we're set up and you've joined us."

Mikula felt like he was going to fall again. His ears drooped again and his tail dropped to point straight down in guilt and embarrassment. He looked down and said. "Mother, I know from my appearance that I do not look that badly hurt. But I was very terribly wounded, and if not for these gatón, I would have surely died." He looked up to see his mother's face in confusion. "They saved me, and for that, I have sworn to them a life-debt."

Confusion turned to shock on his mother's face and that of his brothers.' "Mikula, you can't be serious." Said Pavlo.

"I am." Mikula said, strength in his voice now, if not on his face. "I have given my word, and I intend to keep it."

Before Pavlo or even Kanu could reply, Tiana spoke up. "I see. Then I hope you'll visit us while we're here then?" The pain in her voice was subtle, though it was there. She was more hurt at the knowledge that her and her son may be parting ways again, perhaps to not see each other after the pack left, rather than hurt by his admission that he had sworn a debt to strangers.

"Of course, mother." Replied Mikula, and he embraced her one more time. In that quick hug, she whispered into his ear so that no one lese could hear. "I'm proud of you." She said and drew back. Louder, she said. "Kanu, Pavlo, lets mount up and make sure that no one gets lost." The mirth in her voice helped ease the tension from the situation. She turned back to Mikula and his gatón friends. "We will of course, welcome you all to visit us. In particular, Mr. Forbasa," she was uncomfortable using his formal title, "I'd like to speak more on our situation to you."

"I look forward to it." Replied Forbasa, and the three lupar moved off with a wave from Tiana. Mikula felt saddened to see them go so soon, even knowing that they would be close for days, perhaps weeks. He was happy that most of his family survived, though the loss of his brother still weighed heavy on his soul. He realized that his mother hadn't said anything about his sister, and he didn't see her among the lupar sitting on the wagon fronts. New worry came over his features as he wondered what might be happening to her, to his home.

He shook his head. _No_, he thought._ If my family has left, then it cannot be home any longer. But if so, then where IS my home?_ The idea of not having a permanent place to live made him fearful.

Forbasa broke Farkas' reverie by saying, "Well, my dear Mikula. It looks as though it was ordained by the gods that you should leave the house today." He spoke with a smile to break Farkas' darkening mood.

It helped somewhat, as Farkas gave back a half-hearted grin. "Perhaps, shaman. It was fortunate that I was here today to see my family." His grin faded as he again remembered that his brother was dead.

Forbasa decided that enough had been said for now, and motioned for Alexis, Soru and Mikula to follow him back to his house. He hoped that his invitation to the lupar wouldn't make the villagers too anxious. To counteract that, he decided he'd make another proclamation for Soru to read in the market.

Forbasa was sure, though, that it was the right decision. _Let us all hope that it was for the right reason_.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the next day before Farkas could get some time to see his family again. Forbasa was quite adamant that the young lupar rest for the remainder of the previous day, and for most of today as well. It was well towards nightfall when the shaman's party set out to meet with the lupar pack once again.

The Lupar had been good guests so far; not even bothering to come into the village proper yet, for fear of doing something that would anger the Gatón. Despite Tiana Farkas' optimism about her plan, the pack was in no way ready to win a fight. She had gabled on being able to talk her way into the graces of the gatón leader, and was greatly surprised - and joyful - over finding her second-oldest son still alive. Add to that the fact that this Forbasa seemed an intelligent person who was willing to give her pack a chance.

That last thought brought a smile to her lips as she waited at the edge of their camp for her son and the shaman to arrive. Here she was, approaching fifty-four years of age, and a female to boot, and yet she had managed to have enough authority to have a leadership position. _In the chaos of the city, I suppose it's not that surprising_, she mused to herself, remembering the fear and carnage as civil order began to break down. She was surprised and disappointed that her fellow Lupar, and even the leadership of her clan, had panicked so. The people had looked for guidance from their leaders, and found nothing but petty jealousy and bickering in a time of trial.

Tiana was certainly not petty or jealous, _and that is probably why I was allowed to be leader_. After all, the males theoretically could take over control from her, as Lupar law said. But she was fair and clear-headed, and the Lupar of her clan and some neighboring clans had wanted stability rather than tradition. It also helped that she had two unmarried sons to help carry the weight of her orders, and that the other two had died fighting instead of running away.

_Well, only one, thank the Maker_. She still mourned Senmar, but those feelings were now balanced by the joy of finding Mikula alive. Though, finding him indebted to a gatón shaman for his life had given her a bit of a pause. Still, their clan was known for melding tradition with progress, and she had pride in her son that he not only took their system of honor to heart, but would live up to his debt even to what most lupar would consider 'barbarians.'

Tiana was startled out of her reverie by the arrival of Kanu, her eldest son. He came from the general direction of the camp's center. "Hello mother." He said.

"Hello Kanu. Is there anything amiss?" She asked.

Kanu shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong, at least, nothing new." The last words were spoken with a bit of irony. "I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about anything before Mikula and his friends arrived."

She smirked a bit. "You mean you want to know if I'm going to trust him?" She asked, with a bit of anger in her words. Kanu had taken a bit of a suspicion not to his brother, but to the shaman. He thought that the old man had laid a curse or something on Mikula and so he might not be under his own control.

His ears went down a bit on hearing his mother's tone. "I don't mean any disrespect, it's just that with all the strangeness going on, and finding him here, like this..." His voice trailed off a bit and he looked away. "I just think it's a little too contrived."

Tiana chuckled a bit at that, prompting Kanu to look back at his mother with a questioning glance. "Oh, my dear son. Eldest you may be, but you have much to learn about life. Namely, some things are more contrived than others." She said by way of reply. "I've seen the most tawdry fireside stories told turn out to pale in comparison to what some people do."

He nodded. "I suppose so. It's just... Things have been so strange. I guess I just want to be careful." He said.

Tiana nodded. "We will be careful, you can trust me on that. Mikula is indebted to these gatón now, and that means he's obligated to help them whenever possible. However, I can trust him to do his best to help us as well. He may well prove to be the best thing that could have happened since we left the city." She finished and stayed quiet now, as they both saw the group they were waiting for leave the last row of houses and walk over the open field towards where the lupar had set up camp.

It was a few minutes later when the shaman and his group came to a stop. "Hello, madam Farkas. May we enter your camp for a talk as we discussed?" Forbasa asked in a friendly voice.

Tiana nodded. "By all means, please join us." She and Kanu waited until they walked the last ten feet before speaking again.

Forbasa managed to speak first. "I trust there has been no complaints about the behavior of any villagers?"

Tiana shook her head. "No, none at all. And I trust no one has complained about my people?"

"No, and I'm glad." Forbasa replied. "Because ordinarily, I'd expect someone to actually try to make an ass out of themselves, but things are calming down from yesterday."

She smirked at that last bit. _So, he has a sense of humor. How interesting_. "Well then, let's head off for that chat, shall we?" She gestured towards the camp's center. To his credit, she noticed that he hardly paused to contemplate going into a den of potentially hostile people. _Very interesting indeed. These gatón continue to surprise me_. She waited until he was past, and then went to hug her son again. "We must talk later." She told him.

Mikula nodded. "We will mother, I promise." They all walked to the center of camp for introductions and talk.

It was some time later before the discussions winded down. Forbasa and Tiana were sharing as much as they could, but the Lupar were not as knowledgeable on the subject of the new threat, and Forbasa, though he let them know that he did know ore about it, couldn't say because he had sworn on his honor not to talk about it until he had conversed with some of his colleagues. Honor was something the Lupar understood, despite their curiosity about the attacking giants that mirrored Mikula's earlier enthusiasm. Forbasa had even promised them the same promise he had given Mikula and Alexis and Soru, that as soon as he could get in a conference with his peers and get permission, he'd let them know what he knew.

Alexis found the time to be enlightening. While Forbasa and Tiana talked, she had a tour of the encampment made by Mikula and his brother Pavlo. The latter had taken the lead, since Mikula hadn't been with the pack. Alexis saw how the Lupar lived, at least when they were traveling. It was fascinating, seeing them cook with implements that the gatón were without, most especially metal objects such as knives, which she had thought were only hunting and butchering tools until she saw the small ones in use to make meat and some vegetables easier to chew.

"Enjoying yourself?" Mikula asked with a smile as they left the designated kitchen wagon behind. They were walking out now to see the wagon that the Farkas family had staked for its own.

"Very much so." She replied even as she looked into another wagon they passed, this one another family carrier. She noticed the little children staring at her and realized that this was how Mikula must've felt walking down the street yesterday. _Like I'm some strange animal_, she thought. Still, it was fascinating to see other lupar, even if they found her just as interesting to watch.

Alexis decided it might be because of her dress. It was nicer one, made from the fibers of the delicate-looking danaku plant. When pressed and woven correctly, however, the fibers became strong as the coarse wool that came from the gawer animal, which made up the gatón's daily work clothes. Forbasa had suggested that they all should appear their best, and so she had picked her best.

The cloth was dyed blue, which for most animals is a nice neutral color. She had also picked a blue dress because it matched her eyes. The cut was conservative, though two slits ran up the sides of her legs, allowing her to run if need be. Her arms were mostly covered, though the sleeves were loose to allow easy movement there as well. The rest of the fabric was also loose around her body and bust, and the only places it came tight in on were the shoulders, neck and waist, the latter because of a belt she wore.

It was an attention getter, _and I'm not just attracting the children's attention_, she thought to herself. Several of the adults spared their attention to her for at least a minute, mostly the males.

Alexis hardly paid attention to them, instead she just took her time looking at everything, despite the fact that most of the wagons were like one another, the families having too little time to do the usual customizing that they normally do when living in one structure for a length of time.

"Mikula? Is that you?" A voice came from the shadow cast by a wagon in the setting sun. Out walked a young Lupar female, about sixteen centimeters taller than Alexis, and about four shorter than Mikula. She was dressed in a close-fitting pair of green trousers and a red shirt. "It is you!" She said after a minute and ran up give the surprised lupar a big hug.

Mikula took a second to recover from his surprise. "Kalina, it's nice to see you." Was all he could manage.

Kalina drew back and looked at him. "Is that all you have to say to an old friend?" She asked with an annoyed look that dissolved into a smile.

Mikula's ears went down a tad bit to show his embarrassment. "Well, you surprised me, and I didn't really expect to see you here. You don't strike me as the pioneering type, after all." He finished with his lopsided grin, which made her ears move back in the Lupar equivalent of a blush.

"I guess when things go bad, you find out what you can really do, eh?" She replied, a bit of her enthusiasm bleeding out from her voice. Everyone went quiet for a bit, for they all knew about the reasons for their exodus.

"Well, they do say adversity brings out the best in you, so there may be hope for you yet." Pavlo joked to break the mood into something happier.

They all shared a laugh, even Alexis, though behind her blue eyes her mind raced a bit. _Who is this woman? How does she know Mikula?_ She thought somewhat suspiciously. She broke her train of thought as Kalina began speaking again.

"So, who is this?" She asked, indicating Alexis, but asking Mikula.

Alexis bristled a bit at being referred to so off-hand, or so she thought. "You could ask me, since I'm standing right here." She said, letting a bit of anger into her voice to match the wagging of her tail.

Kalina looked over at Alexis with an annoyed look in her eyes. "Oh, well, I didn't know you could even speak Lupar, let alone converse in it."

Mikula spoke up before Alexis could make a retort. "Now, Kalina, that's a cheap shot and you know it."

"What? I was simply saying that I find it unusual that a gatón would know our language, that's all." Kalina replied with a superior air. "In any case, I should go help with the food preparation for dinner." She started walking towards the center of camp. "I'll be talking to you later." She said softly, as she brushed past Mikula and sliding her tail on his good leg.

Alexis stared daggers at the retreating form. She knew exactly what the female lupar had meant by her remarks. _That arrogant spawn of a siruk_, she thought with some malice. _And why did she rub on Mikula like that?_

For his part, Mikula decided to try to get things moving. "So, anyway Alexis, we still have time to see my family's wagon, if you want?"

"Yeah, and we even have some of Mikula's things with us, and I'm sure he wants to get his hands on his old toys again." Pavlo added with a nod and a grin.

Mikula grunted and gave his brother a look as Alexis asked "What toys?" _I don't know whether to thank you Pavlo or to strangle you_, he thought.

"He didn't tell you?" Pavlo asked and his grin grew to encompass his entire muzzle. Alexis shook her head as they started off again, Mikula trying to give Pavlo a warning look that the latter ignored. "He was quite the little general, playing with toy soldiers and wooden swords. And he always seemed to come out victoriously against the most unbalanced odds." Pavlo finished with laugh that Alexis joined in with. Even Mikula cracked a smile and chuckled. "Alright, Pavlo, since you're so interested at what happened when we were young, why don't you tell her about the noodle incident?"

Pavlo's smile disappeared as Alexis looked towards him with a questioning look on her face. "Uhh, well, I guess perhaps everyone goes through a phase of temporary insanity." He said, and brought out his infectious grin of his again.

Alexis laughed again, and she found herself liking this younger brother of Mikula's. _He certainly shares his family's gift of wit_, of which she knew much from talking to Mikula. She looked toward him and smiled at his embarrassed features. He looked at her and saw the smile and answered it with one of his grins. "Brothers, can't live with them, can't strangle them in their sleep."

They all shared in the laugh that followed as they approached the last wagon in the bunch. Mikula could clearly see the Farkas family emblem engraved on the wooden side, right next to the symbol for the Regulus clan. He was a bit puzzled at that. "Pavlo, why is the clan symbol not the highest?"

His brother grunted. "Mother felt that the clan was disgraced by the selfish actions of its leaders, so she thinks that it's and appropriate proxy punishment for those who let us down." Pavlo shrugged as he finished.

Mikula just nodded and went up to the back and looked in. "Hey!"

"'Hey' what?" Asked Pavlo, though Alexis could tell from the glint in his eyes that he knew exactly what Mikula was referring to.

Mikula reached into the back, leaning on his good leg to get more reach. He came back out from the back end a minute later and walked back to where Alexis and Pavlo waited. He carried with him a small wooden sword that looked like it might have been the right size for a gatón adolescent, but clearly small in Mikula's grown hands. "I can't believe you brought this with you! What in the world for?"

"What is it?" Alexis asked sweetly, trying to keep from laughing at the strange sight of a fully-grown lupar holding a toy sword.

"It used to be my favorite toy back when I was a lad, still running around like a little hellion." Mikula responded. He turned to Pavlo. "Why did you bring it?"

Pavlo's smile faded a bit. "Well, it was one of the few things mom had been holding on to in case one of us got married, that way she'd have something to spoil and grandsons with. But when you disappeared, mom brought it with as a something she could remember you by." He stopped talking, and they all fell silent, the only noise coming from the center of camp.

Mikula once again felt bad at causing grief to his mother, especially at a time when it was only amplified by the loss of his brother Senmar and the horrifying appearance of the giant threat.

Alexis could see it in his eyes, and she walked over to him and touched the toy sword he held out in front of himself. "You know, in my culture, it is a sign of great respect to keep an item of a lost loved one as a memento."

Mikula looked up, his eyes wet with unshed tears. He blinked them away before answering. "Yes... Yes, it's the same in our culture as well." He looked into her eyes, losing himself in their dark blue color for one long moment. He was brought out of it when Pavlo coughed, apparently having smelled something bad.

Mikula looked up, then away, embarrassed at having stared at Alexis for so long. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you."

"No, not at all," said Alexis. She too looked away for a second and backed off a step. _You're so ill-mannered_, she chided herself internally, _staring up at his eyes like that. It's not like you haven't seen them a thousand times..._

They were both saved from death by embarrassment by Pavlo. "Ahh, sorry, I think I got a bug in my nose for a second there." He said, but a mischievous look in his eyes told a different story.

"It's alright, Pavlo. I think we needed to head back anyway." Alexis said and she looked towards the center of the camp. Mikula nodded to Pavlo, and they started their walk back after Pavlo put away the toy for Mikula.

The former decided to try and get the conversation rolling again. "So, uh, Ms Alexis." He started a bit unsurely, "might I ask you your last name, if it wouldn't be too assuming? I don't seem to have heard it anywhere."

She shook her head. "In our culture, unmarried women don't have last names, not even those of their fathers. It's believed that to have one is bad luck against getting married."

"Oh. Well, that's interesting." Pavlo said somewhat uncomfortably.

He was saved by the start of a song coming from the camp center. Alexis tilted her head to listen to it. "My, that's pretty. I don't think I've heard anything like it." She said.

Now Mikula had a chance to smile. "I believe that's chao music, isn't it?" He asked Pavlo, referring to the five-stringed instrument popular among the more youthful Lupar.

Pavlo smiled back. "Aye, that it is. That would be Kalina, Herma and Wismat. They managed to be the only ones who brought along instruments." Alexis' fur on her back went up a bit at the mention of the first name, but she held her temper at bay. The music helped, as the twangs from the loosely strung instruments carried over the noises associated with the camp.

The three arrived in the center in time to catch dinner. The fare was typical and not really unique to wither race, as their homes weren't too far apart in distance. They enjoyed the meat of mogg and the hashed fala roots that came on their plates, and most of the camp turned out to see the sun set, for it was a tradition that a traveling pack of Lupar would have their camp in a U-shape with the open end facing the west.

Alexis enjoyed herself, despite the looks she got from the other Lupar, and especially Kalina, who kept looking back at her sitting next to Mikula. Alexis felt a little smug at that, especially after Kalina had practically thrown herself on Mikula earlier, or so she recalled.

Mikula was enjoying himself now, as he caught up with friends he hadn't seen in a few months; his unit had been gone for a bit before it had been attacked. He found out that most of them hadn't really seen the giants, just that they heard the loud noises and saw the aftermath, which was enough for them. They were curious, however, and kept him busy answering questions.

The gathering was in full swing by sundown, with the lupar celebrating a chance to rest at a safe encampment and wanting to impress their hosts/guests with their cooking and conversation. Soru, in particular, had attracted the attention of several younger female lupar, though they regarded him more like a favored brother than anything else.

Alexis sighed, which brought Mikula's attention back to her, as he had a break from the friendly grilling his friends had given him. "Something wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'm just regretting the fact that we couldn't bring any of my friends or family. They'd love this kind of gathering."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"Well, they don't understand Lupari, for one." She said and looked at him with a teasing look. "And I don't think many Lupar here know Gatonese."

He smiled at that. "Yeah, including me." And he laughed.

She smiled a bit. "You really disparage yourself too much. Why, just today you managed to learn the past-progressive of most of our verbs."

"Yeah, but-"

"Nooo buts!" She said, mimicking Forbasa's voice in mock seriousness, and they both had a good laugh.

"I guess I do take things a bit seriously," replied Mikula. "But I'm not the only one."

"Oh?" Alexis asked.

He nodded. "Well, you tend to be more of a hole in the wall when the shaman is around. It's only when you're away from him when you let yourself enjoy things."

"That's different." She replied. "I'm an apprentice, and it's tradition that apprentices be polite and respectful to their shamans and their guests."

Mikula nodded. "I understand but you take it a bit too far sometimes. I've noticed that Forbasa's had to scold you sometimes in order for you to relax or even take care of yourself."

"Sounds like someone I know." She said merrily and poked him lightly in his ribs, eliciting a startled sound. "How many times over the past five days has the shaman had to chide you into taking care of that wounded leg?"

"Too often, I'll agree." He replied with a smile. They both quieted at that, and sat back to enjoy the story that one of the elder lupar was beginning to tell. It was nearly dark now, save for the fire and the stars, since the moons weren't out yet.

Alexis only half-listened to the story about the ancient warrior-kings of Basun. She was more interested in looking around at the lupar. She also wanted to take a good look at the Shaman, who seemed to be enjoying himself, as well. Soru was raptly listening to the storyteller, who also had everyone else's attention in the center of camp. Alexis felt good, and rested her hand lightly on Mikula's.

Mikula noticed that, and turned to say something, but the words died in his mouth as he heard a muted thump come from the east woods. Everyone else heard it, and the camp fell silent save for the crackling of the fire.

_Thump_. Mikula's mid went into overdrive as Alexis' hand clutched his tightly now. They had both heard and felt that sound before. _Thump_.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Asked a lupar sitting across the camp. _Thump_. Mikula looked around quickly, seeing a few others who, like him, had knowledge of the mysterious sound. _Thump_.

"It's getting louder," said another lupar. But now Mikula, Alexis, and Forbasa rose, the latter knowing from his interviews with the two eyewitnesses of the first attack what the noise meant. He turned towards Tiana and spoke to her quickly. "It's the giant, everyone should get under cover, now!"

She stood up but before she could reply the entire camp and village heard a loud sound that was a cross between a roaring waterfall and the whooshing of a strong wind. Light shown from the east of the wagons, and it rose up in an arc that was bringing it right towards the camp.

_"RUN!"_ Yelled Mikula, and he grabbed Alexis's hand and fairly dragged her over to where his mother and Forbasa stood, hoping to get them to safety as well.

By now, everyone was panicking. Lupar ran left and right, striving to reach their wagons in the strange light that continued its arc to come down with an earth-shaking _thud_ just to the west of camp. Mikula knew what was to come next, but he prayed to god that he could escape with his family one more time. He reached his mother and Forbasa at the same time as his brothers did. They looked at each other and, being army-trained, knew certain signals to use with just their eyes, tails, and ears, allowing them to communicate far faster than words would have allowed. Working quickly, each took a charge and half-carried, half-dragged towards the village, which seemed the safest path as most of the lupar ran towards the woods.

Just then the giant appeared, stalking from it's landing point. Its skin glinted in the firelight, attracting Mikula's eye for just a second, in which he saw that the beast had a symbol upon its chest. He spared not a thought to it, save to note its appearance; a stone tower on a diamond field.

He turned his attention away from the thing as it raised its arms. Great gouts of flame spewed forth and landed among the lupar and their wagons, setting flame to whatever, or whoever, they touched. The light from the hellishly bright flames of the giant joined the light from the campfire.

Mikula and Alexis were falling a bit behind, mainly because Mikula's leg still was hurt a bit by his wound, even in his current state of fight-or-flight. He spared another glance at the giant, and saw it turn towards them. _Oh no!_

He put on a burst of speed that pulled Alexis off-balance and let him sprint the half-meter to his brothers, his mother, and Forbasa. Not even trying to warn them he jumped onto them, letting go of Alexis' hand, but knowing she'd fall to the ground with the rest of them.

They hit the ground and were there just long enough for Kanu to look at his brother in disgust when the rattling noise and stuttering streams of light poured from the giant, just barely missing their heads as the lights slammed into the ground just ahead of them. The lights raised great fountains of dirt that collapsed to fall on the group. "Stay absolutely still!" Mikula snarled to everyone. He broke his own advice just long enough to turn his head and make sure that Alexis was safe. He saw her lying on the ground, wide-eyed but apparently unhurt.

He turned his head slowly again to watch the giant through his peripheral vision. The great monstrosity had turned its attentions to the lupar fleeing into the forest. Mikula gulped hard, wanting to do more for his fellow people but unable to do anything more than hold still.

Mikula didn't know why, but his instincts told him that to lie still was the safest bet. The others fidgeted a bit, prompting him to issue a wordless snarl to get his point across quickly.

Now the giant turned towards the village and again took flight on its flames to land near the closest house to the lupar encampment. Again the flames and stuttering-rattling lights came from the beat, and against wherever they touched, death and destruction followed.

Forbasa, in shock until now, was broken from its spell by the sight of his villagers under attack. He tried to pull himself out from underneath the pile on top of him so he could get to the village, lead the people to safety in the caves nearby. A strong hand put itself on his shoulder and pinned him more effectively. He turned to see the hand belonged to Tiana. Her eyes were wide in fear, but they also had the look of sympathy. Forbasa realized that it was as hard for her to do nothing at this point, to let her people go without leadership, because to lead them was to line them up to be slaughtered.

He realized at that point, much as Mikula had a few seconds earlier, that the giant seemed attracted to movement, and then usually to the movement of large groups of people. He saw people running singly or in pairs right in plain sight go unmolested, while a group of three or four - _families_, he realized - were cut down mercilessly. This went for both Lupar and Gatón, for the giant seemed not to care which race it killed.

From off to the south of the village they heard more noises. In the distance, they could identify another giant from the stuttering-rattling light-noise that came from that direction. Forbasa and everyone else realized hen that they should stay still until the giants left.

Then, the first giant turned back now, and it headed for the burning lupar encampment. To the horror of Mikula and everyone else, it seemed to aim its flame-arms right at them

Then the flames gushed forth.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day dawned on a little vehicle running at a speed usually reserved for those who had a death wish. The little converted military scout car hit a small bump in a field and came down with a huge crash, rattling its driver, who was the only one inside.

Dr. Earl van Horn gritted his teeth and hoped nothing was being irreparably damaged, either on the converted _Darter_ scout car or in the cargo compartment in the back. _Great idea, asshole,_ he mentally chewed himself out, even as he steered haphazardly around the larger obstacles in the forest. _Great idea, race like a fucking moron and kill yourself _before_ you can help anyone._

Dr. van Horn was human. More to the point, he was a Doctor of Anthropology from the University of Desmonde, a planet in the United Systems Republic. Widely regarded as a genius, he was one of many scientists who had jumped at the chance of studying the newly discovered sentient species found beyond the Outer Draconian Rift. He alone was chosen to conduct a study of the not one, but _two_ native species on planet PX-65098, unofficially named 'Bowman's Planet.'

The requirements of the mission had been severe; the studies had to not interfere with the native societies, and under no circumstances was interaction allowed. Even an accidental interaction would result in immediate termination of his permit and removal off world, to be replaced by someone far more cautious.

Thus, van Horn had come up with the plan of using military sneak suits to plant remote sensor stations nears each major city and village of the two species, the Lupar and the Gatón. _Well, that's not what we called them at first_, he remembered as he steered around the largest tree he had seen outside of the cultivated Redwoods on the planet America. Originally titled 'Bowman's Wolf' and 'Bowman's Cat,' the disguised remote sensors and their shotgun mikes had allowed the gathering of lingual data, and from that a translation of their speech. He had wanted to study the two species at a closer range, though, which is why he had been ordering supplies for just such an excursion. _I just didn't think it'd be this soon..._

Van Horn himself had taken the time to learn the basics of each of the languages he studied, mainly to get a feeling for the peoples that used them. It was a little appreciated fact that a language shapes a person as much as his or her culture did, and knowing the basics could sometimes help immensely in understanding a new people.

However, most of this didn't matter now, because of a pack of ruthless barbarians. _Fuck the Wobbies, anyway_, he mentally cursed as he slowed down to avoid running into a gully. Van Horn had used a satellite to retrieve the data from his remote stations and transfer it to the specially built hidden bunker in which he spent most of his time, lest he contaminate the cultures he studied.

The satellite had also served as his main communication link with the supply jumpships that came every month to replace his consumables. The interplanetary transmission dish on the satellite could easily transmit at the needed power, especially with the large solar panels that collected the ample sunlight that could be found in synchronous orbit.

The satellite also had served as his warning system when the four unknown jumpships had arrived. He had found it suspicious that some many would appear at once, and so he had not transmitted like he was supposed to. This had saved his life, as he soon saw the numerous dropships that had left their parent jumpships land all over the main continent to raid and kill the Lupar and Gatón settlements.

That was when he had packed everything he could carry and set off from his bunker, lest the Wobbies track it down. He knew they had to be members of the Word of Blake, because they had thought themselves in a safe system and used unsecured radio transmissions that van Horn had listened in on. He knew what they were there for, and he knew that the conventions under which he had studied were thrown out the window.

With that, he had set out to see if he could warn the two races he had studied, and hopefully stay alive and uncaptured long enough so that when the supply ships came again, he could warn them and the entire Republic. He had stayed in contact with the few monitoring stations he could reach by radio-bounce, as the satellite, - apparently unknown to the Wobbies - was his most precious resource at the moment.

Approaching the station that monitored the Gatón village that the natives called Kuamket, he saw an unusual sight; the lupar caravan that had nearly parked itself on the remote station. He had taken a rest break that night and watched the lupar entertain some apparent VIPs from the village. He had also felt horrified when he saw the Blakests launch an unprovoked and monumentally wicked attack on the hapless natives.

So now, against all reason and logic, he raced for the attacked village. He knew that the wobbies would be gone, for that was their style; to deliver fear and death, and then move on to sow it elsewhere. What he thought was impossible was that anyone survived. Still, he had to try and see if he could at least render medical help to any wounded, or even just comfort the dying.

Van Horn shook himself out of his thoughts as his vehicle crested the last ridgeline slowly, eventually coming to a stop on the other side, just outside the tree line. The view was horrifying as it was last night, with the houses of the village and the lupar wagons burned or burning. _Am I too late?_

He looked down to the instrument panel where his vehicle's sensor suite was tied into. The good doctor had been in the military once, and he had managed to swing a deal in order to get an active probe suite installed in place of the machine gun the _Darter_ usually carried. He had altered the software in the probe's internal computers to make it better at locating life signs rather than the telltale signatures of war machines. One of his first sweeps was a long shot, as he told the machine to search for heartbeat signatures, which in humans was a unique radio frequency.

_Nothing, good_, van Horn thought to himself as he saw none but his own displayed. No human beats meant no Blakests in the nearby area, which meant he was safe from them. Next he told the probe to sweep for the gross signatures of life, such as thermal concentrations and movement indicated by high-frequency low-power Doppler radar. Nothing popped up, but he wasn't surprised; the signatures he was now looking for were far more elusive.

Van Horn decided to move forward and see who was there, if anyone. He popped the clutch and shifted into neutral, allowing gravity to pull his vehicle down the ridge's gentle grade. He steered carefully, and had a foot over the brake pedal to keep from going too fast. In this fashion, he rolled down and into the outskirts of the village, coming to a stop just beyond the first row of ruined houses.

He checked the sensor suite again, and again found nothing. Sighing, he engaged the drive and moved his 13-ton scout car forward and down the large way that barely allowed passage to the market square that satellite pictures had identified months ago.

Along the way, his sensors picked up something, and he hit the brakes to come to a complete stop. Checking the instruments again, van Horn saw that it was only a half hit; hardly enough data to classify, or even to tell if the thing was alive. _But it's a start_, he thought as he put the vehicle into park and looked out the windows in the direction that the sensors told him the 'hit' was.

It seemed like an ordinary house, but a bit larger. A hail of lead bullets had carved half of the front in, but the back part seemed to be in good shape. It seemed like a good shelter to van Horn, so he decided to check it out.

As he went into the back of the vehicle and got some things he might need, he was struck by the feeling that he was technically breaking the law, so heavily had the rules been drilled into his head. He gave himself a shake. _No, the rules are out the window now_.

When he was ready, he opened the door and stepped out onto the stepladder that let people get into or out of the high wheelbase scout car with ease. He stopped, smelling for the first time in a long time the stench of death by fire. The thought of someone burned alive gave him chills, and he hastened his efforts, walking quickly to the back of the house.

Here he found a garden of plants of different sorts. A huge metal foot had stepped on one part. Van Horn recognized the tread pattern from his days in the army as the foot of a _Stinger_ battlemech, a deadly anti-personnel platform that mounted twin machine guns.

He put those thoughts aside and walked up to the door. He tried it and found it unlocked, so he went in, ducking his head to avoid hitting the frame. He stood up inside and looked around to find himself in a kitchen of sorts. To the front of him was a doorway leading into the ruined front portion of the house, and near that was a door leading to the right.

Van Horn decided to try his luck with the language. "Hello?" He called in gatonese, and then repeated in lupari. The answer wasn't what he had hoped for, as a sharp point tapped into his back suddenly.

Van Horn froze at that, and at the voice that spoke next. "Hello to you too. Now, back slowly towards the door." The voice said in lupari.

_Shit_, he cursed mentally and raised his hands slowly to show himself unarmed. _Well, almost unarmed_. He had a M3000 .45 cal pistol in a holster on his right hip, but he realized that the lupar behind him probably didn't know what it was. He hoped he didn't have to use it, but he was glad that it was there.

The two backed slowly to the door, where van Horn had to again duck to get out. This time, however, his martial training kicked in, as he definitely didn't want to be a prisoner of anyone. Stepping back from the door, he deliberately over-stepped and let his left foot catch nothing but the air to the side of the steps that led from the ground to the door. He fell to the side, carefully avoiding the implement that had been pressed against his back. He caught a glimpse of his would-be captor and unsurprisingly, found him to be a lupar.

Van Horn landed on his back, and grunted loudly to make it sound like he had hurt himself. The lupar still standing near the door turned to him to look, but van Horn was already in motion. He used the momentum of the fall to get himself rolling away from the lupar, and that allowed him to push off the ground and get into a crouching position, which let him draw his pistol and aim it at the confused lupar.

The latter only stood there, his wolf's-muzzle agape as he saw the strange creature escape what should have been a full-proof capture. Van Horn didn't fire on him, but instead decided to end the confrontation. "Drop it!" He called in Lupari. When the wolf-man didn't do it, he cocked that hammer at the back of the handgun. "Drop it, please," he said more softly, "I do not want to hurt you."

"That makes two of us." Came another voice in lupari from behind van Horn's back, and once again he felt a sharp object poke him in the back. This time it felt like three such objects, and he realized that it must be a pitchfork.

Van Horn turned his head slightly to let his peripheral vision take in the new participant. It was, sure enough, another lupar, but this one seemed to be leaning on something with his right hand, and thus he held the pitchfork a bit unsurely with his left hand. To the lupar's right was a gatón, who held another pitchfork but was a bit further away. "Put that weapon down, or I will run you through," the lupar said.

Van Horn was caught and he knew it. However, the voice of his drill instructor came suddenly into his head. "Sometimes, you'll get caught in a tight situation where you might not see any way to get out free or even alive. I'll tell you this now, that there often is a way out, and that is to remember that in situations like a possible capture, the Initiative is the only thing that makes one side the captors and the other side the losers. If you think you're caught, the best thing you can do is take the Initiative and yank it away from the enemy by the balls!" Van Horn decided then to retake the initiative.

He turned his head back towards the first lupar, but his words were meant for the one behind him. "I don't think so, boy. I would say that you had better back off and you and your friends next to you move from behind me to stand next to your other friend there."

There was a laugh, made alien by its panting nature. "Even if you wanted to, you couldn't turn around fast enough to kill me before I would strike you down."

"I agree, but then," van Horn said and aimed the pistol more carefully, "I'm not aiming for you, am I?" He spoke the words in a calculatedly cold fashion.

All mirth was gone from the lupar behind him now. "You so much as draw blood and I assure you, you WILL die slowly."

"And I assure you, that if you so much as draw blood from my own skin, I shall take your friend with me on the road to Hell." Van Horn didn't know if the word translated, but references to eternal damnation seldom needed translation. "You know that it takes a while for someone to die by such a crude weapon that you hold. Care to bet whether you can even spoil my aim?"

"You cannot kill him, or you will die." Said the lupar.

"And you cannot kill me, or _he_ will die."

They all stood quietly for several moments. It was long enough for van Horn to realize that the first lupar had used a wooden sword to attempt a capture. _Why, you ballsy sonuvabitch_. He couldn't help but grin, which the one standing on the steps noticed. "You find something funny, furless one?"

Van Horn ignored the implied insult, mainly because it really had no cultural effect on him. "Aside from the fact that we're in a Mexican standoff?" He asked, not able to keep from using the old phrase, and the lupar paused to try and figure it out, allowing van Horn to go on. "But what I'm grinning at is your bravado in trying to take someone like me captive with a toy that at worst would have given me a splinter."

Despite the situation, the one on the steps grinned a bit, or so van Horn thought; the muzzles of the wolfmen tended to interfere with a human's interpretation of expressions.

He didn't think about it more, however, since the one behind him moved the pitchfork from its position on van Horn's back. "Very well, you win. Just... Just don't hurt my brother."

Van Horn nodded. "Just move slowly, and no one needs to be hurt."

Sure enough, the small groups behind him walked around him in a wide berth, allowing him to get a good look at them for the first time. The one in the lead was the only lupar there, aside from the one still standing next to the ruined house. He was definitely leaning on something that looked like a cane, and his leg seemed to be bandaged. He was dressed like his fellow lupar, with leather armor and green breeches stained with mud. The two others with him were both gatón, one was an older adolescent, almost a man, and the other was fully-grown. They were both dressed in brown trousers and shirts, which looked like the kind of clothes farmers would wear. Each carried a pitchfork, which enhanced the image of hapless villagers just trying to stay alive.

It hurt van Horn to have to threaten someone like this, but he also knew that when dealing with primitives, it was better to get their respect first, and then earn their trust. When the natives were all together - or near enough to not matter to van Horn - he stood up slowly, using one hand to push off the ground, but keeping the other aiming the gun at the first lupar.

When he was standing fully erect, he knew he was a bit intimidating, being both taller and different than either the lupar or gatón. "I told you that I did not want to hurt anyone," van Horn began, "and I meant it." With that, he pulled his pistol up and away from his aiming point at the point between the eyes of the lupar on the steps. Van Horn looked to the second lupar, who was taller and probably older from the sure way he had handled himself. "You have nothing to fear from me, I give you my word." And with that, he holstered his pistol and spread his hands out in a gesture to validate his words.

Mikula was genuinely shocked at this turn of events. They had been in town to gather some things from the shaman's house when the strange rolling creature - _No, not a creature, but a _thing - had appeared on the ridge, prompting everyone to take shelter. Then it had rolled into the village and stopped by the shaman's house, only to let out this tall, hairless man. Mikula had instantly known that the man and the giants were connected somehow, though he knew not why. Thus, he had hatched a hasty plan to capture and interrogate the furless one.

_A bit too hasty_, Mikula had thought when he saw the thing escape capture not once, but twice. He had guessed correctly that the furless one would try to escape, and so he had waited outside in case he was successful in evading Pavlo. What surprised him was that the strange person had not given in like a lupar of gatón would have, but instead had shown more concern for its freedom than its life. _And now, this thing throws away its advantage!_

He wondered, might he actually reason with this creature? It had lived up to its word about not hurting any one, even after the two attempts to capture it. Mikula had known several lupar who would have taken advantage to avenge their dishonor by killing those who had dishonored them, yet this furless man had not.

"Why did you come here?" Mikula asked, deciding that talk was always better than killing, most of the time.

"I came to help. I saw the rampage and destruction that happened here last night, and I drove all the night to come here," the thing said. "I've brought medicine and some food, and I want to see what else I can do to help."

"Why should we trust you? No one's ever seen anything like you before, and you come right after this place is attacked, in a wagon that moves without being drawn by animals. That alone smells of the demons that struck at us." Mikula said, somewhat heatedly.

"Enough!" Came a voice that Mikula recognized instantly. He turned around to see Forbasa striding towards the gathering, with Alexis and Tiana in tow. The limp that he had seemed more pronounced now, though it hardly slowed him down.

"Shaman, this creature was going into your house to look for something, so I decided to try and take it captive." Mikula said, and his lowered his head, and his ears and tail showed his embarrassment, at both his failure and his apparent angering of the shaman.

"I came inside because I thought someone was inside and may need medicine help," the thing said, somewhat awkwardly as it clearly didn't know lupari all that well. Mikula turned towards it. "How could you know tha-?"

"I said enough, Mikula!" Forbasa said again, quieter now that he was close, but still forceful nonetheless. Mikula looked down again, his embarrassment again evident. But he picked his head up again when Forbasa walked right up toward the pink-skinned creature, stopping right in front of it. Mikula became worried now, as a person he owed his life to was standing next to a creature that could be dangerous. Again, however, he would be greatly surprised.

Forbasa looked up at the person in front of him for a moment. "I never thought I'd ask this question, but... Are you a Human?"

Mikula noticed, with some satisfaction, that the furless one was taken a bit aback, yet he too was shocked that Forbasa would know the thing's species. "How do you know that?" The pinkish thing asked in confusion.

Forbasa, who had stood on the front pads of his feet to get more height, now rocked back onto his heels and leaned a bit more on his cane. "I know that because in our most ancient stories, Humans are mentioned. They are portrayed as furless creators of powerful machines, and wielders of great magiks. You fit the description well..." Forbasa trailed off, and he teetered a bit before steadying himself. "Pardon me," he said, "but the night and day have been long, and I have had little rest."

"It is quite alright, shaman." Stated the human, obviously wanting to show that he, too, knew things about the others.

Forbasa nodded and smiled a bit. "Indeed, you serve the stories well." He turned away and walked towards the other natives, but continued talking. "We need a place to talk, and it is probably not too safe here." Forbasa paused in his steps and looked back. "Perhaps you could come to our camp, as a show of faith?"

The human nodded. "If you want, I can do better than that, and give you a ride in my, ahh," he paused to think of the word. "Wagon, yes, that word will do. I can take all of you back to wherever your camp is."

Mikula and the others looked horrified at the prospect. _Do we dare trust him?_ They thought as one. But all _did_ trust the shaman, and they looked to him then.

Forbasa stood a moment, and then spoke. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea, for my old body is weary of walking for now. Please, lead the way." And he waved his cane to indicate that the human should lead.

The man nodded and slowly walked past the group of natives, and maintained his slow pace so Forbasa could keep up without straining. Mikula looked at the others, and all had the look of horror that accompanied their fear. Yet, the shaman showed none of this, as he followed this unknown creature.

Mikula's thoughts went back to the shaman's promise of just a few days ago. _He promised to let us know what he knew_, thought Mikula. _Yet, he didn't say exactly HOW. Perhaps he is trusting because he knows something?_

Mikula decided that the shaman had shown himself to be wise, even in the wake of the attack, which was something to shatter a weaker man's mind. With that, he followed Forbasa, and soon enough, everyone did.

They all walked around the house and up to the open door of the wagon-thing, which Mikula realized was made of metal. _How does it move?_ He wondered to himself. The human took a look inside, then hauled himself up using the bars on the side of the upward-opening door. Once inside, he turned around and poked his head back out. "Shaman, do you require any assistance getting up here?"

"Yes, I think I would like a hand up these steps." Replied Forbasa as he held out his hand to the human. It showed remarkable bravery, or so Mikula thought. Yet the human didn't seem to care, and just simply reached down and took hold of Forbasa's hand, engulfing it in his own, and helped the old gatón up the steps that were made for a being larger than the cat-person. This happened for each of the females as well, surprising Mikula, as he thought chivalry wasn't something this 'human' wouldn't know about.

Although he was the first to follow, Mikula's suspicion caused him to wait until everyone else was on the metal wagon. As he walked up, he was surprised to see the human reaching down for him, as well. Until he realized, however, that the creature had noticed his wound. "I don't really need any help getting up." He protested to the human.

"If you wish, but if I had a nasty wound like that, I'd want to avoid making it worse," replied the man. Mikula sighed at the logic, and allowed himself to be helped up the steps. As the human's hand wrapped around his own, he noticed how soft the furless skin was, and how warm it felt to the touch.

Once in the metal wagon, Mikula let go of the helping hand and turned to look at the interior. The room inside was rather cramped for such a large wagon, he noticed, though it did extend back a ways. He saw everyone sitting down on the floor, save Forbasa and Tiana, who sat in chairs of some sort. There was a third chair, in the back of the compartment, and his mother silently beckoned him to sit in it with her eyes and ears. He let out another sigh, realizing that mothers would be mothers, and so carefully moved to the chair and sat down.

The human went up to another seat at the front that sat before a window of a sort, and next to the one Forbasa sat in. He turned it to face the windows, and began pressing some of the strangely colored things there. Everyone jumped as the door hissed shut by itself. _What strange trickery is this?_ Mikula thought.

What came next seemed even more magical, as the human pushed yet more objects and a rumble began in the belly of the wagon. _Is this thing alive after all?_ Mikula thought in a flash of panic. Yet, the human seemed unconcerned, and instead set his large hands on a wheel and a lever to his right, while his feet seemed to operate levers on the floor.

Suddenly, the rumbling grew a bit in volume, and the wagon lurched into movement underneath them. Mikula had to hold onto the chair for a moment before he noticed that his mother, Shaman Forbasa, and the human all had secured themselves using straps attached to their chairs. Again embarrassed, he looked down at his chair and found similar straps, which he grabbed in a smooth part of the ride. He looked at the ends, which held some sort of metal pieces that looked like they would hook into each other. This he did, connecting them over his waist, and then pulling on what seemed to be a part that took up the slack. In a second, he was fastened comfortably and trying to peer out the front window.

The view was interesting, as the metal wagon let them sit much higher than a normal lupar wagon would've let them. He also noticed that, while the wagon bumped sometimes, it never seemed to bump as hard as a normal wagon would have done. Mikula was duly impressed and mystified at the same time.

He was more impressed when the wagon accelerated to beyond anything that a normal pongo-drawn wagon could have done. The ride was therefore fast, and only broken in silence by the rumbling and the occasional direction Forbasa gave to the human driver.

In a few minutes, they approached the caves that were acting as temporary shelter for the surviving gatón and lupar. "I think we'd better stop before we scare everyone," Forbasa said. The human just nodded and slowed the thing to a stop, again using the levers. In a second, the metal wagon was stopped and the rumble died at the touch of another device.

The debarking process was played out quickly, and soon the human left his wagon, pressing his hand to a part of the wall next to the door on the outside. The door once again hissed shut, leaving the human without his mysterious weapon. Once the door closed, the human turned to Forbasa. "Now then, where to?" He asked.

"Over there." Forbasa indicated an outcropping with his cane. As they walked over there, Forbasa called to one of the gatón that had been in the metal wagon with him. "Jahni, please go inside and alert everyone that we have a visitor, and that who came come out may wish to hear what will be said."

"Yes shaman," replied Jahni as he raced to get inside the cave. His voice echoed the shaman's pronouncement as Forbasa sat down on a rock that looked carved to serve as a bench. He looked up to see the other natives move around and sit, either on more rocks or on the ground as the strangeness of the situation set them into quiet shock. Mikula and his brother, though, remained standing, until Tiana chided him and told Mikula to sit down.

The human remained standing as well, and began to talk. "I believe it is now time for proper introductions, is it not?" He asked.

Forbasa nodded, and began. "I am shaman Revalo Forbasa, the shaman of the... of what was the village of Kuamket." The last words stuck in his mouth a bit, and a sour look came on to his face.

More gatón and lupar emerged from the cave, but the human looked nonplussed as he began his introduction. "I am Doctor Earl van Horn, scientist of the United Systems Republic, formerly of the planet Desmonde."

The words were strange in Mikula's ears, as most of them had no equivalent in lupari, or even gatonese, which the human repeated himself in to make sure that everyone knew what he was saying. _The strange words sound very similar to lupari, however,_ thought Mikula.

Then the human - _Vanhorn he said his name was_ - took a slow step forward, kneeled to the ground in front of Forbasa, allowing himself to be at eye-level with the shaman, and stuck his hand out. When Forbasa looked confused, the human spoke again. "This is a greeting ritual among my people, to clasp hands firmly and shake them while looking into the eyes of the person you are meeting."

Forbasa nodded, then reached out with his own hand. The two hands, one small and fur-covered, the other large and hairless, clasped and shook. Forbasa indeed looked into the eyes of this human, and found them to be a startling blue, much like Alexis.' He also saw an inner strength there that he recognized seeing in his own eyes when he was a youngster looking into the mirrored surface of a still pond.

With the handshake done, the human, van Horn, stepped back and away to stand again in the middle of a growing group of native gatón and lupar. He looked around, clearly as curious of the native races as the gatón and lupar were of him.

Forbasa took up the slack in the meeting. "I take it, then, from your mentioning of the word 'planet,' that you come from another world?"

Again the human looked shocked. "Yes, but I would like to know how you know of these things. I and my people had thought that, until recently, our efforts to hide ourselves were successful."

Forbasa now looked confused. "Indeed. And how long have you been here?"

"I myself have been here for nearly a year to study your people and the Lupar. You are among the first races we've discovered away from our home world, and it fascinates us. As for my people in general, we've been atching you for about ten years now."

"Well, this is surprising, since only our oldest stories mention your kind." Forbasa seemed as confused as van Horn. "The stories tell us of how the humans came to this world from beyond the sky, only to disappear after teaching our ancestors the rudiments of civilization."

The human looked horrified, or so Mikula thought, since the creature's emotions were hard to gauge. "If that is true, then someone from many, many years ago must've been the ones to come here, for my people, as I've said, have only recently discovered your world."

"That is interesting, but right now I must ask a few questions of you, if you do not mind." Forbasa spoke with courtesy. The human nodded and the shaman started again. "For one thing, do you know of the tragedies that have been occurring?"

The human looked down, apparently in embarrassment, though instead of his ears moving, his face took on a reddish tint that made him look sick to the natives. "Yes, I do. I left my residence to the south when they began so I could help your people in this terrible time."

"Then you know what plagues us? What they are?"

"Yes," the human said in a voice that even the native races could hear the shame in. "The giants you speak of, well, there is no word for them in your language, so let me use their name from my own. They are called, 'Battlemechs.'" He spoke the last word slowly, so that everyone could hear it. He seemed to understand, as Mikula did, that a name often helped one to begin to overcome fear.

"What are they?" Asked Forbasa.

"They are machines of war, created to augment the strength of our people a thousand fold. Few things that my people know of or build can match its ferocious abilities."

Forbasa looked concerned. "Augment? So people, like you, control these machines from within?"

The human's face turned red again. "Yes- I mean no- I mean..." He paused and took a breath. "The persons who... drive the machines that attack you are like me and my people only in form and species. In thoughts and deeds, we are far different." A new look replaced embarrassment, and Mikula, despite his lack of knowledge of human emotions, recognized it for what it was; rage. "These, _barbarians_, are outcasts from civilized society. They care not for individuals; they care not for peace and stability. They only crave power."

Forbasa and the others were taken aback with the vehemence in the stranger's words. "Do you know why they have come here?"

The human looked embarrassed again, though the red in his face never seemed to go away as he switched from one emotion to the other. "I can only make a guess, but I would say that it is because my people smashed their home base a few years ago. Now they do not threaten us, or any other human. We thought that this meant the survivors had decided to leave and never come back. But now," his face fell, "now they seem to be targeting your world. For what reason, I cannot fathom. But their acts are heinous both in deed and intention."

Forbasa leaned back then, absorbing all this information, as well as letting Alexis translate the speech from lupari into gatonese for the gatón who didn't know the language. He decided that the human was indeed sincere. "I think this is enough history for one day. You mentioned that you came to help with food and medicine. Did you mean that?"

"Hell yes!"

Forbasa smiled for a split second at the reaction. "Then we would welcome that."

Van Horn nodded then. _Finally_. "I could use some help getting the medicine... Packages, for lack of a better word."

"Certainly. Alexis, Jahni, please go help mister Vanhorn." Forbasa said.

"You go help too, Pavlo." Tiana said from her seat as she rose with most of the rest of the natives. The meeting broke up as the gatón and lupar went off to think about what they had heard, while van Horn and the three natives that went along to help him walked towards the vehicle.

While walking up, van Horn noticed the male lupar that came with him was the one that had tried to capture him earlier with the toy sword. When they got to the _Darter_, van Horn turned to the lupar. "Look, I am sorry that I had to threaten your life back there, in the village. No hard feelings?" Van Horn asked and held his hand out for a shake.

Pavlo looked warily at the offered hand. "Did you not introduce yourself already to the shaman?"

"Yes, but a handshake can also be used to express an understanding of sorts." The human looked unsure to Pavlo, like he was searching for the right words, and finding none. "Like forgiveness, then?" The young lupar asked.

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, exactly. Though I would understand if you didn't forgive me, I was just hoping we could... Leave the past in the past." He said the last few words slowly, trying to translate an idiom effectively.

Pavlo looked at the hand again, then took it and looked into the human's eyes like the shaman did. "I believe it is not advantageous to hold a grudge over something so trivial as a misunderstanding."

"Good," said the human with a smile. "Now, let's get to work." He went up to the vehicle and placed his hand against the gray metal plate that was beside the strange door. Again, it hissed and opened up, letting the human and his companions inside.

Van Horn went to the back of the main compartment, and opened a door the natives hadn't noticed before. Behind it were racks of various boxes, and van Horn began to grab ones that were painted white with red crosses on them and pass them to the others. "Here, take these." He said.

"What are they?" Asked Alexis as she passed a couple back to Jahni before holding a few herself. They felt strange, as they were made of a material she didn't recognize. It was smooth as metal, but warm and easy to touch like sanded wood.

"These are... I do not know the word. They have medicine inside, and bandages, as well as a few other things." Van Horn answered her as best he could, while simultaneously thinking _Thank God for bureaucracy_. The shipments of First Aid and full Medikits had continued to arrive even though he had enough for a year of treating himself. Most of them he sent back, but he always tried to keep a stockpile, in case he had to be abandoned for a time, like the last researcher had to be during the conflict with Clan Star Adder.

Now, however, he was going to use them, and the pile of rations that had also come in at a rate that belied his operation's size. _Save the rations for later, however_, he thought to himself. "Now, let's go help some wounded folks." He said as he grabbed the last kit. Van Horn turned around to see that the others were all about overloaded with the white boxes, especially the female gatón.

Van Horn sighed. "It won't do us any good if you drop the things halfway to the cave. I want all of you to put down half of what you have when you get to the door, okay?"

The natives all nodded, and did as they were told, eventually getting outside with only their arms burdened with the medikits. Van Horn closed the door behind him again as they left and walked to the cave.

Inside smelled horrible to Van Horn, as he noticed the smell of burned flesh and fur and hair, and heard the moans of pain. He saw a line of about twenty persons along the left side of the narrow entrance passage, gatón and lupar alike, laying down on the hard rock. All were wounded in a manner van Horn had only saw once, while participating in the cleanup after a battle against a pirate enclave. _But _those _assholes deserved it, unlike these folks_.

Forbasa kneeled along one of them, holding the gatón's hand and apparently whispering a prayer. Others, both lupar and gatón, also tended to the wounded, but it appeared to van Horn that the won Forbasa was tending was the gravest.

_Time to see what I can do_. Van Horn turned to the others carrying the boxes. "Put them down in a pile over there," he pointed with his hand to a small alcove created by a pair of stalagmites, "all but one, which you should carry with you. I want you to follow me to learn how to use them. Understood?" He got nods, and the three dutifully went about doing what he had instructed. Once they finished up, they came back and followed van Horn as he went to go and kneel by the badly burned gatón.

Forbasa looked up as the human came down. "This one is not long for this world. Perhaps you should help the others while I tend to this one." The gatón certainly looked like he was almost dead, with half his body burned in a manner that had left charring from the fur on his skin and his right ear partially gone.

"If he has little time, then at the very least his time should be made comfortable." Van Horn replied as he opened his kit. Reaching in, he found the vial of neomorphine and a hypospray. He used the former to fill the latter, and soon had a does that he figured wouldn't kill the poor creature lying on the ground. Van Horn reached down and, with a quick hiss, injected a dose of neomorph into the unburned arm of the gatón. The effect was nearly instantaneous, as the moans coming from the elder adolescent stopped. Forbasa almost cried in alarm, until he noticed that the young man was still breathing. "Amazing," he said.

"That's not all," replied van Horn, who now took out a new vial and loaded some of its contents into the hypospray. "The first shot was a medicine that makes pain go away, or at least makes it bearable." He said as he took the vial away from the hypospray and bent down to inject it into the gatón's neck. "This one is a mix of an artificial antibody and a hormone that stimulates regeneration of the skin." He unfortunately had no translation for the words _antibody_ or _hormone_, and the natives looked confused. Van Horn grimaced as he realized he must speak in simpler terms. "What that means, is that it's supposed to let his body heal faster, and prevent any infections from moving into the damaged areas."

The others looked somewhat dubious, but they kept quiet; after all, they HAD seen the effects of the first one seem to make the pain disappear. Forbasa in particular hoped that the miracle stories of the humans' ingenuity in all things would apply to the care van Horn was giving Soru.

Van Horn turned to the others that carried medikits, and noticed that the walking wounded lupar had come up. "Will he survive?" The latter asked.

Van Horn stood up and gave a tired shrug. "I don't know. I'm not a real doctor, I've just been trained a bit in giving aid with medikits like this." He unknowingly used the English term for the kits, and Mikula wondered again why that sounded like lupari in some faint way.

Van Horn turned to the others carrying the medikits. "Okay, you saw how I did it, now follow me and I'll let each of you take turns doing it, so that you won't need me all the time, okay?" They nodded, and he set off to repeat his work.


	6. Chapter 6

It took over half an hour, but they got to everyone. Van Horn himself handled the last one, which wasn't a burn but a badly broken leg. The patient, a lupar, was in great pain, but had refused to have the leg sawed off, which was the only thing gatón medicine could do for him.

Van Horn came up to the lupar, who had the leg-injury lupar and an older, female lupar in attendance. Quietly, he kneeled down and used the last of the neomorph in his kit to relieve some of the lupar's pain. It wasn't enough to knock him out, van Horn noticed. _Well, people in pain can take more neomorph than a 'healthy' person_. He reckoned that this was true of lupar as well. "How does that feel now?" He asked.

"Better," was the reply. The medicine hadn't quite taken the bite from the pain, but the relief on the face was evident, even to van Horn's human eyes. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," van Horn said as he grabbed the newest trinket that was now coming in the most recent medikits: a portable X-ray imager that could resolve an X-ray in 3-D, as it had two radiation sources and a powerful computer. He set it up on its stand and carefully put the broken leg underneath the scanning area; painfully aware of the suffering this caused the lupar.

"What are you doing?" Asked the elder lupar female.

"I'm going to see how bad his leg is, miss-" Van Horn paused to hear her name.

"Farkas, Tiana Farkas."

Van Horn raised an eyebrow at that. _Interesting name, VERY interesting_. But he decided to concentrate at the matter at hand. "Are you related?"

"Yes, this is Kanu, my eldest son." She replied, and then looked up to the cane-bearing lupar. "And this is Mikula, my second-eldest. Perhaps you could take care of him next?"

"Mother, I'm sure he can wait until Kanu is taken care of." Mikula replied with some embarrassment over his mother's concern. The human, he noticed, stifled a grin carefully before replying. "I certainly can, madam. But now, could you please step back?"

She did so, standing up to move a pace backwards. Van Horn didn't bother because he was behind the shielded part of the emitters. He turned to the one called Kanu. "Now, this won't hurt, but I need you to stay as absolutely still as possible until I say you can move, alright?"

Kanu grunted. "I can assure you that it would be my pleasure to remain still."

"Good," said van Horn with a slight grin. "Now, here goes..." He pressed the button that caused the emitters to power up with an audible whine. A few short 'bzzt' sounds later, the whine stopped, and the legend "Image Recorded" light up on the emitter's console.

"Good, you can move now." Van Horn said as he connected the emitter part to the holographic interface. Before he thought about it, he punched up the power and soon had a holographic image of the X-ray, complete with broken bone and a background image of the rock underneath.

Audible gasps came from throughout the cavern, and van Horn realized his mistake. _Damnit, I should've warned them._ He decided to press on like nothing was wrong. "Well, it looks here that the bone is off-kilter by a good margin," he indicated to the lupar near him, sticking his finger in the light-image of Kanu's leg. "It's going to be quite painful to get it back in line."

"What in the name of the Great Maker is that?!" Mikula asked, finger pointing at the ethereal image hovering over Kanu. The latter simply froze, absolutely stunned at the appearance of the image, as was nearly everyone else.

Everyone, save Forbasa, that is. "That is fascinating. How does that work?"

Van Horn took a second to answer, as he pulled a special tool from his kit; a medicomp that could take data from various field devices and turn it into instructions for lay people to use. "To explain 'how' would take at least a week of explaining concepts that are currently beyond your ken." He said this as he plugged the medicomp in and it began to process the data. "It should suffice to say, for now, that it uses light itself to create an image. It's rather like painting a picture, but using light in air rather than paint on canvas." Van Horn knew that one area the gatón, at least, were advanced in was art, and that their paints and canvas techniques were almost as well developed as any human's.

Before Forbasa or anyone else could speak, the medicomp beeped. Since the holoprojector served as a hub, the image quickly split as the medicomp sent the directions to fix Kanu's leg. The image on the right showed the outlines of hands, and the image went through a cycle, showing exactly how the bone should be manipulated.

_I'd better do this before they - or I - lose nerve_. He turned towards Kanu. "My friend, this will hurt, and I'm not sure if I can give you any more medicine for the pain so soon."

Kanu simply nodded slowly. "I understand, but I've been in greater pain since that piece of a house fell on me." He stopped, and simply looked at the human. Van Horn saw the determination in his eyes. He put his hands on the lupar's leg and with the instructions still cycling on the hologram he maneuvered the bone pieces.

"AUGH!" The quick scream of pain startled everyone save van Horn, who had known it would come and steeled himself so that he wouldn't screw up. He felt the bone set into place as the diagram told him it would, and he pulled his hands back, only to hold them up again when the elder lupar tried to again kneel next to her son. "Madam, please, I need to take another image to make sure it's all right."

She nodded and stepped back again, while van Horn put the medicomp behind the shielded part of the X-ray scanner and again had it power up and take a series of scans. A few seconds later, the previous dual image was replaced by a single one that at first seemed to be a combination of the first two. It took a second to realize that the image was indeed a new one, and it showed the bone perfectly set.

Working quickly, van Horn reached inside the medikit for a plastic splint and set it onto the lupar's leg. _Hmm, it _is_ pretty badly broken..._ "Miss, Alexis, was it?" He asked as he turned towards the young female gatón.

She nodded at his words. "Could you bring over the one you're carrying? I want to double-splint this to make sure it'll stay straight."

Alexis wordlessly brought the case near the human, wary as she was of the light-image. Yet she smelled nothing wrong, and heard nothing but the low hum of the power sources that the human couldn't hear. The noises weren't terrible, just different, so she came close, handing the case to the human.

Van Horn opened the case, quickly extracting the second splint on the other side of Kanu's leg, and soon had them both tied tightly together. He could see another grimace of pain from the lupar, but it must've been far less than the bone setting. "There, I think we're done."

Kanu looked up to the human. "Thank you."

"It was no problem, really. The equipment did all the work, I just followed instructions." Van Horn replied with a slight smile. _That reminds me_. He quickly repacked the instruments, though the medical scanner was dead, since it only had enough power for two scans. The holoprojector was also nearly out, and he shut that down too, so he could save the battery.

The natives stood back as he got up, though Tiana went to kneel by her son. "You should try to eat something, even if it's just soup or broth. The sooner you get nutrition in you, the sooner you'll heal," said van Horn. With that, he turned towards Mikula. "You want to be next?"

Mikula felt not a bit unsure. This human had done good things for the others in the cave, and especially his brother. Yet, there was a strangeness about him that still made the lupar uneasy.

Alexis saw Mikula vacillating, and decided to give a bit of a nudge. "Mikula, you've been walking on that leg for a while now, perhaps you should sit down?"

He looked over at Alexis, and saw the concern in her eyes. He sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He turned towards van Horn. "If you would be so kind, I could use some help."

Van Horn nodded, and simply indicated a stalagmite that had been broken off to make a seat. Mikula walked over to it and sat down, as everybody else in the cave went back to doing his or her normal duties, somehow realizing that the greatest show was over. Earl and Alexis followed and came to kneel on the floor next to Mikula.

Van Horn took the second medikit that he had gotten from Alexis a few minutes ago and set it down. Before he opened it, he decided to examine the wound. Noticing the pants had been cut up their length to allow the bandages to be replaced easily, he quickly exposed the area of concern.

The human turned toward Alexis. "Now, please pay attention, miss, since I may not be able to do this the next time it needs to be done." She nodded, and van Horn loosened the threads that fastened the bandages to the wound and peeled them back, showing him something he'd never thought he'd have to see.

"Damn," he cursed in English, since the first language anyone learns is usually the one a person curses in. He looked up. "You were lucky, do you know that?"

Mikula nodded. "I have told myself that ever since the night I was injured."

"Well, that's good," Van Horn, replied with another slight smile. "But what I mean is not only did the bullet go right through, but it also missed the bone and the femoral artery, otherwise you'd have bled to death in minutes."

Although the words _bullet_ and _femoral artery_ didn't translate, Mikula understood what they referred to. "Then I count myself doubly lucky."

Van Horn grunted as he went to work, spraying the wound with some anti-bacterial agent. "Yip!" Was the reply from Mikula, as the sting of the spray caused him to startle.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot about warning you. I am sorry."

Mikula shook his head. "It's alright, I was just surprised."

Van Horn just nodded, and went back to work. He put away the anti-bacterial, and pulled out another spray. This time, he remembered to warn the lupar. "This will sting even more, but it will numb the area and let me work on it without causing you more pain." Mikula nodded and braced himself as van Horn sprayed the anesthetic onto both the entry and exit wounds.

Mikula grunted a bit and grimaced, but this time the pain did disappear. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the human bringing out some clean white cloth. Then the human looked up at Mikula again. "I need to clean the wound of some of the excess scab material. This isn't going to be pretty, so you might want to look away."

Mikula just shook his head, not trusting his voice. He had seen blood and dead bodies before, some earlier in the day, but to see his own body worked on gave him a creepy feeling.

Van Horn went to work quickly, moving with sure strokes to remove some of the nastiest stuff that would prevent healing and create a horrible scar, not to mention an opportunity for infection. That the wound hadn't been infected spoke well of the care he had been given, and van Horn commented on this as he finished cleaning the wound out.

Alexis beamed a bit. "The shaman treated it at first, but he let me handle it as soon as he was sure that it could be taken care of easily."

"Then I asked the right person to watch, then," van Horn said with a smile. He tossed the dirty gauze into the empty bin of the medikit he had used up earlier, and was using as a trash receptacle. Reaching into the fresh kit, he brought out the entire set of four butterfly bandages, and quickly fastened them over the wound, closing it up far more effectively than it had been.

Alexis was amazed at the things the human put on Mikula's leg. "What are those?""They're called 'butterfly' bandages. Mainly, they have a... stretchable part in the middle, so that they pull the wound together, as you just saw." Van Horn brought out the last of the gauze and thoroughly sprayed it with the anti-bacterial spray before putting it over the lupar's leg. "This part is mainly just to make doubly sure that the wound is protected. However, I'd stay off it until it heals a bit."

"So everyone tells me," Mikula said, with his lopsided grin returning. His humor was coming back now that his leg hurt less and seemed to be even better taken care of than earlier. "It makes one think that all you need to be a doctor is to repeat the words from a book." He winked to let his two companions know that he was in jest.

Van Horn laughed at that, which surprised several people in the cave. Not only was it unusual to hear in a setting like that, but also a human laugh more resembled a series of short barks, rather than the panting laugh of the Lupar and Gatón. Van Horn stopped and looked sheepish when he realized that the place wasn't quite in tune with his laugh. "Sorry, but this time you caught me off-guard."

He got up and closed the now empty kit, noticing that it wasn't the only one, as a half dozen other expended kits, all of which had been used to help the injured, sat nearby. Realizing that he was very tired, he checked his watch and was surprised to find that only an hour had passed, even though it had felt like all day. "I think I'm going to go take the trash out. If you two will excuse me?" The two natives nodded and van Horn gathered up the used kits and walked out of the cave.

Outside, he saw a few lupar and gatón lounging in the grassy area outside of the cave. Shade came from the trees overhead, which formed a canopy that let only the occasional shaft of light in, and cast a green glow to the ground. Several of the natives turned and looked at him warily, yet not with suspicion. They knew he had been helping, as unbeknownst to van Horn, a steady stream of people had cycled through the cave to see the stranger at work. The light show had, predictably, been told to everyone who hadn't seen it, and they now considered the human powerful, if a bit strange.

Van Horn decided to take the kits and lock them in the scout car until he could spread the word that the waste in them was not to be played with. He worried because he had seen several children around, and he decided they were probably as hyperactive as human children.

He had just gotten to the scout car, and had opened the door when a tap on his shoulder startled him, causing him to drop the empty boxes. "Goddamnit." He swore in English again. He turned around to see the lupar called Pavlo standing behind him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said Pavlo.

"That's alright, just next time try to make some noise when coming up behind someone you don't want to surprise."

Pavlo chuckled, something that sounded more like its human counterpart than his laughter. "I suppose I should be lucky that you didn't bring out another weapon to aim at me."

Van Horn grinned a bit. "Well, yeah, I would have but you didn't have a sword in my back this time."

They both chuckled that time, then Pavlo got serious. "I do wish to ask you, would you really have killed me?"

Van Horn thought about lying, but decided that the truth was best. "Only if your friend had decided to kill me, then I would have made good my promise to take you with me. I am sorry," he continued, "but some things..." His voice trailed off.

Pavlo waved his hand. "Think not of it. My brother and I are soldiers, and understand such things."

"That was your brother in there? The one with the bullet wound?"

"I do not know this word, 'bullet,'" Pavlo said, reproducing the English word slowly to get it right, "but yes, the one with the leg wound. Not to mention, Kanu, whom you've helped greatly. That is why I came here now, to thank you for your help."

Van Horn blushed a bit. "Honestly, it was the least I could do after seeing that attack."

"Yes, you mentioned that you saw it, yet you took a day to get here?" Pavlo said, a bit of curiosity mixed in his words.

Van Horn sighed. "It's hard to explain. Although all of you seem very smart, the kinds of things that my people use require a knowledge base that we learn from the day we are born, practically. So it would take quite a bit of time to explain just the basic concepts. The best answer I can give you now is that we have... devices, hidden near your villages and towns to watch you so that we can learn about you without letting you know we're here. Basically, it can send the images to places far away."

"But why?" Pavlo asked. "Why do you watch us? You have all these wonderful things, and seem to know more by yourself than a thousand learned men from either of our races combined."

Van Horn smiled. "You do not give yourselves enough credit. While true, you do not know as much as my people, you are yourselves important to us. You are some of the first species that we've found that share the gift."

"The gift of what?" Asked Pavlo in confusion.

"The gift of..." Van Horn searched through his head for a word or phrase that would work. "Ah, yes, the gift of abstract thought. To be able to recognize that you yourselves are different persons that you can talk to one another in a complex language, and that you can recognize such thoughts as honor, duty, courage, and love. These make you Lupar, and the Gatón, and my people so much alike.

"And yet, you are different enough that we don't know all about you. We like to learn, my people, and we want to be ready for when the day comes that you will join us in the gulf between worlds." Van Horn grimaced then, thinking _I got a little too poetic there_.

Van Horn could see that Pavlo was having a time trying to understand, and so he gave another grin. "Try not to think about it too much now. I've often found that one of the best ways to understand something is to learn about it, then not think about it, instead letting your mind work on it behind your back." He picked a different idiom than he would have used for English.

"Ahh, I think I understand what you mean. Sometimes my brother Mikula just takes a nap, or sleeps for the night, then comes up with a new way to think of something."

Van Horn nodded. "That's right. See? We are not so different, and in understanding each other, we can understand ourselves better. That's why my people came here to study you."

Pavlo thought about this, then nodded. "I think I see your point."

"Anyway," said van Horn, "I was about to put these things away and bring out the food rations I have. Care to help?"

At that, the young Lupar smiled. "Indeed. I certainly would not be adverse to tasting what you consider a delicacy."

Van Horn had to laugh at that. "I'm sorry, but you don't seem to understand the word, 'ration.'"

"Oh?" Asked the lupar.

"Yes, it means, 'stuff too old to be sold, so we give it to soldiers to dispose of by eating.'"

Now Pavlo had to laugh. "Quite right."

Van Horn turned and pressed his palm against the reader next to his door, causing it to again open up. "Come in," he said to Pavlo as he climbed on board. The lupar followed after only a second of hesitation.

As van Horn carried the empty kits to the storage area in the back, he decided to satiate some curiosity. "By the way, Pavlo- may I call you that?"

The lupar nodded. "Certainly. What may I call you in return?"

"Just Earl is fine."

"Okay, Just Earl." The lupar said with seriousness that van Horn found a bit funny. He chuckled and responded. "No, I mean 'just' as in to use Earl only."

"Ah, of course." Said Pavlo sheepishly. "Now then, you had a question?"

"Yeah," said van Horn. "I wanted to know, about your family name. Do you know of its origins?"

Pavlo looked puzzled as he tilted his head to the side and his ears twitched a bit. "Why do you ask?"

Van Horn paused, trying to frame his words right. "You heard the shaman Forbasa speak of humans in the gatón's oldest stories?" Pavlo nodded. "And you heard me mention that my own people have been here only a short time?" Another nod, and van Horn took a breath. "Well, your family name... It's from an old language, one that comes from my people's oldest world, where we were once like you."

Pavlo looked more confused than before. "I am not sure I understand."

_I guess I've pickled his brain enough for today_, thought van Horn. "Never mind. I think I'll talk to your mother about it. If, that is, it is proper to do so?"

Pavlo shrugged. "In some circles, it would not be. However, my family and our clan as a whole have never been ones to stand traditions unless they've proven their worth. And besides," he continued in a more somber voice, "things aren't exactly normal, anyway."

"Indeed," replied van Horn as he went to the rack holding the field rations. "How many people are there left? I mean-" he bit off his words, realizing that they sounded cold. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to sound uncaring."

Pavlo nodded a bit. "Don't be sorry. Like I said, I and my brothers are - or were - soldiers." He paused for a minute. "About half died, I think," Pavlo said and his voice took on a detached quality. "The other half, some have fled and not returned, though I cannot fault them. Of those who are in the caves, I believe that there are about six score."

"Really?" Van Horn asked in surprise. "I didn't see that many."

"Most of them are deeper in the caves, or in the other entrance some distance away. For protection, you understand, against being attacked from behind."

"Makes sense," said van Horn as he looked over the rations. _A paltry sum, to be sure_, he thought and cursed himself silently. "If that many are around, then I don't even have enough to feed everyone once."

Pavlo looked crestfallen, but didn't sound too disappointed. "That is unfortunate, though I suppose one cannot carry so much food around on trips, even in such a conveyance as this."

"You are, unfortunately, right." Van Horn knew he only had so much, yet it was barely enough to feed him for a while, let alone 120 people. Then he realized that he did have weaponry, after all. "Pavlo, is there much game near here?"

The lupar thought for a minute. "I think there must be, since some of the gatón I've talked to here make their living as professional hunters. They apparently do not know enough about animal husbandry to raise them as food."

"So I understand from my studies." _But I had to make sure_, van Horn thought. "Is there a good amount of food stored here?"

The lupar nodded. "Yes, we managed to grab some food from our wagons and that gatón had some stored here when they first heard of the attack on my brother's unit."

Van Horn heard the pain in his voice. "You're brother will be okay. The wound was nasty, but it will heal fine."

Pavlo nodded a bit, but he still seemed sad at something. Van Horn decided it could wait, however. "Well, I should talk to some of those gatón hunters to find out where some game is. I have some weapons that would let me try and help bring food in here."

The young lupar nodded. "Sounds good. I'll ask them to talk to you, though I hope you can use gatonese better than I can." He said with a bit of his cheerfulness coming back. _A good sign_ thought van Horn, as he grabbed a pair of MREs and headed back towards the door, indicating that the lupar should precede him.

Outside, van Horn locked the door down again. "How does it know when to open?" Asked Pavlo.

"The gray plate is a special... I don't know the word," van Horn said and paused to think. "A device that can see things that you or I cannot. In this case, this one can look at my hand and tell if it is me or not."

The lupar looked impressed. "I would ask how it does that, but I suppose that you'd say that it would be beyond my understanding."

Van Horn sighed and shook his head. "It's not so much that you cannot understand, it is more like that we don't have the kind of time needed. Though," he went on while sitting down on the steps to the door, "in this case, I could explain if you'll give me some of your time."

Pavlo thought for a second. "Well, I have nothing else pressing..."

"Mainly because you're too lazy for your own good." Came the joking reply from behind the lupar. Both Pavlo and van Horn looked to see Mikula and Alexis walk up from the cave. Mikula had been the one who spoke and he had a lopsided grin that, van Horn was realizing, constituted a major part of his normal facial expressions.

"Ah, Mikula was it?" Asked the human, and the indicated lupar nodded. "And Miss Alexis. How nice to see you two, though," he again looked at the wounded lupar, "I thought I told you to stay off that leg."

Pavlo and Alexis chuckled while Mikula rolled his eyes in a fashion that gave van Horn a chill down his spine. _So very human-like_. "I tell him that all the time, yet he doesn't listen to me." Said Alexis as they came to a stop near where van Horn and Pavlo stood. The former gestured for them to sit down. "Come, sit and rest that leg, and I'll share you some of my rations. Deal?"

Before Mikula could say anything, Alexis spoke first. "It is a deal." And he sat down. Mikula shrugged, dropping his grin but sitting down as well.

Van Horn picked up a ration and threw it to the two new arrivals. "Catch."

Mikula did catch it, though he had to lean back to avoid having the brown package smack him in the nose. He gave a sour look to van Horn, then turned back to sniff the package. _A strange smell it has, like nothing else I've smelled_, he thought, and then looked up to see what the human would do with his.

It was fascinating to the natives, as van Horn pulled in the brown wrapping and it came apart to reveal several packages inside. Mikula emulated him and pulled on the ends. He got frustrated, as the thing did not do what its fellow did for the human.

Van horn chuckled, drawing Mikula's attention. "It takes some getting used to. Try pulling it from another angle, like this," van Horn said and he took the other end of the wrapper he had torn off, and displayed the correct way to pull, with the folds away from the stitching. Mikula did this and was surprised at how easy it was to open then, and was startled a bit when the packaging inside fell out onto the ground.

"Great, dump the food in the dirt, that will make it taste better," Pavlo said in an amused voice. Mikula just gave him a challenging look that broke off when the startling laughter of the human came again.

"Well, it _might_ taste better that way, since these are rations," van Horn was saying after he finished laughing, "but in either case, it does not matter, since the packages are wrapped to prevent their contents from... getting dirty."

Alexis reached over and grabbed one. "This has writing on it," she said.

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, how else is a person supposed to know what's inside?"

She looked quizzically at him. "But what if someone doesn't know how to read?"

"Not a problem," van Horn said, shaking his head. "Everyone is taught how to read and write from the time they're old enough to hold a book."

At this, the three others looked dubious. Van Horn sighed. "Well, I know you may not believe me, but it's true."

Alexis decided to not push to far into that, for now. Instead, she picked up a package from the ground. "What does this say, then?"

Van Horn squinted to read the small lettering from a few feet away. He grinned greatly and said. "Well, you're lucky, aren't you ma'am? That's the best part of the MRE, the dessert."

She tilted her head. "Em are ee?"

"Sorry. It's a... Well, again I don't know the word. Hell, I don't think your languages have a word fir it." Van Horn tried to think a minute. "We call it an acronym,'" he said in English slowly. "What that means, is that we take the first letter from each word in the name, and we combine them to make a new name that takes less time to say than the full name."

Both of the lupar looked a bit confused, but Alexis got it. "Ah, so you mean an 'acronym,'" she too said it slowly to make sure she said it correctly, "is used where using the full name would impede rapid communication?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, exactly right. In this case, it is easier to call it an 'MRE' than to call it by its full name, which is 'Meal Ready to Eat.'"

"But..." She paused in thought.

"Yes?"

"You said you took the first letter from each word, but you said four words in its full name."

"Oh," van Horn said with a smile. "That's because articles like 'the' and 'of,' amongst others, are usually not included in the acronym unless they're needed to spell something... specific." He saw that even the young gatón looked confused now, and shook his head. "Let's just eat a snack now, okay? We can talk more about words later."

Alexis nodded and opened the package with her hands like she had seen Mikula and van Horn do. Out popped a rectangle-shaped object that landed in her lap. She picked it up and sniffed it. "Why, this smells very strange... Yet it doesn't smell that bad at all."

Van Horn just grinned, and opened the other MRE, taking out the packages inside and setting them out, giving some to Pavlo.

The next few minutes were spent by van Horn to teach the others on how to use the chemical heaters and which food was which. After they were all starting to eat, Pavlo spoke up. "You said you'd tell me about the door, how it opens up at your touch," he said almost reprovingly, but with a cant to his head that showed he wasn't too serious.

Van Horn just nodded and began to speak. "Well, the idea behind it is simple. Basically, every one of my people have a different pattern on our hands." He held up his hand palm outward to illustrate. "I know you can't really see it, but there are tiny lines on my palms and fingers that are unique to me, and maybe two other people in all of creation only." He exaggerated a bit, but knew it wasn't much of a one. "That panel," he pointed to the reader next to the door, "is a special device that takes an image of my hand, then compares it with its... memory to see if I'm supposed to be able to get in."

"Memory? How can a machine have memory?" Mikula asked incredulously.

"Well... it's not like memory you or I have..." Van Horn tried, but failed to come up with a way to explain PROM chips, integrated circuits, or even electron theory. None of which he was particularly schooled in anyway, so he couldn't tell them much anyway. "Let's just say it is a kind of memory only machines can have? That's all I can really say, since I am not especially learned in that field."

"I suppose," again the dubiousness came back, though they were still interested.

"Anyway, so the machine 'remembers' my hand print, and then it sees if I can be allowed in or not. If not, I don't get in. If I can, however, come in, the device sends a... signal to some other devices that open the door."

Alexis looked at the door on the metal wagon again. _Wait, does it have another name?_ "Mr. Vanhorn, sir, might I ask a question?"

"You already have," van Horn said with a smile that was reflected when Alexis realized the joke. He talked again. "But seriously, unless I tell you to leave me alone, or stay quiet for some reason, you can always ask a question. They are, after all, one of the best ways to learn."

She nodded. _So much like the Shaman_, she thought. "In that case, I was wondering what we should call your wagon? I don't think you call it a metal wagon yourself."

Van Horn continued his smile. "Well, you can call it a 'vehicle,' or 'scout car.' But the official name is the '_Darter_.'" He had to use a mix of English and Lupari, but he managed to get the names across. The natives, he noticed, liked the last name best.

"_Darter_, an interesting name," said Mikula. Why call it that, though? It hardly looks like it can dart like a person can."

"It's called _Darter_ because, compared to other vehicles, it can dart pretty fast." Van Horn paused to eat the last of his snack. "But you are right, it cannot dart like a person. We have... Other toys to do that." He smiled mischievously.

Mikula looked a bit vexed, but then gave his lopsided grin again. "I would hope you can tell us about those sometime."

Van Horn's smile died then. "Well, if the enemies that attacked you do not leave on their own, then I think you will see those 'toys' soon enough." He said soberly.

They all quieted down, and the locals didn't know what to say just then. Van Horn grunted and stood up, prompting the others to do so. "Well, I am sorry for bringing down the mood a bit. If you do not mind, I would like to rest, since I've been awake for nearly twenty hours now." He had been traveling at night to keep his movements secret from the Blakests, and so staying up into the late afternoon was tiring, especially after the emotionally draining events of the day.

The others nodded agreement and bid their goodbyes. As they left, van Horn once again opened up the vehicle and climbed inside and closed the door behind him. Walking into the back compartment, he grabbed the cot he had brought with and set it up in the control area. _They can pound if there's an emergency_ was his thought as he lay down on the cot and promptly fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The night came and went with little in way of consequence, and so did another. In the intervening time, a day was spent taking care of the wounded and discussions on how to protect the survivors. The next day after dawned to find a small party approaching the ruins of Kuamket from the south. Consisting of Gatón from the southern swamp tribes led by the messenger that had been dispatched only days ago. The proximity to the southern swamps ensured that their arrival would be quick.

They could not, however, anticipate the devastation that now opened up before them. Shaman Salora Garona of the village of Danadom was among the group, being the person sent for by Forbasa. _By the Gods, what could have done this?_ She thought in some confusion, though a part of her deep down knew already. After all, only a few shamans were entrusted with the stories about Humans and the distant past, one from each of the tribes. She was the one trusted to keep the knowledge for the swamp tribe, and so when Forbasa's messenger had arrived, and told her that Forbasa was calling a meeting of her and three other shamans from the other tribes, Garona knew what that had meant.

Now, before her, she saw the worst fears of her and her colleagues made real. Below lay the village of Kuamket- or rather, it's ruins. Beside her, the messenger, Rano Halruto, was in even greater shock, since he had only left a few days ago, and everything was normal. Now, the houses lay burnt, the fields trampled, and no one was in sight. Taking another look around, Garona noticed something else on the north side of the village. _Are those wagons?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the collapse of the herald Halruto, who had just noticed his family's small farmhouse and barn had been burnt to the ground. The sobs that came from the young gatón caused Garona to kneel beside the youth and comfort him. "Young man, I am sure your family must have made it out in time. After all, I see no graves nearby. No graves at all, in fact..." Which made her worry even more. _Either everyone was killed inside their houses while they slept, or the bodies have been disposed of... But Gatón bury our dead in the fields, and I see nothing indicating that._ Either way, something was not right and she was suspicious because of it.

Garona was even more worried because of the members of her party, which included a young adolescent who had gotten sick of something that Garona couldn't cure, though Forbasa might know of one. Knowing it was a relatively short trip, she had decided to take the child and her father and brother along with her apprentice. Garona was responsible for them, and now she worried that they had traveled for naught, but even worse, they were in mortal danger of a kind that even she only had a nodding acquaintance with.

A noise from the party's left drew all of their attention, even the mourning messenger. All tensed and the three males from Danadom gripped their bows; the only weapons that the Gatón had plentiful experience with. Garona herself stood slowly and gripped the hilt of the ceremonial dagger she affected. If it were to be a fight, then they would sell themselves dearly, _and certainly die_. Her thoughts were dark now and she wondered if she would see her home again.

Fortunately, the noise turned out to be a young gatón male who was walking through the bush. He came into the open near the new arrivals and held his hands to his sides, palms outward, to show himself unarmed. "Hello, you must be the ones from the south."

"Aye, that we are." Replied Garona, relaxing a bit, hoping this wasn't a trick of bandits that were known to prowl about. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Jahni Wayon, from what was Kuamket." His voice had no irony or sour emotion in it at the reference to the destruction, though his face twisted a bit, and his ears went back to indicate his displeasure. "I was set to be on watch here for anyone approaching the village. After I saw Rano there, I knew you to be our guests. I can take you to where we have set up camp, for the time being."

"And how are we to know if you are truly of this village or not? You could be a bandit seeking to prey on the unwary."

The young gatón hesitated and thought for a second, but it was not he who answered. "It's alright, shaman Garona. I recognize Jahni, and he is no bandit, as my family lived near his." Said the herald Halruto.

Garona paused to think for a minute as the others from Danadom turned and looked at her, though Halruto looked to Jahni in hope that was so evident that Garona thought she could feel his thoughts. She nodded to her companions, and then spoke to the newcomer. "Very well; Let us go, for we are tired and one of us is ill." She indicated the young gatón who lay on her stretcher, which had been put on the ground when they had heard the noise Jahni had made.

He nodded. "I am sorry to hear that, though shaman Forbasa is alive, so he can certainly help, along with-" Jahni cut himself off, realizing that mentioning van Horn would probably sound strange, and maybe cause the others to mistrust him. "Along with some of our other guests."

"Other guests? I though we were the closest."

"You are, but... Some Lupar came into town a few days ago, seeking shelter for a time. We gave them a berth on some fields before..." Jahni's voice trailed off and his eyes drifted to his left, where the village ruins lay in mute testament to the awesome power that leveled it.

Garona nodded, understanding. "Very well. We shall follow you." And with that, the small group left to join the other Gatón and their friends.

They came upon the encampment slowly, so as to not arouse alarm at their passage. On the way, they came across another picket. This time, it was a lupar, which surprised Garona, despite the waning Jahni had given them only a few minutes ago.

"Hello, Jahni. I take it these are the Shaman's guests that were supposed to come?" Asked the young lupar female, who seemed not fully-grown, yet had a good five centimeters over Garona's height.

"Yes they are, Yora, some of them, anyway. Seen anything of interest?" Replied Jahni for the small group of gatón.

"Nothing new, though I did hear that Vanhorn was supposed to be out with a hunter this afternoon."

"Alright, thanks." Jahni said quickly and somewhat nervously. He had hoped that the Shaman could explain the presence of the human, yet he wondered if the people he escorted would not see van Horn before they got to the cave. _At least that metal wagon of his is covered up_, the young gatón thought to himself. It was still amazing to behold that a simple covering could mask such a commanding presence, yet the camouflage worked better than any Jahni had seen. He then noticed that the others were waiting for him to indicate when to move again, and he embarrassedly waved them on, to the subtle amusement of the lupar.

Garona, for her part, wondered what had made the young gatón nervous, but put it out of her mind as they started to hear the typical noises of any camp or small village. Sounds of people chatting, things being moved, and even the smells of cooking, which made Garona's stomach rumble. The party from Danadom had left in the middle of the early morning from their previous campsite after being awakened to the noises coming from their sick charge. Being only a day's travel had made them hustle to reach Kuamket without stopping to eat, so that they could at least try to help the sick girl. Now, however, Garona wondered what could possibly be done in a camp of a people who had fled the devastation they had seen.

They emerged into the open area near the cave that was now serving as an impromptu village common. Garona took in the situation quickly with her yellow eyes, quickly noting the lupar that walked among the gatón, and the fact that there weren't that many of either race. At the latter part, her heart sank a little, and she felt the growth of fear in the back of her mind.

Garona shook her head to clear it. _I have a patient that needs attention, mulling over things can wait until later_. She and Jahni led her apprentice and the micro-family towards the cave entrance where, predictably, they found Forbasa. He looked up and managed a small smile at his friend and colleague.

"My dear Salora, it's been far too long." He said as he raised himself up on his cane tiredly. The last couple of days had taken their toll, and he had spent little enough time resting.

Garona stopped in front of him, and bowed. "I wish it was under more... Favorable circumstances." She spoke slowly, unsure of what exactly protocol called for in such a situation, or if indeed protocol even still had any impact.

If there was, Forbasa dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Please, dear, don't bow. I would have to reply, and you know my old back can't take much more of that." He said as his smile grew on his face as he let real warmth into it.

She mirrored his smile with one of her own. That is, until the bearers of the sick girl caught up, reminding Garona that there was serious business afoot. "Revalo, I would love to chat, but I have a problem that I hope you can help with." She indicated the girl on the stretcher with her hand.

Forbasa nodded. "Very well, bring her inside. We have a treatment area set up for the victims of the attack just inside the entrance."

They all entered the cave, where Garona saw, for the first time, the victims. All of them had burns of one sort or another, though a lupar at the end seemed unhurt, until one looked closely enough to see his leg splinted. Garona didn't comment, but instead looked for a spot so that the girl's relatives could lay her down on. Silently, she found one and indicated it to the bearers, who placed her there with the gentlest of care; an indication of their family ties.

Forbasa came up soon after, and kneeled down to feel her vitals despite his advanced age and tired condition. "What is her name?" He asked.

One of the gatón who had carried her responded. "Her name is Salina. She is my daughter."

Forbasa looked up. "Might I ask your name, then?"

"I am Eduno Farnslar. This is my son Tano." Farnslar indicated the young gatón standing behind him, and the youth nodded in greeting. "We came in hope that you could help my daughter."

Forbasa nodded silently, then turned to the adolescent lying on the floor of the cave. His next words were addressed to his colleague. "What are her symptoms?"

"High fever, pain in the abdomen area, an inability to keep down any food." Garona responded. "I've tried the usual herbs, but I've seen no response, other than to settle the feelings of pain. Late last night, she woke us all with loud moaning. I think it's gotten worse."

"Any unconventional treatments?" He asked, and Garona knew he wouldn't exactly disapprove, since he himself was known for being unconventional, especially for an elder shaman.

"I tried using the root of the kavao tree by grinding it up and putting it into a drink for her." Garona talked of the plant most used to dull pain for cuts. "It seemed to help a bit, but the underlying cause seems unaffected."

Forbasa stood slowly and went silent, his tail slightly wagging to express displeasure at his lack of understanding, though not a lack of knowledge. "I have seen this before. Last year a good man lost his life to this. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the problem was, but all I've learned is that it must be something to do with a strange internal organ."

Garona cocked her head, and her tail went up in a questioning pose. "What is so strange about it?"

"It seems to do nothing at all, yet when I examined the man who died, I noticed the area around the organ was discolored. When I felt around, it was missing."

"Missing?" The disbelief was audible in Garona's voice. Forbasa grunted and spoke again. "Apparently so, though I have my doubts and suspicions. Though I might know someone who might know what we are dealing with..." His voice trailed off as he wondered what he would tell Garona. _Well, might as well just have Vanhorn come here and show her himself_, was his thought.

Forbasa turned towards a female gatón sitting near a pair of lupar. They had been talking when Garona and her party had entered, but had quieted down along with everyone else. "Alexis, would you please go and get Doctor Vanhorn?" He asked.

"Yes, shaman." Alexis said as she got up and quickly made her way through the cave and out the mouth.

Garona had some hope, then. The Lupar weren't always known for their medical expertise, but maybe one of their doctors somehow knew more. At least, she thought this 'Doctor Vanhorn' would be a Lupar, since Shaman Forbasa was as learned in medicine as any gatón. "This 'Doctor Vanhorn,' he is good, I take it?" She asked.

"Yes, quite good. Though I've had little to judge his abilities on, considering I've never seen anyone like him work before." Forbasa said in reply. Garona was puzzled. "I don't understand, you've never seen a lupar doctor work before?"

"It's not that," said Forbasa, "it's just that I've never seen a human work before."

With the mention of that name, the stories of which she'd learned as a child popped into her head, which she shook in disbelief. "Revalo, this really isn't the time for jokes."

"I didn't know my species was a joke." Announced a voice in gatonese that came from the cave entrance. Garona turned around and got a shock even bigger than seeing Kuamket in ruins. There stood a being she had only imagined, a creature that the stories of which had given her nightmares as a child. He stood taller than anyone else in the room, and his furless skin and lack of a tail made him stand out all the more.

An audible gasp came from her fellow travelers, though only she knew what the human truly was. "I... I don't believe it." Was all she could muster for the moment. "The stories... They cannot be real."

"I assure you they are." Said Forbasa with a dead seriousness, as van Horn strode over and paused before the newly arrived gatón. He stuck out his hand and said," Allow me to introduce myself. I am Doctor Earl van Horn."

Garona just looked at the human's hand, uncomprehending. "Clasp hands, Salora, it's a tradition with them," Forbasa said with sympathy for Garona. The latter slowly stuck out her hand and reached to clasp the human's. His hand felt warm and soft, though it was calloused enough from his recent work. Van Horn pumped up and down slowly, and then withdrew his hand. "Sorry, but it's a habit of mine to introduce myself with a handshake," he said apologetically.

"It's... alright." Garona was still in somewhat of a shock, but now recovered some of her manners. "I am Salora Garona, shaman of Danadom."

"Pleased to meet you." Van Horn said and gave a bit of a smile in welcome. Then it went away and he became serious. "Shaman, Forbasa," he paused after shaman, realizing that there were two now. "Alexis told me that there was sick one here. Am I to take it is the new lady laying on the floor?"

"Indeed she is. Her name is Salina Farnslar, and these are her father, Eduno, and her brother, Tano." Forbasa indicated each with a wave of his hand. "And... I don't believe we've had the pleasure to meet your apprentice, Salora."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Forgive my rudeness." Garona was still trying to get back into a normal way of thinking with the human standing there. "This is Kalo Gran, my second apprentice. Harl is still at home taking care of things."

Forbasa nodded, then went into an explanation of the distress in the cave for van Horn. The latter simply stood quietly, stroking the two-day stubble on his face. "I may be no medico, but this is common enough that many of my people know what it is." He paused to gather the gatonese words he'd need to explain.

"This organ you've mentioned, it is in humans as well. We call it an 'appendix,' and on occasions, it can become infected and inflamed." He turned then and went to a white box that Garona hadn't noticed sitting on the ground before. She then realized that it looked like nothing else in her experience, yet the human opened it up and rummaged inside, clearly knowing what to look for.

Van Horn grabbed the hypospray in this kit, and the vial of anti-infection antibiotics that were included in medikits to help wounded who might have injuries too widespread or large to be properly disinfected. Carefully, he used the vial to fill the hypospray all the way up.

Garona, as interested as she was, still had a question. "How can it get infected? Salina wasn't cut, nor did she eat anything unusual."

"An internal infection of an appendix does not need such a route of transmission." Van Horn was starting to use English words again, though the context was enough for Garona to understand most of it. "See, the appendix is part of the immune system in the body. Its main purpose is to absorb sicknesses, so that the immune system can focus in and annihilate germs before they can harm the rest of the body."

Garona and Forbasa both looked a bit overwhelmed, though at least Forbasa had had a talk with van Horn about the 'immune system' the day before. "So, if that is its purpose, why does it fail now?" He asked.

"Well, nothing is perfect," van Horn said as he came back and kneeled beside the gatón on the floor. "Even a powerful organ can succumb from various, unpredictable reasons."  
"Then how come the thing disappeared when I examined the man who died?" Forbasa asked with concern.

"Well, if the infection is not defeated normally, then the appendix grows large from inflammation. If left uncured, a person's appendix can literally burst, spreading deadly infected tissues throughout the patient's body. In such cases, a burst appendix is fatal, unless the patient is lucky enough to be in a well-stocked hospital with a good staff. Even then, recovery is not assured." Van Horn finished his statement by injecting the antibiotics into the female gatón's arm.

The news that young Salina might die, even with the greatest medical help, disturbed Garona. She decided to ask a question to keep her mind busy. "Then what can you do to treat her? What did you do just now?"

"For the latter, I just gave her a shot of antibiotics. The antibiotics let her body locate any sickness, letting her immune system to focus in and kill the damn things quickly." He took out the empty bottle from the hypospray, and tossed it to the newest empty kit serving as a trash can. "As to the former question, giving her antibiotics and making sure she is well taken care of is about all I can do. I am, unfortunately, not a medical doctor, and even if I was, the conditions here are... Less than perfect." He spoke diplomatically, seeking to not offend his hosts.

Forbasa nodded. "Then let us hope this will help." He turned toward the cave entrance, and motioned for Garona to follow. "Salina is in good hands, my dear Salora. Now we should talk, don't you think?"

She nodded and turned towards the father and brother of the patient. "I will leave for a few minutes. Please be assured, that if Shaman Forbasa trusts this man with his own villagers, than I am sure the human can do as well as I can." She said this to them so they would not fret, though such emotions were beyond them, for the moment, as in shock as they were.

Turning, Garona followed Forbasa out of the cave. _You have a lot of explaining to do, my dear friend_.

Outside, the clearing had grown more somber with the knowledge of the sick girl in the cave, for a tightly packed camp has no secrets. Garona followed behind Forbasa until they reached a stump away from the camp that was near a large hillock. There Forbasa sat on the stump to rest himself, then he indicated a rock that Garona could sit on, and she did.

Once seated, she began to speak. "Revalo, what is this? What is going on? I come here for a meeting that you only hinted about in your letter, then I come to find your village destroyed, lupar staying with you and a... A... A Human, of all things, working here!"

Forbasa sat and waited for the initial outburst to pass. "My dear Salora, I understand you are surprised. However, I brought you here because of events that are now in motion."

"What events?" Asked Garona. She patiently listened for several minutes as Forbasa told the tale of the last few days. At the end of it, Garona just sat there, too stunned to talk as she mulled over what Forbasa had told her, along with her memories of nightmares as a child learning about the humans and their fearsome power. "If what you say is true... Then is this the Krannasha?" She asked, referring to the name that the gatón had for the end of their world.

Forbasa tilted his head. "It depends on what interpretation you would have of those stories. I've always favored the idea that they meant that our world as we know it would end, not end period." He rotated his head back up and looked Garona straight in the eye. "But despite what this may or may not be, the fact remains that the other tribes, and certainly the shamans should be alerted to the events and their portent. Especially if we find that action may be required."

Garona thought over this for a second. "I suppose you're right." She said quietly, still trying to digest the information that a day only recently begun had brought her. "I do ask what might be done of the lupar here?"

"Their leader and I have talked, and we've agreed for the time being that they can stay here with us. So far, they've been helpful, being larger than us gatón they can carry more. Not to mention, they seem eager to prove to us that their culture is not as barbaric as we see them." Forbasa finished with a slight grin.

Garona nodded at that. Before she could think of anything else to say, the human came from the cave entrance carrying one of those white boxes she had noticed. He walked towards them and stopped. "Hello, mind if I pass through?" Van Horn asked with politeness.

"Certainly, I think we are finished here for the time being." Replied Forbasa as he lifted himself off the stump. Garona followed suit out of deference, though she wondered where the human was going, since all that was around was a hillock. Then, to her surprise, the human walked to the hillock, put down the white box, and pulled up the side of the small hill. She realized it must be a covering of some sort, with a disguise so good that she hadn't noticed it before now.

Yet, even as van Horn lifted up the cover, she began to see the telltale traces that showed it to be not a real mound of dirt, but a fabric of some sort. Van Horn hitched up the part he had lifted and picked up the used medikit, carrying it with him as he went to the door, again having it open upward, which again surprised Garona. She looked towards Forbasa, but he just stood quietly, so she turned back to the human, who was even now disappearing into the strange maw.

"What...?" Again, words failed her.

"It is a kind of conveyance that he used to arrive here. It also contains a number of interesting gadgets." Forbasa spoke from knowledge, not only in the trip they had taken in it, but also because he had asked to see the inside again, which van Horn had been happy to allow. "Perhaps if you go and ask, doctor Vanhorn would let you take a look."

Garona turned to look at Forbasa, her ears perked in caution, yet she knew Forbasa to be a decent man. Turning towards the vehicle, the lady gatón felt some of her forty-one years disappear as her curiosity took over.

Reaching the door, she paused and heard the human rustling about inside. Slowly, she stuck her head through the doorway and took in the sight.

"Hello," came the human's voice from her right, and she turned her head to take in the sight of the rear compartment open and van Horn striding out from the back where he was keeping the old boxes for eventual burial. "Can I help you?"

"I, ah, I just wanted to see inside, if you do not mind." Garona was a bit nervous, talking as she was to a creature that she had thought unreal until earlier this day.

"No, I do not mind, though you'll find it a mess." Van Horn replied and waved for the gatón shaman to climb up. Garona did so with trepidation, though her curiosity was truly in command now. She gazed about the forward cabin, noting the seats up near a set of windows, each of the two having all sorts of strange and unfamiliar gadgets in front of them. To her right was a pair more of the funny-looking seats, each sitting by a shelf on one side of the compartment, and what looked like cabinets made metal were hanging from the ceiling, apparently attached to it.

She then realized that the entire place seemed made of metal, save for a few parts, like the seats' cushions. _What kind of expense must go into creating this?_ Her thoughts went from one side of the spectrum to the other, but one thing kept coming back:

_With things like these, what can we hope to do against these invaders?_


	8. Chapter 8

Another week soon passed, with a gradual return to some kind of normality. Though it was a normality punctuated with the occasional threat. Twice, van Horn's car's sensor suite detected aerospace fighters making an over flight, to which he had the others get under cover just in time, or so he hoped. One time, even a VTOL which he had identified as a _Peregrine_ make an over flight, though that time he was sure that everyone had made it under cover. He was also sure that his converted scout car hadn't been detected, either, since the Blakests hadn't launched an attack to destroy it.

Also during that week, the shaman from the plains tribes had arrived, and with him a small contingent of warriors, since bandit activity had picked up recently. He too, found the stories of the last few days disturbing, and he was shocked as well by the appearance of the human, van Horn.

Still, before the Four could make any determinations of what the Gatón tribes should do, there were things to take care of. For instance, the Gatón had begun to again go back to their ruined village for supplies and equipment. Van Horn had warned them, however, that this may bring back the Blakests; a prediction that proved right as another 'mech came to investigate. Van Horn had identified it with the human name for the war machine, and it's specific design; an old FS9-H _Firestarter_, which was a dangerous anti-personnel design that Mikula and Alexis had identified as the thing that attacked the Tanzano army that stormy night.

The machine hadn't tarried, as it saw nothing since the gatón and the lupar helping them had been told that the best thing to do against the machines was to hide in buildings and not move. Thus, the Blakest machine had taken a quick look, then left. Van Horn had puzzled over this, since the wobbies had taken the time to attack the village in the first place.

Nevertheless, it had spooked the gatón even more, and now the question had come up with the survivors of what to do? They obviously couldn't go back to Kuamket for now, but the game near the caves was running out, as was the food stockpiles. Clearly, they had to leave.

"We would be glad to take your people, but the plains are rife these days with bandits both Lupar and Gatón. Not only would your people be preyed upon during the trip there, but the raiders have driven the game away, so there wouldn't be much to feed you once you arrive at a suitable location." The plains tribes' Shaman, Chuka, was saying. The plains tribes of the Gatón, unlike their forest and swamp brethren, were colored more akin to a Terran Tiger, with a base coat of dark orange and more regular, finer stripes than the forest and swamp tribes.

Forbasa, sitting back in the tent the newly arrived shaman had brought for himself to sleep in during the trek over the plains, shook his head. "The swamps are too poor in game and dry land to feed us, and the other forest areas all have villages in them already. The eastern plains are out, for if the Lupar don't chase us away, these invading 'Wobbies' will kill us. Your western plains are the only places we could find another spot to settle."

"And as I just told you, the plains are not as inviting as they once were." Chuka was getting annoyed now, as his twitching tail and the movement of his ears back could attest to.

Garona decided this was a time to intervene between the two elder shamans. "Please, we shouldn't bicker. Chuka," she said as she turned to face him, "Are all the plains so crowded now? Even all the way to the sea?"

Chuka shook his head now. "No, of course not. But to get to the sea even a fast group would take months. A group of surviving villagers would surely take longer, perhaps a year or more. Especially if you would take your wounded with you, instead of leaving them at a nearby village as I've suggested."

"We cannot leave them to strangers, you know that. It is a tradition known among all Gatón, and I would think that you, my dear Fero would be the last to suggest breaking a tradition as that." Forbasa spoke with a bit of hurt in his voice.

The other male shaman bristled at that, his fur standing up a bit along his back and neck. "Just what are you insinuating?"

"Shamans, please!" Once again Garona interrupted the dialog that seemed to go nowhere. "Again, bickering does us no good. Surely we can find an arrangement that will solve our dispute."

Chuka looked a bit less cross, but his voice carried the sting of annoyance. "Perhaps there is not such an arrangement. I certainly know that the plains are not able to take a group of refugees, and that if such a group moved through, we could not give it help of any kind. They would be alone, for no village can spare anything in this time of drought."

"And I'm saying that cannot be true, since I see none of drought's effects on you or your party." Forbasa replied crossly.

"Again, you imply motives to me that are unjust."

"I do no such thing," Forbasa backpedaled a bit. "I simply wonder if perhaps you are overstating the effects out of a misplaced sense of caution."

"Caution? Yes. Misplaced? I doubt that. Already your village has been burned after taking in survivors of an attacked _Lupar_ city, and I wonder if perhaps these 'wobbies' won't follow you to our homes and burn them as well." Chuka leaned back after finishing, partly to emphasize his point, partly to adjust his position. _I'm too old to be sitting on the ground like this for long periods of time_.

They all sat around a map of Gatón lands that Forbasa had had fished out from his house's library. On it sat small stones that represented the sightings of the 'Wobbies' that van Horn had mentioned, and that stories that a pair of merchants had brought with them when they had made a call to Kuamket, only to find it burned and the citizens hiding in the forest. Van Horn had looked at it earlier, and stated that it looked "strategically sound." _Whatever that meant,_ Forbasa thought to himself as he took the moment of silence to collect his thoughts. Looking up after a second, he spoke. "Although it is true that these invaders attacked us, I believe it is more coincidence than design. We just happen to be the largest Gatón village to Tanzano, so I believe they attacked us to make sure that we would learn to fear them; something you are easily allowing yourself to learn."

Chuka's ears folded back and his tail curled; the Gatón equivalent of a blush. "I fear not these fools, but I do fear for the damage they could do to my people."

"Then you can chose one of two paths: Wither cower and bend to their bidding, or stand and fight." A new voice made itself heard. The clear tones and distinct punctuation marked the speaker as not gatón on lupar, but that of their guest. Thy turned to see the tent flap open to accept the human van Horn and admit the night air in to cool the speakers. Van Horn leaned forward and stepped in without being invited, but he knew that now wasn't exactly a time to be too polite. "Every day, the Wobbies move forward. This I know from their past behavior. They will not leave you alone forever. Sooner or later, they will come for you, and the longer you wait, the more converts they get to their cause."

Chuka, taken aback a bit since he hadn't seen the human much, recovered quickly. "What in the world do you mean? What converts?"

Van Horn sat heavily by the flap, which was at the fourth, unclaimed side of the map in the center. "The Wobbies are demented bastards. They use techniques to-" He paused, trying to think of how to say, 'brainwash.' "To change a person's mind, and indeed their very thoughts. They used these techniques to train an army that was to try and destroy the worlds of Man in their insane quest for power.

"As much as they were effective in doing that, they may not even need such plots here, for their strength alone will drive many into fearing them and even to obey them out of that fear... And some, of course, " van Horn's voice took on a dark timbre, "some will follow out of greed or lust for power. Such are things among my people, such are the way things are wherever there is civilization and its enemies."

The silence stretched, and van Horn wondered why he had grown so lyrical. _It's the way they talk_, he realized,_ so much like the English of Shakespeare, precise in nature_. He wondered how long it would be before he started thinking that way, as well.

His attention was brought back to the present when Chuka responded to his arguments. "I know that there will be some who follow a great power, no matter how evil it is, but to change a person's mind? How can such a thing be done?"

Van Horn sighed. "I don't know exactly, as most decent people have no wish to learn such dark science. But I know it can be done, it HAS been done. They almost succeeded in their nefarious goals once before."

"If they are so dangerous, then how did they get stopped before?" Chuka was naturally skeptical.

"Because my people chose the second option; to stand and fight. But not only to fight, but to fight at once! Else you give them enough time to ready their armies. Hell, we waited almost too long, so close were they to launching their Jihad..." Van Horn's voice trailed away as he remembered the images of the fighting, and how he had managed to be one of the few professional soldiers left behind to defend the Republic.

"Jihad?" Forbasa's repeat of the foreign word brought van Horn back from his reminiscing. "Yes," van Horn said in reply, "it is an old word that means, 'holy war.'"

"'Holy war?' That sounds like a contradiction in terms."

"It is, believe me. The people whose language that word came from used it to cover the fact that they engaged in brutal, despicable activities, like raping and killing in cold blood. Now, their culture is a minority, forgotten as my people left behind such foolishness as fighting over which God to worship. But the word remains, and it is a dirty word to match dirty actions."

"Indeed," replied Garona. "But I suppose the 'Wobbies' didn't just lie down and let themselves be beaten?"

Van Horn shook his head. "No, there was tough fighting, but we caught them flat-footed... I mean... we struck when they least suspected an attack, so arrogant they were in their power."

"Tough fighting, even for your people. What chance do we have against such monstrosities as I've been told about?" Chuka asked in a skeptical tone.

Van Horn looked at him. "Not much, I'll agree, but you _can_ do _something_. All campaigns of terror - terror that the Wobbies now intend to use on you - they rely on one thing: That you fear the enemy rather than fearing the loss of your freedom. Fear now, hide now, deny your friends help now, and you've already lost."

Alexis wondered from the encampment, seeking to get some solitude in order to think. The last week had prevented her from doing anything of the sort, trying to take care of the recovering wounded. Thanks to van Horn's help, all would survive, even Soru, who had been hit directly from one of those deadly streams of flame that fateful night. He hadn't awakened yet, but he looked to be set on recovering consciousness soon.

Such thoughts she now pushed from her mind as she walked beyond the picket line that had been set up. She only absent-mindedly nodded to a guard, some lupar that she didn't recognize as she walked farther away from camp and into the nighttime gloom.

After a bit, she picked a tree near the village clearing, and climbed up it quickly. Reaching a fairly large branch, she settled on it and began the process she had often used to organize her thoughts, namely calm breathing and a focusing on nature's sounds, rather than trying to force her thoughts into a pattern. As usual for Alexis, it worked and the events of the past week started to trickle through her mind.

So it would have gone on for another hour or so, she thought to herself, if not for the noise of someone's arrival near the tree. Suddenly brought back to the present, she tensed and tried to not move, so as to not draw attention to herself, for she knew not if it was friend or foe that was near.

"Hello?" The somewhat halting word, spoken in gatonese with a detectable accent, arrived at the same time as the familiar scent entered her sensitive nose, and she relaxed. Alexis moved a bit and stuck her head over the side of the branch to see the new arrival. "Mikula, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same question." Mikula responded with his lopsided grin. "I saw you leaving camp, and I decided to see what you were up to... If that's alright." His grin disappeared as uncertainty entered his voice. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything?"

Alexis shook her head, then swing over the branch and began to climb down, while saying "No, it's alright. I just needed some time to think, that's all." She reached the ground easily and turned to face the young lupar.

"Ah, well if it's solitude you want, I can go." Mikula felt uncomfortable, as evidenced by his twitching ears and the way his tail flicked a bit behind him.

"No, it's fine, really." Alexis tried smiling to show she wasn't angered. "I just wanted to think about the past week or so, try to understand what's happening. I just like to do so when it's quiet, but it certainly can wait if you want to talk."

Mikula took a step back. "No, it's okay, I was just a little bored, and I felt like going for a walk to exercise my leg like Vanhorn said I should. When I saw you leave, I decided to follow as a lark. No offense," he added hastily when he realized that it might not sound very complimentary.

Alexis' smile grew a bit at that. "It's okay, I know what you mean. Lately, none of us have hardly had any chances to be ourselves, with all the strange things going on."

Mikula nodded at that. "Aye, it certainly has been... Unusual, to say the lest." They both had a moment of silence at that as they remembered that many weren't there to reminisce. Both had helped with the burial details that had quietly gone through the town at night after the brief revisit of the attackers' 'mech. They had buried the dead, both gatón and lupar alike, in another clearing not too far from the village, and hopefully, not so close that the enemy would notice it. So far they hadn't, but they were label to be suspicious since they had taken time to revisit the attacked village.

Alexis broke the spell. "Well, we cannot dwell too much in the past, my mother always says." Her voice picked up a little on that, as her family had made it out safely, though her parents had decided to stay with the group at the other end of the caverns. "I think she would say that, now that the dead have been taken care of, we can begin to live for ourselves again."

Mikula lowered his head and looked at the ground. "Perhaps. I still feel their loss, however, so forgive me if I am not so... Inspiring, lately." He chose his words with care, wishing to not offend Alexis.

She nodded and gave another, small smile. "I know. I don't find it a problem, Mikula, since you always seem to rise above your feelings to help others."

Mikula did a lupar equivalent of a blush then, with his ears turning down and his tail falling to hang low. "Thank you, Alexis. It's been hard, but with friends like you, I know that I can get through this more easily than if I was still in an army unit somewhere."

Now Alexis did the gatón equivalent of a blush and turned away. "You're too kind. All I've done is help take care of hurt people. A noble cause to be sure, but not one that makes me anyone special."

"But you are special," Mikula said. "I've not seen anyone so dedicated to helping others, even when surrounded by such an inhospitable environment. And especially," he took a step closer now, "when you've seen the horrible things that we've all seen."

She turned back and looked at the lupar, and then smiled a bit. "Thank you, Mikula. I think you overstate my qualities a bit, but I guess I can take your word for it."

He smiled again. "You certainly can, Alexis. After all, I wouldn't be very good in repaying my debt to you if I lied all the time, now would I?"

With that, her smile died again. "Mikula, I've told you this before, but you really don't owe me your life. Shaman Forbasa did most of the original treatment, and even Vanhorn helped some. All I did was take care of some simple things."

"They were not simple to me," he said as he stepped up to stand next to her, though she was facing off to his left. "Alexis, while it is true that Forbasa did more medicine, and that even young Soru helped out, I still consider what you did a great service. You told the shaman and Soru about the attack, and because of that, they came to the place and found me. When I was healing, you brought me food when Soru was off doing errands, you stayed and talked to me to help keep me from being too lonely or bored, and you took care of my injury as well as I ever saw Forbasa did."

"All things that any good person would do, Mikula; Nothing special." She said with a small sigh.

"It was special to me, Alexis. It still is," and he put his hand on her shoulder to emphasize.

Alexis startled a bit and looked at Mikula, not in anger or shock, but simple surprise. He quickly took his hand away and turned and took a step. He was surprised at the turmoil of emotions inside himself, and the look of surprise on Alexis' face had jarred him.

Alexis, for her part, looked down at the ground as she too, wrestled with her inner thoughts. She recovered first, and said "Perhaps... Perhaps we've tarried too long out here. The others at camp may be getting worried."

Mikula, glad that Alexis had found a way out from the awkward moment, turned back to face her. "Yes, we should get back. Should I lead the way?" He said with a voice that belied his inner confusion.

Alexis nodded, and they began back.

Mikula and Alexis only took a few minutes to arrive in camp. Coming from the east, they passed by van Horn's vehicle and were surprised to find the door open and a light on inside. A flickering shadow and muffled noises told them that the human was inside and at work on something. Mikula, mind still in turmoil, realized that he wanted to ask the human some things. He decided to go and ask now, since this seemed a good time to talk to the human and perhaps quell the thoughts that ran through his head.

He turned to Alexis and said, "I want to talk to Vanhorn about something, if you'll excuse me?"

Her reply surprised him. "Would you mind if I came with? I haven't spoken to him much and I wouldn't mind talking to him myself."

"Well, of course I don't mind. Shall we?" And he gestured to the door.

Arriving at the opened door, Mikula stuck his head inside. The forward cabin was a mess, with boxes lying around on the floor, and clothes draped on the chairs. The doorway to the back cabin was open, and this was the source of the noise, as van Horn sat on the floor with his back to the door. He appeared to be hunched over something, though Mikula didn't know what it was. The light, he noticed, came not from oil lanterns or candles, but from strange panels mounted in the ceiling of the vehicle. They gave off bright light that was strangely lacking of warmth or strength. Mikula wondered at these, since despite his previous experience with the human's equipment, he had never seen the lights. _Although I shouldn't be surprised, given that show on the first day he arrived_, the young lupar thought to himself.

He knocked on the doorframe, which brought van Horn's head around. "Oh, it's you Mikula. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it's me and Alexis, and we were wondering if we could come in and ask you a few things."

Van Horn looked puzzled, then shrugged. "Okay, just gimme a second to clean off the chairs," van Horn said as he got off the floor carrying what hew had been working on; a book, Mikula noticed, though it seemed awfully large to him. Van Horn put the book down on a shelf, and quickly moved the clothes and laid them down in the back before coming forward again. "Okay, please come in now that I've at least got seats for you."

Mikula climbed up the short gap from ground to vehicle, and then turned around and reached out to help Alexis up. She gratefully accepted his offered hand, and used it to help pull herself up to join the other two. Van Horn indicated a pair of chairs on one side of the compartment and he took the third across from them.

Both Alexis and Mikula sat down in the offered chairs, and van Horn started talking. "Now, what is it you two wish to talk about?"

"Well, I don't know why Alexis wished to speak to you, but I wanted to ask you about something you mentioned to my brother Pavlo when you first arrived here." Mikula said, a bit of embarrassment on his features.

"Oh, what was that?"

"Well, you said something about our family name, something about its origins. Pavlo told me you asked and mentioned that you seemed to know something. I was hoping you could tell me what you knew, if that is possible." Mikula's voice grew softer as he approached the last words, unsure of how to sound. Although van Horn had been in the presence of the natives for a while, few talked to him, afraid as they were of his abilities and his tools. Thus, no one knew, exactly, how the human was, personally, save that he was polite and kind.

Van Horn grinned a bit. "Well, I can talk about that, if you want, since I don't think I can make things any worse by talking to you."

Alexis and Mikula puzzled over this, and she asked "Worse? How could you make things worse?"

"That's the point; I can't." Van Horn replied with his grin firmly entrenched. He shook his head when he saw the puzzled looks on the two natives' faces. "Sorry, I was joking a bit. What I mean, is, that what I tell you cannot possibly make the cultural contamination any worse than being invaded by the Blakests.

"So you want to know about your name, mainly how I know it?" Mikula nodded to van Horn's question. The latter took a breath, and began. "The last name, 'Farkas,' it appears in an ancient language of my people that pre-dates our world-hopping abilities," the last words he chose instead of space flight, mainly because he didn't know anything that would explain it in either native language.

"So, what does that mean?" Alexis asked, intrigued now.

"Well, first off, the word itself means in that ancient tongue, 'wolf.'" Van Horn used the gatonese version of the word, since the Lupar just referred to themselves as, 'lupar.' _The fact that there is even a translatable word like that, instead of using 'lupar,' makes this idea of mine more likely_, van Horn thought to himself.

"A strange coincidence to be sure." Said Alexis, after she had taken a minute to explain to Mikula what the gatonese word meant. He seemed vaguely amused, though his eyes showed curiosity.

"Coincidence, possibly in word structure and sound. But meaning? Such a coincidence is rare, indeed," van Horn concluded. "What makes it even more unlikely as a coincidence is the word is from an unusual language called 'Hungarian;' a language known for its difficulty to master for those not born to it."

Mikula just nodded a bit, then said, almost absentmindedly "Strange, since my clan's history never showed any special meaning for 'Farkas,' save that of 'fighter.'"

"A good derivative, to be sure," van Horn replied. He tilted his head as an idea entered it. "By the way, what is your clan's name?"

"Regulus, why?" Mikula paused as he saw surprise wash over the human's face. Or, he was fairly sure it was surprise, since he was still unsure of the human's emotions. "Is something the matter?"

"No, it's fine, it's just that... Your clan's name, it too, has a partner from my people's past." Van Horn said in a quiet voice. "It is from Latin, a dead language that is known only by scholars."

"Another coincidence?" Mikula asked incredulously.

"I begin to have my doubts as to coincidences lately..." van Horn trailed off and he looked down a bit as he considered this new information.

Alexis and Mikula waited a minute, before the latter asked, "But what does it mean in that language?"

Van Horn looked up. "Hmm? Oh, yes, it means 'leader,' 'prince' or 'little king.' But people seldom use it for that, anymore, since it is more recognized as the name of a star."

"A star?" Alexis asked, interested in the points of light in the sky that she knew now to contain different worlds after a previous talk with van Horn.

"Yes, a small star that is seen from the oldest home of my people, Terra." Van Horn replied with a bit of wistfulness in his voice that the other two could notice. "'Regulus' as a name has always been given to ships and pioneering technologies, since the old Latin name refers to it as a leader or king, as I've said."

"Now, that matches with what I've been told," said Mikula. "The older stories I heard when the clan got together was always of how we were always the first to lead off into new frontiers. There is even a story about us being related to the Great Kings of Basun... But I speak mainly of legends and such." Mikula added the last in dismissively.

"Legends often contain facts, my friend," replied van Horn. "And the coincidences keep building up in the name department, especially with Alexis' name."

Both the natives were visibly surprised. "My name?" Asked Alexis in a voice that announced her surprise with a raised pitch. "What do you mean?"

"Your name, my dear, is a copy of a name that has been used for thousands of years among my people." Van horn took a breath before continuing. "It is a female version of the name, 'Alex,' which itself is a shortened form of 'Alexander,' a name once carried by a fearsome conqueror."

"Conqueror?" She asked in even greater surprise.

"Yes. Back when my people were much like yours, still using swords and spears, still having little in the way of science, this great leader of men, Alexander, conquered the known world at the time. It was an achievement so great, that his name was spread far and wide, and even now, nearly four thousand years after his death, people still name their children after him.

"So my friends, you can see that these coincidences are so unlikely that there must be something else at work."

Another, brief silence entered the room. Then Alexis decided to speak. "I don't suppose you have an idea?"

"I do, my dear lady. But I don't think I should give voice to it until I have the idea more fully formed," van Horn said. "However, I shall inform both of you if I ever find enough information to validate my theory.

"In the meantime," he added with a bit more energy, as their voices had gotten a bit low key while talking, "I think it would be best for all of us to get some sleep; Tomorrow will be a big day."

"Why? What's going on?" Mikula asked in surprise.

"Forbasa has decided that this place is not safe anymore, and I tend to agree with him. So tomorrow everyone is to make preparations for traveling." Van Horn had a visible reaction that neither native could guess at, but any human would recognize it as uncertainty.

"What? Where will we go?" Alexis asked most poignantly.

"Forbasa tried to get the plains shaman to grant you passage, but he was most stubborn. I'm afraid that for now, the plan is to go north and seek out other gatón villages, or perhaps a lupar town that might take your group in. After all," van Horn looked at Mikula and smiled a bit, "the mix of lupar and gatón in this camp is somewhat unusual, is it not?"

Both Alexis and Mikula glanced at each other, then looked back to van Horn and gave a pair of smiles. "I suppose so," said Mikula. "Like I said, my clan has always been at the forefront of exploration, and I suppose a point of exploration is trying new things..." His sidelong glance to Alexis didn't go unnoticed by van Horn, though Alexis seemed too busy in her thoughts to pay much attention to the others for a few seconds. Mikula went on, his grin returning "And I suppose a group of Lupar and Gatón traveling together is going to be something new and different, indeed."

Van Horn just smiled back, and its warmth was reinforced by what he had seen. "Certainly. Now, off with you two, I have my own preparations to make."

This brought Alexis around. "Why? Are you coming with us?"

Van Horn nodded his head. "Yes. I am an explorer of sorts, as well. And what kind of explorer can I be if I don't go where I haven't been before?" He asked, still smiling. The smile then disappeared. "Besides, when my people come back to this world, they will need to be told where the Wobbies have set up. I can't tell from here where all of the invaders are, so I must go and see if I can discover their locations."

"So your people can fight them?" Asked Mikula hopefully.

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, so that we can end this madness once and for all."

With that last one, van Horn stood up. "Now, as I've said, we should get some sleep, for it is late and the morning grows ever closer."

The others rose. "Indeed. And I hope you will let me know about this theory of yours concerning our names?" Alexis asked with curiosity.

"Certainly, my dear. Now, I bid you both goodnight." And with that, the natives left, leaving van Horn to wonder about his theory, which seemed to grow ever more solid. _I must keep my eyes open for other clues_...


	9. Chapter 9

The next day dawned like most others, with a bustling of activity in the camp, but more pronounced now that everyone was getting ready to leave. The busiest were the Lupar, who had spent the night dragging their wagons to the camp and hitching up the few pongos they could find to pull most of the wagons. A few that couldn't be pulled were almost abandoned, until van Horn offered to 'tow' them with his vehicle. The offer of also using his vehicle to carry the old, sick, and infirm was also welcomed, and soon the unrecovered victims of the attack on the village were lying down in the back compartment of his _Darter_ scout car, along with a few gatón and lupar to take care of them.

The following day rose upon a scene of a long convoy of wagons and carts snaking its way through the forest. For most of the gatón, this would be their first time away from their village since they were born, save for the occasional hunt. For the lupar, this would be a new leg in their journey, though to be sure, it was going to be unusual in the extreme. Not only did they have gatón with them, but there would be this mysterious human and his strange craft, as well.

As the day wore on towards the noontime hour, the air started to become hot under the canopy of the forest, causing the pongos to slow down. This didn't bother the leaders of this caravan, though, since many of the gatón lacked anything more helpful than simple handcarts gathered from the village remains, and so they would have slowed the caravan anyway.

Van Horn wasn't fully comfortable with passengers, however, as most had never been inside the craft before, and many were still nervous or afraid of the human. It did help having Alexis and two of the Farkas brothers inside to calm the others, but every time he walked back to check on things whenever the caravan slowed enough for him to stop and take a break, the others became mute. It was enough to keep van Horn up front most of the time.

He sighed as he thought of this, thinking _it doesn't help anything to have them afraid of me. Unfortunately, being told that the Wobbies are the same species as me can't be very comforting to them_. What concerned him more was the theory that was bouncing around inside his head. _We thought we were the first to visit this planet, yet things continue to add up to... What?_ The obvious conclusion - that humans had visited before - kept popping up, but he couldn't accept that, as if people had visited the planet before, there would have been records. Not to mention evidence of such visitations, such as dropship landing areas marked with trace radiological isotopes created by fusion drives. _Of course, if it were long ago, such traces would have disappeared by now. But there would be SOME thing; humans are notoriously messy_. Even lost colonies typically left their towns and cities buried in forests or under sand or mud, if left long enough. But the point was humanity always leaves something behind to mark its passage. There was nothing of the sort here, at least not identified from the surveys conducted from orbit.

_And yet, there IS evidence, as circumstantial as it is; how else can I explain the names and the stories the Gatón shamans know?_ Van Horn knew that there was a great mystery here, one that had been uncovered by the arrival of the Blakests.

He snorted a bit when he thought of the Blakests. _Fucking little cocksuckers, murderous little bastards. They can't even run away and hide like a good, defeated cult, but they seek to use this planet for their own gain_.

"Am I disturbing you?" Alexis' voice came from behind him, startling him a bit. Van Horn turned around after making sure the front was clear of anything he could run over before turning to take a look at her. "What do you mean, Alexis?" He asked.

"You seem lost in thought, and not to mention driving this.... 'Darter' you called it, is certainly not easy."

He shook his head. "It's not that hard, once you get used to it, though you are correct in assuming that attention needs to be paid to driving it. However," he looked back outside, and slowly brought the craft to a stop. "We've just hit another snag, or so it looks like," he gestured out through the front window, where the rest of the wagon train was stopping to help a wagon that had gotten stuck in a creek just ahead, "so I have some time to use. What do you want to talk about?"

Alexis smiled a bit, and her tail flicked a bit in amusement. "You already answered it, since I was going to ask you what kind of progress we're making."

Van Horn chuckled at her statement. "Indeed. We seem to be traveling at a slow pace, but it should pick up as we reach more open terrain." He paused to look at the wagons ahead before continuing. "How are things in the back? I hope I've kept things from being too bumpy."

She raised an eyebrow and her tail went up a bit in confusion. "Bumpy? The ride has been far smoother than any wagon I or anyone else has had before. In addition the environment in here is kept agreeably cool and dry, which amazes us. Though I think I'd rather not hear your explanation again." Her voiced lilted up a bit to show that she jested; Van Horn had earlier tried to explain gas compression, to the natives' confusion. He smiled a bit at the reference as she continued. "Believe me when I say we are all grateful for the help you've given us."

Van Horn's smile dimmed at that. "Indeed, miss, and I am glad to help. It is, after all, the least I can do..." His voice trailed off as he noticed movement from out front. The wagon train was moving again, so he said "Alexis, it would behoove you to take a seat until I get us moving again."

He grimaced a bit as soon as he finished talking, as he slipped in the English word unintentionally. He glanced back to see that Alexis, though apparently slightly puzzled, had understood the general context and had wisely chosen a seat. Van Horn turned back and set about slowly getting the _Darter_ and its trail of supply wagons moving again.

It was a few minutes before he could spare attention for the young gatón. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Alexis?"

Her reply was not forthcoming, which caused van Horn to risk a look over his shoulder. He saw the young woman sitting quietly lost in thought. A sudden bump brought his attention around to the front, a part of him feared he had driven over someone. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary outside, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Damn, I need to watch the road." Van Horn mumbled to himself in English.

"What was that?" Alexis asked from her seat, brought back to the now by the bump and van Horn's mutter.

"Oh, nothing, just telling myself to watch the road."

Alexis grinned a bit, but van Horn couldn't see that. He did, however, hear it in her voice. "Yes, I suppose that would be beneficial, wouldn't it?" She said. "What made you look away in the first place?"

"Well, I was asking to see if there was anything else I could help you with, since you're still up here." Van Horn paused as he brought the vehicle around a small hillock so that the trailing wagons wouldn't get tipped over. "You didn't answer, so I looked to make sure you were okay."

"Oh, I'm so sorry then," said Alexis. "I was... Well, I was just thinking, and sometimes I stop paying attention to people around me when I do so."

Van Horn chuckled a bit. "That's quite all right. I do that sometimes, and so do many people I know. We just do it quite so often." Van Horn said the last with a change in the pitch of his voice to tease the young gatón.

Alexis chuckled at that. "I suppose I do that often. It's just that there's been so much to think about lately..." Her voice trailed off as the memories came unbidden to her mind.

Van Horn decided to try and steer the conversation to a different topic. "Anyway," he said, risking a quick glance to make sure Alexis was paying attention. "Anyway, seriously, is there anything else I can help you with? Does anyone need to stop?"

She shook her head. "No, we're all fine in that regard. But what I was thinking was about your language."

"My what? Have I been vulgar?"

Alexis chuckled at the stricken sound of van Horn's voice. "No, nothing like that. What I meant is, your native language. I was wondering... Well, if you have any time, perhaps you could teach some of it to me?"

Van Horn didn't reply for a time, busy as he was slowing the vehicle as the caravan came to another stop. This one seemed like a planned stop, as it was about time for lunch and the wagons and carts ahead were pulling into a series of loose, concentric circles inside of a small clearing. But it wasn't just the driving delaying van Horn's response. _Why does her request give me a feeling of caution?_ He asked himself as he slowly brought the _Darter_ to a stop. _It's not like I haven't told them all sorts of things already. What can a little English do?_ Yet he still felt trepid at the thought of teaching Alexis some English.

However, even as the _Darter_ slowed he grasped an idea. _Maybe because, until now, all I've told them is basic stuff, none of which they can really use. English is something they _can_ use, something they can learn and spread. By teaching her some English, I might do more cultural damage than the entire Blakest army._

"Is everything alright?" Alexis asked from her seat. Van Horn sighed and turned around after putting the parking brake on. He was dead set on telling her 'no' until he saw the curious, open expression on her face. _Damnit! Does she _have _to look like an adorable cat when she's asking?_ Van Horn, having always had a soft spot for animals, found his resolve slipping. _Aw, what the hell. Not like things haven't already hit the fan_. "No, nothing is wrong, I was just thinking about it."

"So, your answer?" Alexis asked.

Van Horn sighed and replied. "Alright, I guess when I'm not busy I can try to teach you. But I'm not a linguist, so don't expect miracles from me." He smirked a bit at the last few words.

Alexis, on the other hand, let a smile spread along her muzzle, and the way her tail perked up also confirmed her pleasure. "Thank you!" She said. "I find it fascinating to learn new words. That's one of the reasons I liked to learn Lupari from the Shaman."

Van Horn nodded at that. "It's always good to have curiosity about things. But now," he stood. "We should see to lunch. Please go and see who's hungry, and I'll go get someone to bring food."

Alexis nodded and stood as well. "That sounds like a good idea. Excuse me." She turned and went towards the back, leaving van Horn to himself. Letting out a sigh, he opened the side door and stepped outside.

The midday sun beat through the clearing in the forest canopy, causing van Horn to break out in a sweat almost as soon as he stepped outside. The sun of Bowman's Planet was a G9V type star, larger and hotter than Earth's own sun. Although the planet was farther away from it's parent star than Terra was to Sol, it still made for a warmer, steamier climate. Although the natives hardly noticed this as they grew up on the planet, van Horn found the climate sweltering during the day. He much preferred the cooler, smaller G0V star that his home planet of Desmonde orbited.

He mentally shrugged at this as he walked towards the 'chuck wagon.' Of course, the natives didn't call it that, since that was an old Terran custom, but they did acknowledge the need for some dedicated food facilities. In this case, it was a lupar wagon that had been recovered from the attack. As van Horn approached it, he noticed the signs of that assault in the slightly burnt wheels and a small piece of the roof that had been shot off. It was nothing that one couldn't get used to, but something you could notice if you bothered to look.

Already a pair of lines were forming, one at the rear and one at the side where a hole had been cut out to serve people from. Van Horn slowed as he approached, not wanting to disturb the natives. The latter certainly didn't seem too welcoming as they glanced furtively at the human with suspicions in their eyes.

Van Horn sighed as he saw this, and decided to instead go and talk to the convoy leaders. Predictably, the lupar and gatón had had disagreements over who should lead, until Shaman Forbasa and Tiana Farkas had stepped in and settled the debate by announcing that they had already decided to share leadership.

Because of this, they rode together at the head of the caravan in the Farkas family wagon, which had survived by dint of its being one of the furthest away from the center of their old camp at Kuamket. Van Horn hadn't seen it much before, but he headed that way now, intent to ask for help in getting food for the injured that had been trusted to his care.

The walk was a short one, and soon van Horn strode up to the front of the wagon, where he waved to Tiana; the only one sitting there. "Hello, Mrs. Farkas." He said to her. "I would like to speak to the shaman, or you, if he is unavailable."

The middle-aged lupar smiled down at van Horn as she climbed down from her seat. "And why do you wish so?" She asked.

"Well, it's lunch time, and the folks in my vehicle are probably going to be as hungry as anyone else. So I wondered if you or maybe Forbasa could get someone to help me carry some food in for them."

Tiana tilted her head in a human-like gesture, but her right ear went down in a motion that was decidedly un-human. Clearly, though, she seemed confused. "I don't understand, couldn't you get someone to help you? I didn't think everyone would be too busy."

Van Horn just shook his head. "It's not that. I just... Feel uncomfortable around everyone here. I don't think they trust me, so I'm kind of unsure of how to ask politely without rousing their anger."

"Anger? Oh, you mean over the differences?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. I am just not sure how to... Interact properly."

Tiana shrugged in a human-like gesture. "Well, if you wish, I can get my lazy Pavlo to help you if you wish." She said this with a wolfish grin, made almost sinister to human eyes by the way it revealed the fangs at the front of her mouth. Van Horn, however, had grown used to such displays. He chuckled at the tone of her voice. "Perhaps. I had, in fact, hoped to find him here. I was hoping he'd appreciate the chance to visit with his brothers."

Tiana's grin widened into a full smile, and her tail wagged a bit in a fashion that van Horn found eerily similar to a dog's. He made a conscious decision to ignore it, however, and concentrated on Tiana as she replied. "That is kind of you. I am sure he would like that chance, though his stomach has gotten the better of him and he left for the food wagon just before you came up."

Van Horn frowned slightly. "Really? I didn't see him as I walked up."

She chuckled. "He can be quick and stealthy when food is at hand, always has since he was little." Shaking her head in mock exasperation, she motioned with her right arm towards the food wagon. "Perhaps we should both go and find him. Besides, I am a bit hungry myself."

Van Horn gave her a smile. "Sounds like a good idea." He then bowed slightly and took a step back, motioning with his right arm across his abdomen. "After you."

With another smile, Tiana nodded and started off, with van Horn soon catching up to walk beside her. They walked for a moment before van Horn, his curiosity piqued, decided to ask a question. "If you don't mind my asking, Mrs. Farkas, just how was it like to raise your little hellions?" He grinned a bit to show he was in jest.

He almost regretted asking, as although the lupar's face was different from a human's, he was sure he saw joy and sorrow war on her features. Then her face settled into a look of quiet contentment. "It was, rewarding, to say the least. They all gave me problems, but I regret not a moment, even after their father... Passed on."

Van Horn's face grew somber. "You have my sympathies, as belated as they are."

Tiana nodded. "Thank you, but it was long ago. Still, that is what the clan is for, and though I worked hard, my children were always taken care of." She broke off as they approached the lines at the food wagon. "Should we look for Pavlo now, or try to eat first?" She asked.

Van Horn decided that the change of topic was a good idea. "I think we should drag your son away from stuffing his mouth." He replied bemusedly. He then went on in a more serious vein. "Besides, the ones riding in the back of my _Darter_ could use some food more than any of us out here."

She nodded at that. "Indeed. Then we should not tarry." She then put two fingers to the tip of her muzzle, and made a whistle that, due to the shape of her mouth, had a strange pitch that made van Horn shudder a bit. The gatón didn't like it either and shuddered as well, but it got the job done. Pavlo stuck his head up from where he had been bent over a small wooden plate, his muzzle dripping a bit with some of the mush that was reminiscent of mashed potatoes; a surprised look was on his face.

Van Horn tried desperately to keep from laughing. The whistle used to get Pavlo's attention, along with the comical appearance of the lupar suddenly struck him with the mental image of calling home a wayward dog. Fortunately, the moment passed as Pavlo wiped off his mouth and handed the plate to a gatón that was working at the wagon. The young lupar then passed through the crowd quickly and reached the two in a few moments. "Uhm, you called, mother?"

"Yes I did. I want you to help Vanhorn here to carry some food over to the wounded in his wagon."

Pavlo looked a bit disappointed at the interruption of his meal, but raised no complaints. He just nodded and replied. "Of course."

Van Horn grinned a bit. "Good. Now, perhaps we should cut the line and talk to the cooks directly?"

Tiana mirrored her son's nod. "That sounds good, and I'm sure no one will mind, once you explain the reason. In the meantime, I must leave you two and see to some other matters." With another nod she turned and walked off, leaving the two males to stand-alone.

Pavlo shook his head in much the same manner as his mother did when talking about him earlier. "And I was enjoying that food, too." He chuckled.

Van Horn chuckled a bit as well as he led Pavlo to walk towards the wagon. "Well, I'm sure there will be more left after we're done here."

The two moved to the wagon, cutting in line. This raised some protests until it was explained why they were there. Once word got around, some gatón and lupar even came up to offer their help. Van Horn was grateful for the extra help, as it would mean that they would make fewer trips. Still, he only picked out two more to help, a gatón male and a lupar female, neither of which he knew but they, of course, knew him.

Carrying two wooden platters each, covered with the potato look alike and some small cuts of meat, the four set off to reach the _Darter_. Van Horn in particular was eager to get back, worried as he was that someone might do something with the equipment in there, despite his warnings. _Or perhaps because of them, since they're so human-like_.

About fifteen meters from the vehicle, the lupar and gatón froze. Van Horn moved forward a few steps before he noticed they had stopped moving. Turning around, he gave the trio a quizzical look. "What's up?"

"Don't you hear that?" Asked the single gatón who identified himself as Zanar. "It sounds like danier."

"What?" Van Horn was confused, until he began to hear the noise. He recognized it from audio recordings that occasionally caught the movements of herds of a veriform horse native to the planet. Suddenly, the camp was in chaos as the natives began to run back to their wagons and carts. From at the opposite end of the temporary camp came the beasts, and atop them, gatón riders.

Realization set in just in time for van Horn, as he dropped the plates of food and leaped out to pull down Pavlo and female lupar beside him. He managed to get them all to the ground, and was reaching to pull Zanar down by the leg when the first arrows flew at them. The young gatón wasn't out of the way when the arrows reached the group, and he took one to the meat of his left arm. Screaming in agony, he fell to the ground and gripped his injured arm with his right hand and writhed on the ground.

Van Horn looked out and saw a rider coming at them. Unfortunately, his weapons were back in his vehicle, and so he had little to do in which to defend himself and the others. A sudden idea of desperation grabbed at his consciousness and, twisting about as the rider closed the distance, he grabbed one of the serving platters and flung it up in an arc that would meet the rider head on.

Unprepared for such an unusual attack, the rider tried to pull back on the reins to avoid the platter and the globs of food that flew at him. However, all that did was to startle the animal he rode as its attention suddenly was divided between the flying objects and the pull on its head. With a sound that van Horn took to be it's trademark noise, the animal reared back, dumping the stirrup less rider off its back and ran off perpendicular to its original path.

Seeing that the other riders seemed busy trying to aim arrows at the denizens of the caravan while trying to avoid counter fire from within the wagons, van Horn and Pavlo leaped up, the latter running for the dumped rider, and the former turning to sprint for his vehicle.

Alexis sat in the back with Mikula and his brother Kanu. The two talked to each other about small things, comparing sword techniques and the like. None of which interested her, and many of the others were not in a mood to talk, anyway.

In the back compartment of the converted _Darter_ rode the brothers, Alexis, and ten of the more wounded victims of the attack. Although Mikula had tried to insist on staying out with the family wagon on account that he wasn't hurt too bad, he was overridden by Forbasa, who had noted that having him and Alexis in with the wounded would help the other wounded stay calm in such an alien environment as van Horn's scout car.

Initially a bit put off, Mikula warmed up as he could catch up with his older brother and distract them both from the events of the past few weeks. However, it was a bit boring to Alexis, despite the times she spent talking to the other gatón and lupar in the compartment. For some reason, those conversations she had with them weren't as satisfying as some of the talks she had had with Mikula in the past.

A bit of movement caught her eye, and she broke off her thoughts to focus in. She saw young Soru shifting in his sleep again. He had recovered a bit since his near-fatal wounding, and even had attained consciousness at times. However, he was still badly burned, and so the few times he had awakened he had fallen back under soon after.

Moving over to where the burned gatón lay, Alexis gingerly kneeled down next to him in case he should awaken again. He did not do so, although he tossed a few more times before settling down. Alexis felt a pang of sorrow and guilt over the wounds that had been inflicted upon Soru. She gently moved her right hand down and gently touched some of the bandages covering the burnt side of his face to make sure they were still keeping his wounds protected as they healed. She then checked the other bandages covering the worst injured parts of his body.

"How is he?" Came a familiar voice. Alexis turned around to see Mikula and Kanu watching her, along with the few others who were awake. A nod of her head relieved the looks of concern on their faces. "He's fine. Just a little tossing." She stood up and took a step into the middle of the compartment, or as close as she could get with the equipment racks in the way. Mindful of said racks, she stretched out her limbs as much as she could. "My, I need to get out. Do you think you boys could take care of yourselves for a little bit?" She asked in a sweet voice.

Kanu grinned, but Mikula had on a full smile and replied for the both of them. "I think we can manage for a bit. While you're out, you can see what's taking so long with the food."

Kanu rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twisted up a bit in a smirk. "Listen to you. You sound as bad as Pavlo!"

Mikula leaned back in mock astonishment. "Me? Why, such nerve, especially since you're the one who snuck the wopa treats from the cupboard when we were kids."

Alexis chuckled and walked out before Kanu could reply, knowing that she could easily become entranced with their conversation. She moved into the main compartment and took a second to collect her thoughts. That was hard enough to do with the smells of lunch wafting in through the open door, causing Alexis' stomach to rumble.

Suddenly, she realized that the rumbling she was hearing wasn't just her stomach. Shouts and noises of all kinds came from outside, causing her to move cautiously towards the door to see what was going on. Alexis was startled as the noise of a danier and a muted thump came from just outside. Before she could work up the courage to look out, van Horn came into the _Darter_ in a half-roll necessitated by his not stopping to ascend the steps from the ground.

"What's going on?" She asked in gatonese.

Van Horn replied as he got up on two feet and quickly moved to a cabinet hanging over the starboard wall. "We're under attack! Some sort of bandits it looks like."

Alexis gasped involuntarily. "What?! But almost no one comes this deep in the forest, that's why we came this way!"

"Well, tell that to the people dying out there." Van Horn's remarks were punctuated with the cries of a gatón being suddenly silenced. Van Horn, his training taking over, paid it no heed as he entered the code to unlock his weapons. Once the cabinet door swung out and open, he reached in and pulled out the Intek laser rifle and his M-1911/2985 .45 caliber pistol. A quick check of both and he snapped the pistol holster to his belt and pulled the rifle close to his chest so he could move quickly without hitting anything.

Van Horn then turned to face Alexis. She was startled at the look in his eyes, the look of a hunter. "Stay inside, don't come out until I come in for you or until a day has passed. I'll close the door behind me. You can open it with the red knob there." Van Horn pointed at the indicated control as he spoke the clipped words. Without a pause, he turned and went to the door, pausing only to look around to make sure that the immediate area was clear. Satisfied, he moved out, pressing the door close button as he left.

Alexis could only stare open-mouthed as the door closed, cutting off all sounds from outside. Looking forward through the view ports, she saw gatón riders launching arrows at various caravan travelers. Although some perverse part of her wanted to stay and watch, the rest of her realized that she should tell Mikula and the others in the back. Turning quickly away from the carnage, she rushed into the back compartment.

The others were immediately alarmed. "What is it?" Mikula asked as soon as he saw the stricken look on Alexis' face.

"We're under attack by bandits!" She said, some of her adrenaline rush seeping into her speech.

"What?!" Mikula stood up, but then had to sit down again with a grunt. He had forgotten to use his cane and his leg was still not in top shape.

"Vanhorn came in and told me just before he left. He said for us to stay inside until he comes to get us."

Mikula looked pained as he grabbed for his cane. "I won't stay here while we're under attack, not while I can help." He stood a bit shakily, the pain of his previous attempt to stand up not completely faded.

"How can you help, Mikula, if you're gripping your cane?" Kanu's surprisingly calm voice cut through the tension in the air. "You can't hold a sword like that, and I don't think a dagger will be much use if you're not mobile enough to fight properly with it."

Mikula turned and gave his brother an angry look. "I can't stay here. I swore a lifedebt to the Shaman and I won't betray it with the excuse that I'm wounded!"

"Then you'll repay that debt by dying meaninglessly? For that's what will happen if you go outside and fight on a wounded leg!" Kanu responded, his voice rising to match Mikula's.

Alexis, meanwhile, was uneasily quiet, unsure of what to say as the two argued. However, Kanu's last reply caught her thoughts and wouldn't let go. _No, I don't want him to die!_ Then a sudden thought occurred to her. "Mikula, as I recall, you promised a life debt to the Shaman, Soru and I."

This caught Mikula up short. "Yes, I did. Which is why I must go and protect the Shaman!"

"Yes, but if you go out there, who will protect me and Soru?" Her quiet, pleading voice stopped Mikula's response in its tracks long enough for him to think. "Wha-what? But, this wagon, it's very protected-"

"But what about afterwards? What if most of them outside are killed? All that would protect us then would be you, Mikula. What good is it to die for your debt if you end up reneging it because you weren't around when we really needed you?" Alexis' voice took on an almost desperate tinge as she pleaded with Mikula.

The young lupar, for his part, was completely without words. _She's right; you can't leave them behind, charging blindly and not thinking of the future. Who will protect them if things go bad?_ Mikula found himself battered mentally by Alexis' and Kanu's arguments, and all he could do was sit down again, hanging his head low and drooping his tail around his right side.

Alexis, for her part, felt immense relief when she saw Mikula sit down. She almost immediately chastised herself, however, as she realized that others may not be so lucky outside.

_Dear God, please protect them_.

Van Horn dropped to the ground outside the _Darter_ as the door closed behind him. Ahead, he saw Pavlo just getting up from the downed gatón rider. Blood dripped from the lupar's jaws as he got into a crouching position. Apparently, the bandit had put up a fight for the bow and arrows Pavlo now held.

Van Horn didn't particularly care at the moment as another bandit rider came at them a bit, then halted his mount and loosed an arrow at the female lupar that had crawled from her initial spot on the ground to take cover by the front left wheel of the _Darter_. She flinched and rolled back behind the rubber tire, which took the arrow without any noticeable effect. Van Horn, meanwhile, had primed the laser rifle and had pulled it to his shoulder. Zeroing in on the rider's torso, he pulled the trigger.

It is a common misconception that one can see a laser beam in mid air, especially weapons-grade lasers. A laser is, by its very nature, so focused that to actually 'see' a laser beam is to have it enter your eye dead on... And then proceed to blind or kill you.

However, modern combat lasers do leave a trail through the air, which gives the illusion of seeing the laser beam itself. It is formed from the various detritus that floats through any normal atmosphere - such as bacteria, viruses, and dust - as it absorbs a bit of the beam. As the light demolecularizes the detritus, thermal energy is released in the form of infrared radiation, which causes the air itself to glow for a fraction of a second. This thermal trail is accompanied by a bit of light that is reflected by the particles in the air, which leaves a retinal 'ghost' in an observer's vision, further enhancing the illusion of seeing a laser's 'beam.'

It was this illusion that allowed van Horn to see his shot hit over the left chest of the gatón bandit, burning a hole through the leather armor he wore and exploding his heart inside his chest. The now-lifeless body slumped over on its side and rolled off the danier and hit the ground with a hollow thump.

Pavlo turned in surprise, not having seen a laser in use before. Van Horn, however, paid no attention as he again aimed at a bandit, this time killing one that was dismounted and was trying to sack an unattended cart. A single shot to the head dispatched the pillager, but also alerted a fiend nearby.

"Demon! Demon! They have a demon with them!" The cry came in gatonese, but van Horn understood it. _Time to move_. Standing up, he sprinted to take cover behind the wheel of a lupar wagon ahead and to the left of his own vehicle. A pair of arrows impacted the ground near him as he ran, but he wasn't hurt.

Then one of the mounted archers that launched those arrows was himself hit by an arrow in his chest. Van Horn spared a glance to see Pavlo sprinting, a bow in his hand and a grim smile on his bloodstained face. The young lupar joined van Horn at the wagon's wheel.

"Good job." Van Horn said as he leaned around the wheel and took aim, stabbing another pulse of coherent light out at the enemy. This time he missed, but he took comfort in the fact that the bandit raiders were confused and demoralized by his weaponry and, hopefully, by his appearance. They had stopped attacking the other caravan occupants directly, and were trying to form up into some semblance of a military formation.

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself with that weapon of yours." Pavlo said to van Horn as he leaned out and loosed an arrow, missing as well. A snarl escaped his lips. "Damn, this bow is too small!"

"Well, they are gatón raiders, after all." Van Horn replied with the calm that comes to men in battle. He then lay down on the ground to give his rifle clearance from the front lip of the wagon, just barely missing the beasts of burden that fidgeted in front. A quick aim allowed him to shoot another raider in the head, which then exploded messily as the laser converted body water to vapor.

That seemed to break the will of the bandits, who then began to ride away in every direction. Pavlo loosed an arrow at one as he passed. It missed the rider, but it hit his mount, causing the beast to fall to the ground, spilling its rider along the way. However, the rider managed an acrobatic roll that brought him away from the beast, keeping him from being trapped underneath the thrashing animal.

The bandit recovered quickly, and brought up his bow and notched an arrow as Pavlo was struggling to do the same, fighting against the small nature of the weapon. However, as the enemy brought up his weapon, van Horn pulled his pistol from its holster and brought it around. The world seemed to slow to van Horn as he raced to shoot first. Luck was on his side, though, as he pulled his trigger just as the bandit was pulling back his bow. With a loud report that could be heard throughout the small demi-camp, a .45 caliber slug left the barrel of van Horn's pistol and crossed over to impact the upper chest of the gatón, tearing through the heart and exiting through the spine before hitting the armor on the _Darter_ and ricocheting to embed in the ground. A brief splash of gore came from the wounds as the body flopped backwards to rest on the ground.

Then it was quiet, or getting so, as the noises of the riders' mounts faded into the distance. Van Horn and Pavlo crawled out from underneath the wagon, weapons up and ready. However, they saw no one but a few other caravan members, all carrying bows or swords of some type. Several had taken arrows, but were obviously not mortally wounded. Then they noticed the bodies on the ground. Some moved, some didn't.

Van Horn lowered his rifle and shook his head. "I'd better get what's left of the medikits." He said solemnly and turned to walk towards his vehicle. Along the way, he checked each of the three dead raider bodies nearby to ensure they were indeed dead, noting that one had a rather nasty bite taken out from his neck. Van Horn shivered then, as the realization of what Pavlo did sunk in. He forced himself, however, to continue on. _It is kill or be killed in this universe, and those bandits wouldn't have hesitated to kill me or Pavlo or anyone else in this group_. As trite as it seemed, it was enough to calm and steady van Horn as he opened up his vehicle and took the first steps towards helping the injured.


	10. Chapter 10

It was several hours into the night before van Horn got to rest. Those who weren't wounded in the attack or helping the same had spent much of their time arranging the wagons and carts in a protective circle. Van Horn himself had spent much of his time trying to desperately remember the medic training from his infantry days and using the last of the medikits in his _Darter_ to help as many as he could.

Now he sat down by his vehicle, leaning against the tire that still had an arrow stuck in it from earlier. Only the small fires broke the darkness under the canopy that the caravan members had build near the center of the camp. Shadows cast by the fire flickered back and forth with the flames, making the undersides of the trees appear to be an ever-changing ocean of orangish-green and black.

It was this apparition that van Horn stared up at as he tried to get some sort of control over his emotions. The aftermath of the attack had seen six more people dead, four gatón and two lupar. Many more were injured to one point or another, including Tiana Farkas, who had been just outside the camp when the riders had came. An arrow had hit her shoulder, narrowly missing any bones, but it had deeply embedded itself into her flesh. Van Horn shuddered as the memory of digging into her flesh with his knife so he could take out the arrowhead. _Battlefield medicine seldom is._

A snap of a twig came from nearby. Van Horn, tense from the day's event, pushed off from the ground without thinking, rolled into a kneeling position facing the sound and drawing his pistol to aim at the offender. He lowered it, however, when he saw Alexis standing there, mouth agape.

He shook his head as he stood up and holstered the pistol. "Sorry, Alexis, but you startled me."

Alexis' ears and her tail relaxed from the positions they had taken by instinct. She willed herself to relax a bit before answering the human. "I am sorry, Vanhorn. I didn't mean to offend. I simply wanted to know if you wanted some food now, since you seemed to have not eaten all day." She held up the platter of food she was carrying to illustrate.

Van Horn's face split in to a small smile. "Indeed. But I hope you brought enough for those inside, because I won't eat until they get some."

Alexis looked horrified as her ears went back and her tail curled. "You mean that no one else has brought any food?"

Confused, van Horn dropped the grin and shrugged. "I do not know, actually. I've been so busy lately that I only just now had some time to sit and rest. I haven't checked on them inside." He frowned a bit. "Perhaps we had better check."

With that van Horn walked and pressed his hand against the gray panel next to the door. He had reconfigured it to accept simple pressure as a key to open, as opposed to the necessity of his handprint. Out of habit, though, he still pressed his palm flat against the plate and waited as the door opened.

With the usual hiss of hydraulics, the door opened out and up. Standing aside for a moment, van Horn then climbed into the vehicle, moving slowly in his tired state. Once at the top, he turned around and offered his hand to Alexis, who gladly took it, as she needed one hand to hold the food platter, and so needed some help getting herself up into the vehicle.

The front cabin was a mess of empty medikit boxes and some undershirts of van Horn's that he had shredded pieces from to create makeshift field dressings. Sitting alone in one of the side chairs was Tiana Farkas herself. "Hello." She greeted the newcomers.

"Hello," replied van Horn. "We came in to see if anyone here needs some food." He gestured to Alexis, who held the platter up to show off the small pile of meat slices and the mashed potato look-alike.

Tiana gave a little smile, although it was pained. Her shoulder was still wrapped up in torn white cloth that was stained red near the middle, and it apparently still hurt. Still, she tried her best to keep the pain out of her voice. "Actually, yes. Just ten minutes ago Pavlo and a nice young lady came in with some food platters like the one Alexis is carrying. In fact, I believe they're still in the back with the others."

Alexis smiled a bit at that. "Good. Not that I didn't care for the others here, but I brought this for Vanhorn, since he's been so busy."

"Indeed. But I should think there's enough for another if you haven't eaten yet, Mrs. Farkas." Van Horn said with a small grin of his own.

Tiana shook her head. "I don't need anything."

Van Horn's smile died at that. "Have you eaten anything at all?"

Tiana Frowned. "I have not felt like it."

"Feeling like it or not, you must eat to heal." Van Horn's voice carried in it the stern note of a doctor or parent addressing someone who wasn't doing what he or she was supposed to do.

Tiana's ears twitched back, then forward in irritation. "I have not been hurt that bad. I can wait until others have eaten."

"Others have eaten, mother." Pavlo said this as he strode from the back, carrying another wooden platter. Behind him came the young female lupar that had offered her help earlier in the day to carry food to the injured. They both held empty food platters in their arms. Pavlo then spoke again. "I think there is more than enough to go around. Please, eat."

Tiana heard the pleading tone in her son's voice. With a sigh, she nodded her head. "Alright." She turned to van Horn before speaking next. "I still don't think I could eat all of that. I'd be happy if you'd share."

Van Horn's face again split into a grin. "I'd be honored. Just let me get something from the back first. Alexis," he turned to the young gatón. "Please leave the plate down on the counter by Mrs. Farkas. I'll be right back." He turned then and walked towards the rear compartment, passing through the door after squeezing past Pavlo and the other lupar.

Through the door, he passed by the racks of equipment, reaching the empty space at the rear of the vehicle where the injured sat or lay down. Most were asleep with the soporific tendencies of excitement and food combining to send them to sleep.

A few weren't asleep, though. Mikula and Forbasa looked up from where they and sat. They were next to the injured Soru, who was awake again, with Forbasa on the left and Mikula on the right of the young gatón, with the former holding the wounded youth's right hand. The look on the burned face of the young gatón male was enough to make van Horn's heart ache with the need to help. _But I cannot. We've already used up all the medicine, and I've run out of the little medical knowledge I was taught._

Forbasa noticed the pained look that crossed van Horn's face. He followed the human's line of sight and realized it was concern over Soru that pained him. _He cares so much, even for those who are so very different._ Forbasa then remembered that Soru hadn't really met van Horn, since the few times he'd been awake, van Horn had carefully stayed away to keep the shock of his appearance from causing repercussions with Soru's recovery.

However, they needn't have been too concerned. Soru simply took the appearance of the human in stride. "Is this... The one... Who helped?" Came the words, slurred as they were with pain and the fact that part of Soru's muzzle was burned badly.

Forbasa turned back to look into Soru's eyes. "Yes. His name is Vanhorn. He helped treat you."

The wounded gatón looked at van Horn, causing a chill to go down the human's back. "Thank... you." Soru said, then he sighed and closed his eyes.

Van Horn started forward, worried that something was wrong, but Mikula looked up and held out a hand. "It's okay, he just passed out." He said quietly, not wishing to disturb Soru or the other wounded from their sleep.

Van Horn just nodded quietly and crossed over to kneel beside Mikula so he could take a look at Soru's bandages, which only took a second. Satisfied they were still holding up well, van Horn stood up again with a sigh. "I wish I could do more for him, but I've exhausted the limits of my resources."

"You've done a tremendous amount already, Vanhorn. You have saved his life, I am sure of that." Forbasa replied as he softly placed Soru's hand down on the wounded gatón's chest. He then began to stand up, and van Horn reached out a hand to help, which Forbasa gratefully took. "And again, you help." The latter said with a ghost of a grin on his muzzle.

Van Horn shrugged as he released Forbasa's hand. "I still wish I could do more. The thing of it is-" He paused and offered his hand to Mikula, as the latter also decided to stand. However, Mikula just waved him away, preferring to rely on his cane. With a shrug, van Horn continued. "The thing is, I know that these injured could be much better taken care of if only I could get a message to my people." He gave another sigh. "Yet, I cannot get such a message through until they arrive nearby. And I don't know when that'll be."

Forbasa shrugged as he maneuvered around an equipment rack, intending to leave out through the front. "Then we must make do. Such it has always been with my people."

"And mine." Said Mikula to van Horn. "We can hardly blame you for things beyond your control."

Van Horn shook his head as he reached for the rack where he had set some plastic utensils from one of his spent MREs. "I know, but it still pains me to be so damn helpless." Grabbing the utensils, he turned to follow Forbasa out through the door to the front. "I was trained as an M.I. Trooper, and we always prefer to act rather to stand by."

Mikula canted his head slightly, but said nothing. _I'm getting so used to Vanhorn saying things that don't make sense that I actually don't feel like asking about them._ A slight chuckle escaped the lupar's lips as he followed the other two out through the doorway.

This prompted a quizzical look from the others up front. Mikula smiled embarrassedly, his ears pulling down a bit and his tail curling. "Sorry, jut had a strange thought. Where are Pavlo and Venya?"

"Venya?" Alexis asked quizzically from where she had taken a seat across from Tiana. Although directed at Mikula, it was his mother that answered. "He means Pavlo's friend." She then turned to face the three who had come from the rear compartment. "They left to take care of some errands I wanted them to do for me."

Forbasa nodded. "Indeed. I would like to stay and chat, but I am afraid that I have become rather tired. If you all will excuse me?"

They all murmured assent, although Alexis spoke up. "Would you, ah, like any help shaman?"

Forbasa grinned at his young protégé. "I could use a hand to get down, my dear, but after that I shall be fine." Walking over to the doorway, he began to climb out backwards, with Alexis leaning out to help him to support himself.

After Forbasa left, Alexis turned back to the others. "I think I had better leave anyway. There are not enough seats out here."

Van Horn gave a dismissing wave of his hand. "It's fine, Alexis. I can sit down at the driver's seat, or on the floor, since Pavlo and his friend left one of their platters for me to use. That way me and Mrs. Farkas need not have to lean over the same plate."

They all shared a soft chuckle at that. "Very well, I thank you." Alexis replied and went to sit down at the empty chair near the one Mikula had appropriated.

Tiana smiled a bit, and then turned to van Horn. "Well, since you'll have a different, plate, please take what you need from mine." She pushed the wooden platter over the counter towards van Horn.

"Thank you, madam." Van Horn said with a smile. He grabbed the extra platter and used the plastic spoon in his hand to shovel some of the potato look-alike onto it, then switched to a plastic fork and picked up some of the meat slices. "This certainly smells good," he said as he picked up the plate and walked over to the driver's seat and sat down.

Tiana grinned a bit. "Yes, tauk meat and forjo root are always a good meal to have." She then turned and, despite her shoulder, bent down to the plate, taking up a small portion of the forjo into her mouth with her tongue.

Van Horn shook his head as he used his spoon to get a bit of the same root up to his mouth. "I'll never get used to seeing you all eating that way." He said and then popped the food into his mouth. _Hmm, looks like mashed potatoes, but tastes more like a mix between grits and yams_.

Mikula chuckled as van Horn took the time to savor the bite. "And I don't think many of us will get used to those little eating tools you use. A knife I can see, but little pitchforks and some cup-shaped thing? Seems silly to me. Uh, no offense."

Van Horn shook his head, but finished chewing and swallowing before he responded. "No offense taken. Just I'm not built with claws and long mouths like yours." He said with a grin.

Alexis and Mikula chuckled, and Tiana spared a second from eating to flash a grin. They then went on eating for a few minutes quietly, with Alexis and Mikula remaining quiet so as to not disturb the two eaters.

Van Horn realized this after devouring half the food on his plate. "You know, you two don't have to stay here. I'm sure me and Mrs. Farkas can take care of ourselves."

Mikula smiled and shook his head. "I'm still injured, so I don't think I can ride anywhere else."

Alexis nodded. "No, you shouldn't." She turned to van Horn. "And I simply wanted to sit around and enjoy some company, and I'm too tired to get up right now." She admitted with her own weak smile, and her tail curling down a bit.

Van Horn grinned in reply. "Well, that's fine then. I just thought you two might be bored listening to me and Mrs. Farkas over there eat."

Tiana looked up at that, and used her good arm to wipe some food from her chin. "I agree, though I wish you'd stop calling me that all the time, Vanhorn. My name is Tiana." A small smirk pulled on the right side of her face.

Van Horn chuckled. "Very well, Tiana. And you, all of you, don't have to call me by my last name all the time either."

Tiana looked up. "Really? I thought that was your only name?"

Mikula smiled. "No, mother, we just call him that for the same reason he keeps calling you 'Mrs. Farkas.' Out of respect."

Van Horn nodded. "Indeed your son is right Mrs.- Tiana. My name is Earl, and you can address me as such."

"Errr-al?" Tiana said unsurely.

Van Horn smiled wide. "No, just a short 'r' sound. Earl."

"Earl. I like this name. 'Tis a strong name." Tiana said with a smile.

Van Horn laughed a bit, then shook his head and bent over to use the plastic knife and fork to try and cut into the meat on his plate. _Damn plastic crap. Wish I had my usual flatware from the bunker_. After a minute, he got frustrated. "Ahh, screw it." He said in English, and simply picked up the slice of meat in his left hand and sunk his teeth into it, tearing a bite from the cooked muscle and chewed it with a satisfied look on his face.

The natives in the compartment chuckled together. "Looks like you eat like us on occasion, eh?" Mikula asked from his seat.

Van Horn just shrugged and finished chewing and swallowing before replying. "Sometimes. In fact, there are some types of food you can only eat just with your hands." He grinned. "It's kinda fun that way."

They all shared a light chuckle at that, and then van Horn and Tiana went back to eating. It was quiet until they finished. "That was very good." Remarked van Horn as he stood and walked over to set his plate on the counter near where Tiana had left her now-empty plate.

"Indeed it was. Although I hope our food will last long enough until we get to Hercor."

Alexis tilted her head at that. "Hercor? I've not heard of that place. Besides, I thought we were heading for Rewao?"

"We were, until today." Tiana remarked grimly. "When Forbasa was in here earlier, we talked. Hercor is a small lupar town just three days from here. We hope to barter for food supplies that we lost in the attack, and medicine for our wounded."

Mikula frowned. "Is that wise, mother? We have been attacked by the 'Wobbies' before at Kuamket. Would not Hercor be a likely target for them given its closeness to Tanzano and Kuamket?"

Although asked of Tiana, it was van Horn who commented. "Perhaps not. The Wobbies cannot simply flatten every township and city around. That would defeat their purpose here. No, more likely they attacked Kuamket and Tanzano to spread the word that they _can_ do something like that if they feel like it. That way, people are scared into helping them."

Mikula frowned. "That seems like a strange way to operate."

Van Horn shrugged. "It is. It's also why the Wobbies are outcasts from normal society. In any case, so long as we don't make too much of a ruckus at this 'Hercor,' I don't think we should fear a Wobbie attack.

"I am more concerned, however, at the response we might get from the people of Hercor itself. I understand that there is a somewhat strained relationship between the gatón and the lupar, am I right?" Van Horn asked this and looked at the other three, who nodded their heads. "Then in that case, they may react adversely to the gatón in this caravan."

Tiana shook her head. "You are most likely right, but there is little choice. We chose the gatón town of Rewao because gatón, admittedly, are a bit more open minded than my fellow people." She nodded to Alexis, her ears going down a bit in shame. "But that was optimistic. The wagons barely held enough supplies for the trip, and now we've lost much of them. Besides, we can't make good time traveling when the gatón here only have carts and the like. We need more wagons, and although I do not disparage their openness, gatón are not so good at engineering. No offense, Alexis"

Alexis nodded sagely. "None taken. You are correct in every respect." She sighed. "It seems, then, that we must head for Hercor and hope for the best."

Van Horn nodded. "Sometimes, that's all we can do."

It was two days until the caravan left the thickest part of the forest behind and came upon a worn path that led towards the town Hercor. Kanu had heard of the path, as it was one he had traveled once in service to his city's army. Just wide enough to admit the wagons and carts single-file, it made for faster traveling, though it increased the risk of being caught in a bad position for a bandit attack.

However, van Horn had some suggestions that made up for the increased vulnerability. Several volunteers had taken over pure escort duty, walking alongside the caravan, fully equipped for combat. Although it meant less hands to help push along the carts not pulled by pongos, thus making the progress that much slower, it also meant greater protection. Van Horn also had his _Darter_ take up the last position, typically the most dangerous in such organizations.

He was beginning to regret it a bit now, however. The caravan was so slow, he found himself slipping the _Darter_'s transmission into neutral for long periods of time. _If this thing hadn't been retrofitted with a fusion engine, I'd be nervous as hell running like this, wasting fuel_, van Horn thought to himself.

The trip wasn't totally boring, however. Alexis had made him keep his word about teaching her English, and the lessons he was giving her, although not as concise as a dedicated course in a Republic university, were engaging enough that van Horn found himself contented with the state of affairs. Alexis helped this by being an attentive student.

"I aaaam Alexis. I aaam f- F- From Kuamket." Alexis said haltingly in accented English, to which van Horn chuckled. "Very good." He said.

Her right ear flopped down quizzically. "Then why do you laugh?" She asked in gatonese.

Van Horn gave her a smile as he turned the chair back towards the front; the caravan was moving again after a temporary stop. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I really shouldn't laugh, but hearing you try so hard.... It's like me trying to learn your language that it somehow strikes me as amusing. I am sorry, though, it's rude."

Alexis shook her head. "No, it's alright. I suppose I sound kind of silly."

"Still, it's no reason for me to laugh. Anyway," he glanced at her for a second, and then looked back to the road as he continued. "You did pretty okay there, just used the 'aah' sound a little too much and stuttered. But that's nothing major, just practice."

Alexis nodded at that, and thought quietly for a second, turning herself in the passenger seat to look out through the window. A thought struck her. "Van- Earl, right?"

Van Horn chuckled. "Yes, I said it was okay for you to use my given name. You have a question?"

She nodded. "Yes. What is the name for the clear stuff we are looking out of?"

Van Horn sat for a second before responding. "Well, that's hard to explain... See, originally it was just one material called 'glass.'"

"Ga-lass?" Alexis tried her best to imitate the word. Van Horn shook his head in reply. "No, no 'ah' sound before the 'l' sound. Glass."

"Glass." She said the English word with little distortion coming from her differently shaped mouth. This prompted a smile from van Horn. "Yes. That was the original material, and we used it for centuries. Then we found all sorts of... Different materials, made up by our scientists." He used the English word for it, but he had made sure to teach it to Alexis earlier. "So there are many different names now, although we still just say 'glass' when we don't want to be specific."

Alexis nodded at that. She then decided to try a sentence. "I shee out the glass."

Van Horn turned to her as the caravan slowed enough for him to leave the transmission in neutral. "That was very good! Although you still have that tendency to use the 'sh' sound when you don't need it."

Alexis did the gatón equivalent of a blush - her ears flopped down and her tail curled a bit around her ankle. "It's kind of hard, since gatonese uses that sound a lot."

Van Horn kept his smile on as he turned to follow the now-moving caravan. "Well, as I said, it's all practice and memorization. Although," his smile died, "I should warn you again: English is a very strange language. Even those of us born to it often find new nuances to it every day. You shouldn't let it discourage you."

She nodded at that. "I understand. Lupari is similar in some ways to the few words you've mentioned. Perhaps.... Perhaps that's another one of those connections you spoke of to me and Mikula that one time?"

Van Horns nodded and spoke quietly. "Indeed, it most likely is. I can't say more, you know..."

"I know." Alexis said with a small sigh. Then she got a grin on her face. "Teaser."

Van Horn chuckled. "Indeed. Well, perhaps Hercor will provide answers for the both of us then."

"Perhaps." She said wistfully. "I am still, uneasy, over traveling to a lupar town. My people are not always welcomed in such places."

Van Horn nodded as he slowed the _Darter_ to a stop, since the caravan had slowed to move over a small ridgeline. _Look like the trees have been cleared away in some spots. Perhaps we're close?_ He then had a new thought. "Alexis, is the tension between lupar and gatón just 'is,' or is there a reason for it?"

Alexis was quiet for a minute, then spoke quietly. "I am not sure I should tell you. Oh, not that it's something you shouldn't know," she said this last part hurriedly to avoid hurting van Horn's feelings, "But rather, the Shaman would tell it a lot better than I ever could."

Van Horn shook his head, partly at the slow pace the wagons and carts were making up the ridge, and partly at Alexis' self-depreciation. "My dear, I'm sure you'd do a fine job, and probably much better than you think. Please tell me?" He looked to her at this last.

She gave him a smirk. "Very well." She took a breath and composed her thoughts, than started. "Legend has it that our differences began a long time ago, when both lupar and gatón were living together with the Gods in the city of Basun. The stories say that when the Gods departed, an argument arose as to whether gatón or lupar should rule over the city and its inhabitants.

"It was said that a compromise was chosen in that there would be two kings, one from the gatón, one from the lupar, who would jointly rule Basun. Life went on this way for years, until one of the kings got greedy and decided to try and overthrow the other."

Alexis took a second to catch her breath, and to let van Horn start the _Darter_ moving again as the last of the caravan began its trek uphill. "At this point, the legends diverge. The ones that I've learned say that the lupar king was the one who started the fight, but I rather suspect that the lupar have the gatón king being the instigator."

A chuckle escaped van Horn's lips. "I'd suspect you're right. But I'm interrupting. Please, carry on; You're doing a good job."

Alexis smiled. "Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh, right. So after the inevitable power struggle, both gatón and lupar left the city in droves, never to return. There are other stories, of course, on how we've fought each other. But I believe that the story of how we left Basun is the main focus of our ire for each other."

Van Horn nodded. "You're probably right. Whether or not the stories are true, just having them is an-" His words cut off as the scout car crested the ridge after the caravan. Alexis, too, stared in awe at the image before them.

The ridge led down to ground that was lower than the trail they had just traversed, and it lowered still in a gentle slope that merged onto a large plain. Fingers of the forest they were leaving reached out on either side, neatly framing the spectacle of the Hercor Township and the farms that served it.

It stood on a tall, rocky mesa that rose a good thirty meters above the glistening green plain below. Paths had been cut along the sides to admit wagons and such, and there were buildings along the base of the mesa, indicating the town had grown beyond the top of the rock. The backdrop of the scene was against a series of low-slung mountains reminiscent of the Terran Appalachians, their slopes covered with verdant green forests. A small river cut its way from those mountains across the plain, passing within a kilometer of the town before it cut away to flow north.

"That's... Amazing." Alexis said first. "I've never seen anything like it."

Van Horn simply grinned as he set the transmission into Neutral and put the brake pedal down to keep the _Darter_ from rolling forward too fast down the slope. "I saw pictures from orbit and from a drone we had sent up. Still, it's nothing like seeing it in person. Quite beautiful."

Alexis was too engrossed to pay attention to van Horn's words, but she nodded absentmindedly. Then she shook herself free of the spectacle. "I'll bet Mikula would love to see this. Would it be alright for me to stand and get him?" She had turned face van Horn as she asked this.

He gave her a sideways glance and a grin. "Sure, just make sure to keep a hand on the seats or near the counter in case I need to stop suddenly. Okay?"

"Alright." She said with a nod and got up, careful to follow the counters and steady herself and walked towards the rear of the vehicle.

In the back, Mikula sat uncomfortably, doing his best to hold onto Soru's unconscious form as the floor pitched downward. A small growl escaped his muzzle as he also bumped his injured leg, eliciting pain from the site. _At least it's healing nicely,_ he thought.

Kanu's soft chuckle interrupted that thought. Mikula turned his head to face his brother from where he was braced against an equipment rack. "You find something funny, jyku?" He asked, calling Kanu by the name of a small, rodent-like animal.

Kanu didn't let it affect him, though. "You just looked a bit silly, that's all."

Mikula stuck out his tongue at Kanu, who laughed again. It was then that Alexis walked carefully through the door to the back cabin. "What's so funny?" She asked as she took a look to make sure everyone else was okay, despite the angle. Her heart leapt a bit when she saw Soru sprawled out a bit, but she calmed when she saw that Mikula had him well in hand.

"What's going on, Alexis, is that these two keep hurtling insults to each other. Almost enough to make one wish for the mature company of children." Said one of the wounded gatón, his smile robbing the words of any insult.

"You're one to talk Heg. You've egged them on a couple of times, so I recall." This came from a grinning lupar female that sat in the corner, helping another to keep from rolling forward.

Kanu flashed a grin at her. "Well put, Leyana. In any case, Heg is not too far off the mark. Me and Mikula often have our little tiffs."

"Indeed? Well, I should hope you could hold off for a bit longer. We are approaching Hercor, and it can be seen out through the front." Alexis spoke with a smile spreading across her muzzle. _It's amazing at how well we all get along. Especially after retelling that story to Vanhorn._

Kanu looked to her and his smile grew larger. "Indeed. It's a grand spectacle, isn't it? I still remember seeing it for the first time, so wonderful it was."

Mikula looked up at that. "You really think so? Pavlo was right, then"

Kanu looked back to his brother. "And what would he be right about?"

Mikula's smile took on a devilish quality. "I said you have no heart, and he said you do, just that it's black and really small."

Kanu gave what van Horn or any human would recognize as the universal symbol for an unnatural act that usually requires two people. Mikula laughed at it, though Alexis was mortified, and her tail and ears showed it, the former sticking straight out and the latter flopping down.

Kanu noticed that. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alexis. I forget where we are sometimes."

Alexis gave her head a little shake and willed herself to relax. "It's- Alright. You just surprised me, that's all. Anyway, Mikula, did you want to see Hercor? It does look wonderful."

Mikula felt a bit bad over prompting Kanu's faux pas, so he readily agreed. "Yes. But, uh... Who will hold Soru then?"

Leyana spoke then with a bit of a smile on her face. "I can take over, Mikula. I'm not even hurt as bad as you are anymore, thanks to Vanhorn. I certainly can hold him a little while."

Mikula looked to her and nodded his thanks. Without further ado, they managed to shift Soru around so that Leyana was holding him in much the same way Mikula was, her back to the front of the vehicle, cushioning the young gatón.

"Thank you again, Leyana." Mikula said as he maneuvered his way to follow Alexis out of the rear cabin. The female lupar just waved him off, which Kanu and a couple of other wounded mirrored.

Mikula couldn't fathom the way they all did that, or the small smiles they seemed to be trying to hold in check. _What's with them?_ He thought this as he passed through the door into the front cabin. Alexis was waiting for him at one of the seats along the side counters/cabinets. She motioned with her head and tail for Mikula to go ahead in front of her.

Tilting his head quizzically, Mikula nevertheless went forward and carefully reached the passenger seat. "Hello, uh, Earl." He said to van Horn haltingly. Then he looked out the front and his jaw hung open as he took in the sight ahead.

Van Horn's chuckle brought him back around. "Quite the sight, isn't it?"

Mikula shook his head a bit to dispel the hold the vista had had on him. "Very much so. I've not seen anything like it before in my life."

Van Horn's easy smile was only half-visible to Mikula's vantage point, but the sound in his voice was easy to discern, even for the lupar. "It is quite amazing. I've seen pictures of similar habitations in the southwest deserts of Terra's North American continent, but it still doesn't prepare you for seeing something like this in real life."

Mikula found himself speechless, not only at the sight, but again at van Horn's cultural reference, which flew by him entirely. Instead, he simply stared out the front windshield, drinking in the view.

A few minutes passed silently like this. Then Mikula had a thought. "Uh, Earl. You said that you've seen other places like this?"

Van Horn shook his head, but kept his eyes on the road. "I've seen pictures. Very good ones mind you, but they never compare with reality. Who do you ask?"

"Uhm... Well, to tell the truth, I'm still surprised you're here, helping us. I mean, uh," Mikula's ears went down in embarrassment. "No offense intended."

Van Horn just turned to Mikula and raised an eyebrow, then turned back to watch the road. "No offense taken, but what makes you so surprised, if you don't mind my asking?"

Mikula shrugged a bit. "It's just, well... You seem to be so unflappable, and you always mention on how you've seen similar things to what you see here. You say you come from beyond the stars; yet you ride with us, help us, when you could be doing something... Different."

Van Horn smirked a bit. "Like what?" He asked, his easygoing voice relieving the tension in Mikula's shoulders as the latter worried he might have offended the human.

"Well... Whatever it is you do up there. I cannot even begin to imagine the things you must have known, must have seen. They surely must be so much more wonderful than our own world." Mikula finished with a sigh. "And to top it off, you help selflessly, as if we are somehow capable of rewarding someone like you, for we have nothing that you cannot already have."

Van Horn took so long in replying that Mikula and Alexis thought he had been angered. When he spoke, it was with a quiet voice that held no anger, but a sad note. "I can see you point of view, Mikula. But I think you sell yourselves too short.

"I have, indeed, seen things that are beyond your ken. Amazing, wonderfully beautiful things. I have seen mountains, rivers, and valleys like the ones on your word. But that does not make the spectacles of your world any the less impressive, or wonderful. Every world is unique, special, and yours is no less so.

Van Horn took a breath, and then continued. "As to helping you, well, my people have always believed in offering help to those who need it. It is, in fact, a very human trait to risk our lives to help those in dire need."

The other two in the cabin sat quietly, absorbing this information. It was Alexis who spoke first. "So, you're helping us because your people believe that it's good to help?"

Van Horn nodded silently, and Alexis shook her head. "Amazing. I just never thought that anyone with your kind of power would... Care. Uhh, I mean..." Now she looked embarrassed, thinking she had said the wrong thing.

Again, van Horn surprised them with his calmness. "I understand. People with power do not always care. It's a constant problem wherever there are people." He sighed. "It's been the source of great strife in my people's history. It is, in fact, one of the reasons my people are so determined to be helpful whenever possible, so as to counteract this negative influence."

Again, a silence came over the trio in the front cabin. It lasted this time, as Mikula and Alexis sat quietly in thought over van Horn's words. However, the silence broke after some time, when the caravan slowed to a complete stop. From their vantage point higher on the slope, they could see that there was some sort of commotion at the head of the caravan.

Mikula squinted as he peered ahead. "More bandits?" He asked with a growl.

Van Horn frowned, as he set the brake on the _Darter_. "Perhaps. Let us see, shall we?" He turned to the console to his left and typed several commands into the scout car's Sensor/HUS interface computer. In a few seconds, the Active Probe in the _Darter_'s nose came to life, sending out its electronic fingers.

At the same time, the holographic HUD for the car came on-line, displaying an overlay that was set to magnetic resonance scanning. Field lines splayed out across the windshield, showing the various pieces of Iron-containing materials.

Mikula sat back in shock, and Alexis let out a gasp. "What is this?" Asked the former.

Van Horn took a second of studying the display before replying. "It's the machinery in my vehicle. In this mode, it can see magnetic metals such as Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt. Uh..." He realized he had slipped in a lot of English words. "That is, it can detect certain metals, like the kind you make swords out of. I'm using it to see if there's any other pieces of metal out there that would indicate bandits."

Mikula gave the human a dark look. "And this didn't warn us of the last attack?"

The challenge in Mikula's voice was obvious, which made van Horn bristle. His voice became low and icy cold in response. "Well, do you go walking around with your sword out all the time? Do you always have an arrow notched and pulled back, ready to let fly? Ever, single, second, of the day?"

The anger in van Horn's voice hit Mikula like a physical slap. Somehow, it was worse having it come this way, than when he wasn't expecting it. "I... No, I do not."

Van Horn nodded, and his voice came up a bit higher, but still had irritation in it. "Yes. You don't always have a tool ready all the time. And I figured, since I _was_ assured that the path we were taking was safe, that I didn't need to leave the sensors on all the time." With a quick snap of his left hand, van Horn flipped the probe from magnetic resonance to visilight. "In any case, there is another group of Iron-containing weapons ahead. Let's look at them." Another command brought up a small box-shaped outline on the HUD, which van Horn manipulated using a small joystick on the sensor controls' console. With a fluid motion, he brought it to rest on the leading part of the caravan, where the new arrivals - and the caravan's leaders - were.

A quick command had the image of the group suddenly expand within the box-shaped window, enlarging the view of the group to five times its normal appearance. Mikula an Alexis sat quietly, amazed at the display and a bit shocked by van Horn's anger. Before either could think of something to say, the human brought the box to focus more centrally on where the leader of the new arrivals was approaching the lead wagon slowly. A quick button-press later and the view zoomed in further, reaching fifty-times magnification and bringing enough detail into the picture for Alexis to realize what was going on.

"That's the shaman from the northern tribes!" She said, recognizing the white fur color of the leader of the new group, as well as the thick clothes they wore. "Amazing! They must have been coming from Hercor."

Van Horn looked up, traces of his anger gone. "Indeed? Then perhaps they shall have good news." They all became silent then, as they watched the scene from afar. There they saw Forbasa slowly get off the wagon in front, with Tiana joining him soon after. They saw the look of consternation on the northern shaman's face, and then saw her relax as Forbasa talked.

The scene then took a dramatic turn, as the guide from Kuamket came forward and began to speak to Forbasa. "Can you not get sound with this?" Asked Mikula, somewhat trepid.

Van Horn shook he head a bit. "No. Sound doesn't carry as well as light." That was all that was said then, as they saw the disturbed looks on the shaman and her consorts from the north. But what really tore at the heartstrings was the utter shock and despair on the guide's face as he sunk to the ground. "Shaman Forbasa must've told them about the attack."

"Yes," said Alexis. "But there's more; that is Waso. His family... Did not make it." She couldn't help but choke a bit at the statement, prompting Mikula to turn towards her, eyes questioning. A shake of her head and an upheld hand motioned him to remain seated. "No, I'm fine. It's just so sad."

Van Horn hadn't turned around, not trusting his feelings to remain under control should he see the young gatón close to tears. Instead, he focused in on the motions of Forbasa's hands, and the sudden turns of the northern tribes gatón to peer towards the _Darter_. "Looks like we're going to have company." He observed as Forbasa began to walk up towards where the scout car now rested, the northern shaman and her consort following.

Felina Jukas, chief shaman of the northern tribes, walked with greater and greater trepidation as she approached the large metal object that sat behind the last wagon in a train that reached halfway up the ridge trail. Her escort nervously fingered their bows, although they had been forbidden to make them ready from her colleague, shaman Forbasa. _He has his reasons, I'm sure_, she thought to herself. _But I have to wonder if the strain is getting to him? All this talk about Humans and the Old Stories... Even with the stories coming from the Lupar cities, it's hard to swallow_.

And yet, here was a physical manifestation of those stories, both old and new. At first, when she had seen it from a distance, the object seemed to be a mirage of some kind. Now, up close, it was intimidating, to say the least.

They approached from the front, of course. The polarized windshield prevented them from seeing in, so they were surprised when the door hissed open. Jukas and her group leapt back, their fur rising on their necks and backs and their tails curling into an alerted stance.

Forbasa, however, simply kept walking forward. _He's crazy!_ Though Jukas. _And yet... Nothing bad has happened..._ Cautiously, she began walking forward, her consort following only after a few seconds' hesitation.

Jukas had just about reached Forbasa at where the door opened when the figure she had only imagined walked from her mind and into her reality. Her jaw dropped open and her tail dropped limp in surprise and shock as the tall, furless being walked down to stand near Forbasa. Her shock only deepened as he began to speak. _In gatonese no less!_

"Shaman Forbasa. We saw the arrival of these folk here and your approach up the way. Alexis said that this would be the shaman representative from the northern tribes?"

Forbasa nodded in partial response to van Horn's words. "Indeed she is." Forbasa turned to indicate Jukas. "May I present Felina Jukas, shaman of the town of Tranoth. Felina, this is Doctor Earl Vanhorn."

Jukas just stood speechless. It took van Horn's approach to stir her out of her shock. Walking up, he extended his right hand in his preferred greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you, madam shaman."

Jukas stared at the offered limb, and realized it must be a form of greeting. Slowly, she brought up her own right hand and stuck it out towards the human, but didn't advance to clasp his hand. Van Horn, though, flashed a grin and finished the maneuver, clasping with Jukas long enough for a quick couple of pumps, and then releasing her to pull his hand back by his side.

Jukas, slightly startled by the contact, still just stood for a second, and looked at her hand. She could still feel the warmth, so unusual for a being lacking fur, and the relative softness of his hand that nevertheless had strength behind his grip.

A small cough startled Jukas out of her reverie. "Felina, are you alright?" Forbasa asked with genuine concern.

She shook her head. "I'm- I'm fine, Revalo. Just fine. It's- it's just overwhelming to meet a- a human." She stuttered a bit in her nervousness.

Forbasa and van Horn both gave her smiles. The former than turned to the latter. "Well, then. I take it that the reason we've stopped, then, is to consult with madam Jukas here, shaman Forbasa?" Asked van Horn.

Forbasa nodded. "In a way, yes. Actually, we stopped to greet each other, more or less. I wanted to show her... Well... You."

Van Horn's smile stayed on. "Yes, I understand. Well, are we still heading towards Hercor?"

The mention of the town she had just left brought Jukas into the conversation again. "I am not so sure that that is a good idea. We have just come from Hercor, and the lupar there are not exactly the friendliest sort. They have taken the stories of the metal giants as warnings to not deal with outsiders, and so turned us away."

Van Horn's smile died at the mention of 'metal giants,' which gave rise to Jukas' curiosity. _He seems disturbed over their mention. Is Forbasa right, and these giants are related to the old stories... Then what? How can we defeat _Gods

Forbasa's words again brought her back to the present. "We have little choice but to attempt to deal with the lupar of Hercor. I've told you of the attack we suffered a few days ago. We are low on supplies, and need help for our wounded. Hopefully... Hopefully the presence of lupar in our caravan shall help us negotiate."

Jukas nodded. "Perhaps this is so." They feel silent for a moment, which Jukas interrupted with a spontaneous decision. "Revalo. Would you mind if we went along with you back to Hercor? I should think we should really discuss some things."

Forbasa nodded. "Indeed, I should like that. And I am sure Mrs. Farkas or her lupar would have no trouble at all."

"Indeed, I believe you're right." Came a new voice. Jukas was less shocked to see a lupar step out of the metal vehicle than she was to see the human, but it was still surprising. She noticed that this one looked a lot like the 'Tiana Farkas' she had met at the lead wagon, and that he limped on a cane due to his bandaged leg. Following him was a female gatón, who unlike the lupar, gave Jukas a slight bow after she stepped on to the ground.

Forbasa smiled at the appearance of the lupar and the young woman. "Ahh, Mikula. I am glad to hear that you think your mother would not object. I am also glad to see you walking today. Is the leg better?"

Mikula nodded his head in a small bow. "Indeed it is, Shaman. I thank you for your concern. I had come out here to ask about our delay, but I hear that there is good reason." He gave another bow of his head. "Pardon my intrusion."

"It's alright, Mikula. In fact, I was just about to ask Vanhorn here if we could intrude upon his wagon so that I could discuss matters with him, shaman Jukas, and you, now that I think of it." Forbasa said the last few words with bit of surprise in it.

Mikula looked startled. "Me?"

Forbasa nodded. "Yes, for reasons that I've just realized. Your mother, of course, needs to stay up front if we wish to reach Hercor by nightfall and still be able to converse. You know her well, as you've just proven, so you may provide insight into her thinking that will speed our discussions with her when w reach a point where all of us may converse."

Mikula stood for a second, and then nodded. "You speak truth, shaman."

"Then I take it that madam Jukas and yourself will ride with us, shaman Forbasa?" Van Horn asked pleasantly.

"Indeed, if it is not too much trouble, or if Shaman Jukas has not any objections."

Jukas shook her head. "I think I'm insane for saying this, but... I'll gladly ride with you in this monstrosity, Forbasa."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Then let's get ready to go."


	11. Chapter 11

Van Horn slipped the scout car into neutral once again and pressed lightly on the brake pedal. This time, however, it was for the night, as the caravan stopped at the last finger of woods that stretched towards Hercor, which now only lay about three kilometers distant. At this distance, the rocky mesa that the town stood upon seemed to be almost like one, large rock.

The human decided that he could inspect it later. For now, he should get the _Darter_ set up under cover, should the Wobbies come close enough to see it. Looking carefully as the thirteen-ton car rolled slowly forward, he selected a copse of trees a few meters away from the next closest participant in the caravan. With great care, he let the converted military scout slow to a stop right under the trees' thickest branches before he pressed the brakes one final time, then disengaged the drive system and pulled on the parking brake handle to lock the car's brakes.

Beside him in the passenger seat, Felina Jukas simply looked on in awe at the ease with which van Horn manipulated controls that were beyond her understanding. _And yet he behaves as if though these are simple tasks. I wonder... What if they _are_ that simple to him? What does that say about his people?_

She pried her thoughts back to the present as the human stood up, followed by the young lupar that had been introduced to her as Mikula Farkas, who sat in one of the rearward seats. "Ahhh, finally we can get out and stretch." He said upon standing, somewhat unsurely without the cane he had been using until earlier that day.

The young gatón lady that had been introduced as 'Alexis' stood from her seat as well. "Indeed, Mikula. Traveling like this is comfortable, but hardly invigorating." Like Mikula, Alexis stretched to work out some kinks in her muscles.

A chuckle from van Horn brought Jukas' attention back to the human. "You are unfortunately true, Alexis. I remember taking long road trips with my family when I was young, to go see the Dniper Canyon on my homeworld. Wasn't as long as this trip, but it felt like it when I was younger." Van Horn stood at that, after unfastening his safety belts, of course.

Jukas was reminded herself of the strange fabric contraptions that had kept her from flying out of her seat when van Horn had to hit the brakes hard to avoid a sudden cart overturn earlier in the day. She looked down and moved her hands in a way that the human and the other natives had done, pressing the button in the middle of the latch. With a soft click, the latch came undone and the belts loosened.

Jukas shook her head as she stood, eliciting a questioning look from the final occupant of the main cabin. "Felina, my dear, is something the matter?" Forbasa asked from where he too slowly stood up from his seat.

Jukas shook her head lightly again. "I am just- still a bit overwhelmed." She said quietly. "I could never imagine such a ride in a dozen decades, yet here I am." A small shrug raised her shoulders, the thick blue cloth that formed her clothing rustling a bit as she did so. "It just is a bit overwhelming when I notice something else that I never thought of. Like these 'belts.'" She waved her clawed hand over to indicate the seat she had just vacated.

Forbasa smiled a bit. "Indeed. It still amazes me at times, and yet I've known van Horn for- my word, it's been several weeks by now, hasn't it?" At this last part, he turned to ask this of van Horn.

Van Horn blinked a few times. "Indeed, it has, shaman." A smile broke across his face. "It certainly doesn't feel like it. Feels more like only a few days."

"Well, when time is being used, one seldom notices it." Jukas said, somewhat cautiously, as she still was unsure around the human.

She needn't have worried, as he kept the smile on as he walked over to open the door. "Indeed. My people have a similar statement. 'Time flies when you're working or having fun." The smile disappeared as he pulled on the lever that caused the door to begin its upward motion. "Unfortunately, my time usage has been mostly of the former."

Jukas had nothing to say to that, not after hearing about how the human had helped take care of so many wounded, or how he fought against the bandits. Fortunately, Alexis clearing her throat prevented the silence from becoming awkward. "I am going to go in the back and let the others know that they can get out now." With a small half bow to Forbasa and Jukas, she turned and walked back, giving Mikula a look from the corner of her eye.

Mikula took the hint. "I will go help her. Please, excuse us?" At a small nod from Forbasa, the two disappeared into the back cabin area. Jukas couldn't help but notice the way the two younger ones had easily moved back, comfortable with the environment and each other. _I suppose even strange things can lose their strangeness, after some time._ She thought this as she followed Forbasa out of the car. She was careful to take one of the steps outside at a time, before finally getting her feet to settle on the relatively soft ground.

Jukas mentally sighed in relief. _As comfortable and unthreatening as that ride was, I am still glad to be out of that metal beast_. She turned to face Forbasa, who stood near the door, and van Horn, who were stepping down just then. The latter spoke next as he grounded and looked towards Forbasa. "Shaman Forbasa, I know we've discussed this, but I do wish you to reconsider your request for me to stay behind with the wounded here. Surely, my presence in the caravan could be helpful as you begin to negotiate with the citizenry of Hercor?"

Forbasa shook his head as he started off towards where the lead wagons and carts had stopped. He waggled his cane a bit at van Horn a bit as he walked before returning it back to its customary usage. "We have indeed discussed this. My decision remains the same. I simply cannot predict the attitude of the Hercorians at your appearance, or for that matter, the appearance of your vehicle. As Felina has pointed out, they are not the friendliest of sorts, since they've taken heavy raids on their town since the arrival of your 'Wobbies.'"

Van Horn's face darkened a bit at that particular grouping of pronoun and noun, but he soon pressed it from his mind, sighing because of it, and because of what he said next. "I suppose you are right. I just don't like the sitting here alone part, while you and the others venture across open ground, open to bandit predation, or even an attack from the Hercorians themselves.

"It just makes me nervous." He finished as the trio passed through the middle of the camp. None of them spoke about it again for a few moments, as Forbasa was busy responding to the various greetings he got from his villagers. Once through the main portion of the camp, they were once again semi-alone, in that no one was close enough or caring enough to overhear them. Forbasa broke the silence. "I understand your concern, and greatly appreciate it as well. But I think that, for once, we can feel a bit safe. As Mikula told us, Hercor is renowned for its defenses. Few bandits will bother to attack, and according to Felina here," he paused to wave his hand towards Jukas, "Hercor has also not seen any invaders as of yet.

"What I am afraid of, however, is the possibility that the Hercorians may see your conveyance as a threat. Felina has already mentioned their growing paranoia, and I fear that they may let their imaginations make our little caravan seem more threatening than it really is."

Van Horn nodded. "What you speak sounds not only possible, but probable." He let loose another sigh. "I suppose that I and the wounded should have to get used to sitting around."

Jukas looked at the human at that. "Isn't that what you do anyway?" She asked before realizing how rude the words could sound. Van Horn, however, simply laughed, startling her. "Madam Shaman, you are perhaps too right." He said after he finished laughing. "But at least then you have the movement to mark time. Sitting still can be boring more so when you are not riding in a conveyance."

Jukas shrugged as they reached the lead wagon that Forbasa had ridden in earlier. "I have to agree with you there." She replied as they finally stopped at the front of the wagon, where Tiana and Pavlo Farkas were busy unhitching the pongos that pulled it.

Tiana looked up at the new arrivals. "Hello," she said in Lupari that fortunately, Jukas had studied like any other shaman. "How is everything?"

Forbasa greeted her with a small smile. "Things are fine, Mrs. Farkas. But we do have some things to discuss, if you have time?"

Tiana nodded. "We're just about finished. Please, hold on for a minute?"

Forbasa nodded, and the two gatón and the human waited patiently for the two lupar to finish unhitching the low-slung beasts of burden. Van Horn couldn't help but again make the mental comparison to Terran anteaters, which they resembled save without the ridiculously long noses of those animals. And, of course, they were much larger, allowing them to haul the good-sized lupar wagons.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't very long. In only a few minutes Tiana came around from where she had been working with her son, Pavlo. The latter was leading the pair of pongos out towards where the river flowed nearby.

Forbasa spoke as soon as the middle-aged lupar arrived within earshot. "Tiana, I will get straight to the point. We have been talking about how to approach the Herorians. While we have come up with some ideas, I would, of course, like to have you listen to them so that you may tell us if you approve or not."

Tiana tilted her head to her right, with the ear on that side flopping down to further emphasize her quizzical expression. "I appreciate that, Revalo. Please, continue."

"Very well. The idea is that the Hercorians are apparently paranoid given recent... Events." Forbasa paused for a moment to let Tiana realize just which events he meant. "Shaman Jukas here has already explained to us their refusal to let them do anything more than buy goods from vendors outside the town walls the last time she and her group were there.

"And that was gatón only. Imagine, now, how they would react to seeing Vanhorn here? Or his metal conveyance?" Forbasa again paused, indicating van Horn with a wave. Tiana nodded at that, but waited for Forbasa to continue, which he did after only a moment. "So after some thought, we decided that, given the Hercorians' possible distrust, we would not only like to have Vanhorn stay here with his vehicle, but also to leave our wounded here, so that they shan't be threatened should the Hercorians turn violent."

Tiana took a moment, and then replied. "I can see leaving Vanhorn here, but why should the wounded be left behind? Part of the reason for our detour here was to get medical care for them, especially since his supplies have run out." She gestured to the human, who nodded slightly at the truth of the remark. "Not to mention, despite the- the abilities of Vanhorn's wagon, they will be exposed, and vulnerable to attack."

Van Horn nodded. "That is true. However, I have, unfortunately, not been using my vehicle to its fullest potential. My craft has the ability to detect approaching individuals long before they can attack."

Again, Tiana tilted her head in a quizzical fashion. "But, if that is so, then how come you didn't see the bandits approaching the other day?"

Van Horn hung his head, and his voice dropped as he responded. "I am sorry for that. I had thought that our path was, more or less, safe, as it was through the thickest part of the forest in this region, and so I didn't leave the sensors on."

He expected to have them get angry, but instead, Tiana nodded. "I see. Well, I cannot blame you, for many of our so-called 'warriors' also weren't fully prepared for combat that they didn't expect." She shrugged, her tail swishing about in the lupar fashion.

Van Horn picked his head up and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you." He then became serious again. "In any case, I can leave the sensors on while the rest of the caravan is away. They should give enough warning to button up the _Darter_ up tightly so that any bandit, gatón or lupar, won't be able to crack it."

Jukas was a bit confused. "Excuse me, but what are these... 'Sen-sors' you are talking about?" She asked using the English word that van Horn had to use, since Gatonese or Lupari had no equivalent.

The human turned to face her. "Oh, well, they are a bunch of... Devices, that let me see things I wouldn't be able to normally see. For instance, when the caravan stopped to admit your group, I was able to use them to not only see that a new bunch of gatón had arrived, but also to see you from where you stood talking to Forbasa."

Jukas rocked back on her feet at that and blinked hard. "You could- you could see us from all the way at the head of the caravan?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, and watched all of you as you walked your way up. So you see, Tiana," he had turned towards the lupar at that moment, "I do think that the wounded could be taken care of. Especially as Forbasa agreed that some fighters will stay behind to help defend the small group."

Tiana stood still for a moment, and then nodded her head. "This does sound reasonable. The only thing that bothers me is that if either group needs help, it would take a long time for word to reach the other group."

At that, van Horn froze, which attracted the attention of the others there. He then brought his right hand up and used it to smack himself on the forehead with an audible sound. "Duh!" He exclaimed.

Forbasa, now, tilted his head in a quizzical manner. "Are you alright, Vanhorn?"

The human nodded. "Yes, I, ah. What I just did was what my people do when we realize we've forgotten something obvious." He grinned sheepishly. "I just managed to remember that I have some tactical radios that will allow us to communicate."

Again, the English words had brought a small bit of confusion to the others. "What are these things you speak of?" Asked Tiana.

"They are more devices that allow two people to communicate at long distances." His grin widened. "I'll show you. Please excuse me?"

The natives nodded, and Forbasa spoke. "Of course."

In the back of the _Darter_, Alexis was helping Heg limp back into his customary seat, which was made somewhat comfortable by the addition of blankets and old clothes on the floor. All of the wounded that rode in the scout car had such fabrics to cushion their seats.

Alexis had just helped Heg get out for a stretch, and do certain things that one doesn't do where one sits for long periods of time. Now, she kneeled as he did, until he finally sat down on the floor with a sigh. "Thank you, Alexis. I hope you are not too embarrassed."

She smiled at him and shook her head slightly. "No. Someone has to help all of you. Although, if you don't mind me saying, I can't wait until we get some more help from Hercor." Alexis smirked a bit as she said the last part.

Heg and some others laughed. "I can't blame you, my dear." Heg replied. "But it is nice of you to help, no matter what the circumstances."

Alexis blushed in the gatón way. "You give me too much credit. In any case," she turned to take in the rest of the group in the back, "does anyone else need to make a trip outside?"

All of the ones present shook their heads, those who were awake, anyway. Many of the 'walking wounded,' as van Horn had called them, were taking care of themselves, while everyone else had had their chance outside. The only person she could think of that would be Fetar, another gatón male whom Mikula had helped outside.

Alexis shook her head at that thought as she turned to kneel down where Soru lay, unconscious most of the time. _Amazing how quickly Mikula's healed since Vanhorn arrived_, she thought as she checked the bandages covering Soru's nasty burns. _He can even help others now. Though I do not like the way he pushes himself so._ Her ears flicked unconsciously in irritation. She was genuinely worried about Mikula and the way he always pushed himself, sometimes too far. _Like when we were attacked. He could have torn his wound open again if he had tried going outside_.

She paused her thoughts for a bit as Soru stirred under her hands. His yellow eyes flicked open, although their focus was lacking for a minute. He then saw Alexis kneeling at his side, and he tried to smile at her, though only the right side of his face managed any movement. "Hi." He managed to grate out.

Although a bit surprised at his awakening, Alexis nevertheless gave Soru a broad smile. "Hello, Soru. Nice to see you awake." She said softly, hoping that Soru would fall asleep soon, so that the pain - already evident on his face - would be forgotten in slumber.

However, he stayed awake, managing to bring his eyes into good focus, thought the left one was cloudy still from when he was gravely injured that terrible night. "Nice... To be... Awake. Where.... Are... We?"

Alexis bent and patted him lightly on his unhurt right shoulder. "We're in a safe place. Would you like anything?" She changed the subject, since Soru was unlikely to be able to sit through a full explanation.

Soru managed a millimetric nod of his head. "Water... Please."

"Of course." Alexis replied. "Just one moment." She stood slowly, and then turned to reach out to one of the shelves that stood in the middle and forward sections of the rear cabin. Alexis pulled out a green, plastic canteen that van Horn kept filled with water for the people who rode in the back. Turning back to Soru, she kneeled again and twisted off the cap to the canteen before holding the bottle up to his lips and tilting it slightly so that the water would flow into his mouth.

Soru drank greedily from the canteen before Alexis pulled it away after a few moments. He smiled a bit again. "Thank you." He managed. Then his eyes fluttered shut and his head rested fully on the cloth that was being used as a pillow. Alexis stayed for a minute, until she was sure that Soru was asleep again, then stood and put the canteen away with a sigh.

"Nice to see he's getting better." Came a welcome voice from the doorway to the front cabin. Looking over, Alexis saw Mikula enter, holding up Reyar, a lupar that had a broken ankle and a nasty dagger wound in his arm from the bandit attack.

Alexis smiled politely at them both as they made their way to where Reyar had been sitting. With a small grunt, Reyar settled into his seat with Mikula's help. The latter then stood up. "Comfortable?" He asked Reynar.

The other lupar looked up and nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes, thank you."

"It was not a problem." Mikula said with a dismissive wave of his hand, his right ear flopping down a bit to emphasize, which elicited a smile from others in the room, as well a bigger smile from Reynar.

Alexis, smiling as well, decided to speak up. "Well, Mikula, since you're feeling so well, perhaps you'd like to help me with bringing food in for these nice people?"

Mikula feigned shock. "Why, me? My dear Alexis, I couldn't possibly help, since I've developed this nasty limp." He moved, but the limp was in the uninjured leg.

Laughter filled the room as everyone enjoyed Mikula's antics. He stopped with the charade and grinned broadly, then bowed. "Thank you. You all are too kind."

"As a matter of fact, they are." Kanu chided from his seat, but his grin and chuckle robbed the comment of any offense.

Alexis shook here head, and went over to where Mikula was standing, but her next words were addressed to Kanu. "Don't you start with him, or else we'll be in here all night." She casually grabbed Mikula's arm and began to pull him gently towards the front cabin entrance. "Come on, you joker. Let's get going before they close the kitchen."

"Mikula moved off with the gentle pull. "Your wish is my command, milady." He said with a smile. But as he walked towards the front, he looked over his shoulder at his brother, and stuck his tongue out.

What surprised Mikula was that, instead of giving some nonverbal retort, his brother simply grinned at him. But by the time he noticed that, he and Alexis had walked through the door, closing it halfway behind them so the people in the back could have a kind of semi-privacy if they wanted to.

Alexis spoke next. "Are you always so lively?" She asked of Mikula, turning her head to give him a warm smile.

Mikula gave her his lopsided grin. "Well, when I am feeling better, yes. My leg has really healed well, and I'm happy to be getting free of that cane I've had to use for such a time now." He paused as Alexis let go of his arm, using the moment to stretch before continuing. "It just feels good to be almost whole again."

Alexis continued to smile. "I'm very glad you feel better. Though I worry that you may be pushing yourself too much lately."

Mikula shrugged. "I appreciate your concern. I really do. But I am quite fine, really." He said, again grinning in his lopsided way.

Before Alexis could respond, both her and Mikula heard running footsteps from outside. Tensing in anticipation, Mikula whirled and placed himself between the door and Alexis.

They were both relieved to see van Horn pull himself up the steps and climb inside the vehicle. The human couldn't help but notice their tense stances. "Are you two okay?"

Mikula willed himself to calm down. "We're fine, you just startled us by running here, that's all."

Van Horn's eyes widened a bit, then he broke out into a sheepish grin. "Yeah, sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you. But I had just remembered something that will be of help." With that, he turned and kneeled down to open one of the cabinets on the floor.

Alexis and Mikula watched with interest, the former walking up to stand beside Mikula to see what was going on. "What might be able to help?" She asked.

Van Horn grunted and pulled out two black objects, each shaped similar to a brick, and a bit larger. "These." He said non-committingly as he stood up, holding out the boxes for the natives to see. Alexis noticed that they both had some sort of protrusion sticking from one end that was wider than her hand.

Mikula noticed them too. "What are they? Why do they have those pieces sticking out?" He asked curiously.

Van Horn grinned in a manner that Alexis found similar to a young cub's while playing with a new toy. "They're called 'radios,' and you'll like what they can do." He said and motioned them to follow him outside. Both Mikula and Alexis shared a look before following the human to stand outside the scout car.

"I was going to show these to the shamans and Tiana up at the front of the caravan. If you want, you can tag along." Van Horn said this as he waited for the other two to finish getting down from the large vehicle.

"That sounds fine to me. What about you, Alexis?" Mikula asked as he offered his hand to Alexis to help her down.

Taking his hand, she let herself down before responding. "That sounds fine to me. Are you sure that we wouldn't be a problem, Earl?" She said this last as she turned to face the human.

Van Horn grinned again. "It is no problem. At least, I don't see it being a problem, especially since, if either one of you will stay behind and help with the wounded. Because if you do, you will probably need to use these."

The small group fell silent, as the natives had no idea what to say next, and van Horn didn't want to spoil the surprise. They thus walked quickly through the camp, until they reached the common area with the food wagon. This prompted Alexis to speak up. "Food! I almost forgot, we were supposed to get some food for the wounded in your wagon."

Van Horn slowed, but didn't stop. "Well, can you wait a little bit? Because if so, then I can help you once I'm done showing off these things." He hefted the mystery boxes again, which prompted a chuckle from Mikula. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?" He said to the human.

Van Horn smiled. "That obvious, is it?""

"It is." Alexis said reproachingly. Then she smiled a bit. "I suppose a little wait won't hurt anyone. Besides, many of them just got settled back in. They would probably like to settle down before having food, anyway."

"Very well then." Van Horn said, and then picked up his pace, prompting the other two to follow.

It took them a couple of minutes, but they reached the front wagon. Pavlo had led the pair of pongos back and had them tied to a tree. He stood with his mother near the back of the wagon, where Forbasa and Jukas sat on the rear lip of the wagon. They all looked up when van Horn, Alexis, and Mikula arrived. "Hello Alexis, Mikula." Forbasa said with a small smile. "I take it that you are here to see these things that Vanhorn has brought with him?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes, shaman. He has been teasing us about them just now, so we wanted to see what this is about."

Forbasa and Tiana chuckled at that, while Pavlo just smiled a bit. Jukas, of course, was still uncomfortable around so many she didn't know, and so just quietly waited. Forbasa broke the silence after he had finished chuckling. "So, what are these mysterious things that you say can communicate over long distances?"

With a grin back on his face, van Horn walked up to Forbasa, and offered one of the boxes. The elder gatón gingerly picked up the black box, which was awkwardly sized for him. Van Horn was patient, though, and showed Forbasa how to hold the device. "There, like this, with the grille up towards you." He said and turned the device in Forbasa's hands.

Forbasa held it, amazed that it was decently sized, yet it wasn't so heavy that he couldn't hold it for a time. "So, I take it you wish to demonstrate?" He asked.

Van Horn continued grinning. "That is correct. Now, you turn this here," he twisted a small knob on the radio, and a hiss of static came from the speaker. Forbasa recoiled a bit at the unearthly noise, but van Horn was prepared for it, and kept the radio from falling. "Sorry, that's normal." Van Horn said, and turned the volume down to an acceptable level, and then he flipped the radio frequency selector to a less interfered-with channel. "There, just hold it, and wait a second, okay?"

Forbasa looked suspiciously at the box, but offered a small smirk. "Very well." He said and held the box, careful to keep the grille from being too close to his ears.

Van Horn just chuckled. "Alright, one second, and I'll be right back." He turned to Mikula. "If you could come with me, please, Mikula? I don't want the others to think I'm playing a trick on them when I disappear."

Blinking hard, Mikula thought for a second. Then he nodded his head and said, "Alright."

"Good. Now, excuse us again, real quick?" Van Horn asked this of the others, who again nodded quietly, intent on waiting for the big surprise that van Horn had for them.

With that, van Horn started off, with Mikula in tow. The latter waited until they had traveled about fifteen meters before asking, "Earl, what is the point of this?"

"You'll see. I just want to make sure that the first impression is a good one." Van Horn replied as they continued moving out into the forest, taking the small path that the caravan members had forged to water their animals and get water for themselves, as well. Upon reaching the river, van Horn looked back at the light coming from the caravan. "This will be a good distance." He said.

"For what?" Mikula asked.

"To show off." Van Horn replied with a smile, and then put the radio up to his lips, careful to find the right frequency in the dying light. "Hello." He said quietly into the box.

Mikula then heard a couple of yelps from the direction they had just came from. He noticed that the human had heard them too, as the smile on van Horn's face grew to a widespread grin.

Van Horn put the radio back up to his face again. "I take it that you heard me. To talk back, press the small panel on the right side in, and just talk into the radio. The background noise will stop, but that just means it's sending."

Mikula was puzzled, and then he heard Forbasa's voice, _coming from that box!_

"This is, amazing." The Quiet reply came from the speaker grille. Then another came through. "I don't suppose you could tell us how it works?"

Van Horn chuckled, but didn't let the radio broadcast that. Instead, he started back and motioned Mikula to follow him, before replying. "The basic idea is that there are certain... I am not sure of the word. But the thing is, there is another world we cannot see with normal eyes. But devices like these radios can use this other world to send information, be it words, or even pictures." He cut the transmission and waited a minute to see if there was a response. When none was forthcoming, he continued. "Suffice it to say, this... Not other world, not really. It's more like... Like a layer of... Reality that lays underneath the one we normally see. Anyway, we will be back in a minute, and then I can explain more. Please turn the knob all the way to the left when I'm done talking; the radio should turn off with a 'click' noise." At that, van Horn turned his own radio off, and continued on.

Mikula couldn't help but alternate between watching where he was going, and giving van Horn looks. "That is very interesting. I don't suppose that you have any more?"

Van Horn nodded. "I have two more, plus the big one built into the _Darter_. They have a decent range, certainly enough to reach Hercor."

"Range?" The young lupar asked. "You mean it is limited?"

Van Horn nodded as they approached the camp. "Indeed it is. Many things are like that, in that you must often sacrifice one thing to gain another."

Mikula nodded at that. "Makes sense." He said absentmindedly, his thoughts wandering.

The next day dawned over a caravan that was making ready to leave its camp. The sounds of bustling activity soon faded at the _Darter_, however, as the majority of the gatón and lupar left, rolling on their way towards Hercor. With them were two radios, one for Forbasa, and the other for Tiana Farkas. Van Horn had spent part of the night explaining to them how to use the radios. He also had gone over it again this morning, making sure they understood that the batteries for the radios were not infinite, and establishing contact times.

Now, however, van Horn just stood on top of his thirteen-ton converted military scout, watching the caravan making the short journey across the wide plains and fields that stretched between the forest and the rocky mount that the town of Hercor was perched upon. A part of him felt sadness in that he probably wouldn't be seeing the inside of the town. As an anthropologist, the missing opportunity to see a lupar town up close wasn't something he liked. However, he had to acknowledge the logic behind the decision Forbasa had come to, since it went along with what he knew already of primitive cultures.

A noise brought his attention back to the immediate area. Looking down, he saw the remaining, uninjured gatón and lupar gathering near a pair of carts that were left behind by the caravan's main body. One was left because its wheel was broken, and the other was left because the family there had decided to wait with the wounded.

Van Horn grinned as he looked down on the group, recognizing the cart as belonging to Alexis' family, who didn't want to go anywhere when their daughter was staying to help with the injured. He had not met them until the night before, when Forbasa had announced the decision to the caravan at large. Afterwards, they had come up to him and asked if it would be all right if they could stay, so as to not be separated from Alexis so much.

Van Horn shook his head slightly to bring himself back to the present, and then began the task of climbing down the armored vehicle. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a bit bad that Alexis had been spending so much time from her family, given how much of it was spent in his scout car, helping wounded that van Horn had promised to help himself. The need for someone like Alexis to help just emphasized his inability to do all that he could, if he had the proper resources. _Or, more likely, if I had a way to get a message to the Republic_, he thought to himself.

That is what really grated on his nerves, whenever he thought of it. He was cut off, and he didn't even know if the satellite he was keeping as an ace in the hole would even still be around, if the Blakests decided to start conducting patrol sweeps with their fighters. _And I can't even try to contact it to find out if it's still there, since that'll bring those fuckers straight to me, and the others with me_. Van Horn was determined to not let that happen.

He finally got off the side of the car, carefully dropping the last two feet so as to not hurt himself. _Last thing I need is a broken ankle so I can't drive_. He turned and headed for the door to the scout car, wanting to get inside and check on some things. A smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. _And maybe find a way to relax_.

Climbing up into the vehicle, van Horn was surprised to find Mikula sitting in the passenger seat, looking out through the front windshield at the departing caravan. "Mikula, why are you in here? I'd think you would be tired of looking at the inside of my vehicle by now." Van Horn said jokingly.

The young lupar turned and gave van Horn a weak smile. "I suppose. I just wanted to sit where I could watch them leave." He gestured towards the receding caravan as it moved its way towards the town beyond.

Van Horn nodded. "I think I see. Missing your family, are you?" He asked gently.

Mikula hesitated a bit, and then nodded. "You certainly read people well, despite the fact that you're so different."

"Well, it's my job to study large groups of people. Though, really, to do that, it helps a lot to be able to understand individuals." Van Horn said with a shrug. "And in your case, not to sound offensive, but you're kind of easy to understand."

Mikula tilted his head quizzically, letting an ear flop down. "Really? Might I ask why you say that?"

Van Horn smiled a bit to rob his words of any offense. "Well, you're still young, by either your people's standards, or mine. Young adults like you are fairly easy to understand. Mind you, not that you're simple or anything, but rather, you are more focused than a child, and more open than an older man." Van Horn shrugged again. "This kind of mix is common in any people, and I remember it well from my own youth."

Mikula brought his head back upright, and offered another smile, this one a bit stronger than his last. "I think I understand. You're saying that since we are similar in behavior, you can understand what I'm thinking from your own experiences?"

Van Horn grinned broadly. "I am impressed, Mikula. Few people get such a grasp of psychology from a few pieces of conversation."

Mikula did the lupar equivalent of a blush; his ears flopping down a bit, and his tail dropping slightly. "Even though I don't know what you mean, thank you for the compliment. But I think you give me too much credit."

The human shook his had. "Not at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that you sell yourself too short."

Again, Mikula got the quizzical look on his face. "Sell myself?"

Van Horn grimaced a bit. "I'm sorry. It's an idiom, which means 'to describe yourself in a way to promote your abilities.' In this case, I'm saying that you are undervaluing your abilities."

"Ahh. I think I understand, and I thank you again for your confidence." Mikula sighed and turned to look out the windshield again. "I wish I could have your ability to have such confidence."

Van Horn noticed the change, and he went to sit down in the driver's seat, careful to avoid hitting any controls. "You sound like you have something on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?"

Mikula sighed again. He talked, but kept facing out the window as he did so. "It's just that the last time I bid goodbye to my family like this, it was just before the attack that started this whole, big mess. The last time we parted, my... My brother died." Mikula's voice choked with emotion, preventing him from going on.

Van Horn nodded gravely. "I never knew you lost a brother, especially not recently. You have my sympathies, as late and as ineffective as they are."

Mikula nodded at that. "Thank you. It is most appreciated." He wiped a tear from his right eye before going on. "Senmar - that was my brother's name - was guarding the part of Tanzano that those 'Wobbies' attacked, which is why my mother and much of our clan left that city."

Van Horn nodded, but stayed quiet, letting Mikula continue. "So now, with my mother and Pavlo going off with the others... I can't help but feeling like I might never see them again."

The young lupar was near tears, van Horn could see. Leaning over and reaching out with his arm, van Horn set his right hand on Mikula's left shoulder. "I can understand what you're going through. Although I've not had the misfortune to lose someone as close as a brother, I have had to say goodbye to my family several times when I was a soldier. Each time I left, I felt as if though I would never see them again, and that thought tore me apart inside."

Mikula wiped his eyes again before turning to look the human in the eye. "I never knew you were a soldier. How did you deal with it?"

Van Horn gave Mikula a small smile. "I simply made myself a promise. I promised that no matter what, I would see my family again. I promised myself that I wouldn't let the bad feelings take over me, for that would destroy me as most assuredly as being killed." He rubbed Mikula's arm a bit before letting go. "And most importantly, I remembered that my family loved me. That they would still love me, no matter what would happen."

Mikula looked down for a minute, clearly trying to get control of himself. When he looked back up again, van Horn saw that he had succeeded. "Thank you, Earl. I shall remember your words, for they have much truth in them."

Van Horn ventured a smile then. "You are quite welcome to anything I have to say, although I do not promise that they will always be so pleasant to hear."

Mikula grinned his lopsided grin at that. "I see. And thank you again, for trying to lighten my mood."

Van Horn grinned himself and stood up. "It was no problem. Now, as to your mood, why don't you go out and see what the others are up to? They seem excited about something."

Mikula shook his head. "Oh, they're just happy to be able to stay in one place for a while, and they're talking. I was out there a little while ago, and though I found it interesting, it made me sad about my family leaving. Which is why I was brooding in here." He smiled a bit at that.

Van Horn smiled back. "Well, then. I was about to go for a swim. I don't suppose you'd like to join me?"

Mikula rocked back a bit. "Swim? Why would I want to do that? Is the river flooding?"

Van Horn chuckled. "No, nothing like that. I was going to swim just to relax, and maybe get some decent exercise in."

The lupar gave van Horn a dubious look. "Swim to relax? You don't mean you _enjoy_ swimming?"

"Sure I do. Most of my people love to swim as a form of recreation and exercise. Although from the way you are acting, I take it that lupar don't view it the same way?"

Mikula shook his head. "No, as a matter of fact, we do not. Most do not even know how to swim, although my parents insisted that I and my brothers learn it when we were young, just in case." He shook his head a bit. "But I never liked it much. Just makes you all wet, and it's kind of miserable being wet."

Van Horn nodded. "I can see that point of view. I and many of my people don't like to be wet all the time, but we have a certain fascination with the water, and swimming."

He shrugged. "I suppose that it's mainly because of our lack of fur or thick hair that lets us enjoy it so. I can see how drying out your entire body like you'd have to do would discourage you." Van Horn smiled at Mikula as he said that last part. Mikula chuckled and said. "I suppose so. But it still surprises me that anyone would like to swim for fun."

"I guess I see your point." Replied van Horn. "In any case, would you mind leaving for a bit? I wish to change my clothes."

"Change clothes? I thought you were going swimming?" Mikula said as he continued the chain of strange looks that he'd been giving van Horn in the last few minutes.

"I am. Most people where I'm from prefer to have special clothes that we wear when we swim. They generally don't hold water like cloth, and they allow good movement while allowing us to retain our modesty." Van Horn grinned a bit as he finished.

"Strange... But then, I suppose if your people like to swim a lot, it would make sense to make clothes just for it. It makes sense, in a strange, way." Mikula said as he stood to leave.

Van Horn grinned and shook his head. "You really are very sharp young man, aren't you?" He stood up to be polite. "Just introduced to the concept of swimming for fun, and you already can understand about swim clothes."

Again, Mikula blushed. "Please, you embarrass me."

Van Horn chuckled. "Well then, perhaps you should give me some privacy before we both become embarrassed."

They both shared a quick laugh and Mikula stepped outside with a wave back to the human. As soon as he was gone, van Horn closed the door to the outside. He wasn't worried about the wounded, as most were outside. Only Kanu and Soru were both still in the back, the former because he didn't feel like going outside, and the latter because of obvious reasons.

Van Horn quickly found the small cabinet holding his few clothes, and managed to find the swim trunks he had smuggled from his home on Desmonde to this planet. He snorted at the provision that he couldn't bring along any swimming clothes on the current assignment. _Not like the Bunker is anywhere close to native settlements, and they _did_ site it next to a lake, after all_. The pictures of the site van Horn had looked at before leaving his home planet were tempting enough that he risked bringing a pair of swim trunks with him. Fortunately, the provisions, while strict in wording, were flexible in application, and so no one bothered to check his personal effects when he boarded the dropship that took him to Bowman's Planet.

Van Horn undressed quickly, putting his used clothes into the next compartment, which he had been stuffing old clothes into when they were dirty and unusable. Although the converted _Darter_ lacked a laundry, van Horn had chosen the clothes he had taken with on the assignment for their sturdy nature. Thus, he could, if he had to, wash them in the stream that fed the lake near his bunker should any of the systems have a major failure. _Not likely, I know, but I didn't want to be up shit's creek if the improbable happened and I was stuck washing delicate crap on rocks._ However, that is what he'd been forced to do after the Blakest invasion made him decide to abandon the bunker in favor of a more secure, mobile life until the army could come in and clear out the interlopers.

"In any case..." He mumbled to himself. His words, however, brought his attention back to reality. Van Horn shook his head to help clear his thoughts and focus himself back at the task at hand. Quickly, he pulled on the blue trunks and a gray T-shirt to cover his torso until he made his way to the river.

He walked back to take a look in on Kanu and Soru, both of whom were sleeping, their bodies conserving energy for healing. Quietly as he could, van Horn walked back up front and opened the main door to the outside. As the door swung open, he side-stepped over to the driver's seat of the car, picking up a weapon he had taken to keeping around since the attack; a bowie-style combat knife. _This planet is still untamed, so there're probably some dangerous little critters out there._ He thought as he strapped the knife to his right ankle before stepping outside.

Van Horn broke the surface of the water, taking in a deep breath to replace the air he had let out underwater as he came up from below. The river water was cooler than the air temperature, but not by such a margin that he feared hypothermia, or indeed, even a cold. Kicking into a breaststroke, he swam towards shore and angled upstream to come out near where he had entered the river.

Van Horn had found a good spot to swim just a bit upstream from where the lupar had watered their pongos the night before and just before leaving for Hercor. The river twisted around a large rock formation that looked to have been transplanted from the mountains to the west, where this particular watercourse had its origin. _Probably a good-sized flood. Hell, that'd explain the nice broad valley we've been traveling in_. Van horn grinned a bit at this thought, mainly from imagining the awesome force needed to move such a massive object so far.

His thoughts focused in on the present, though, when he noticed someone waiting for him near where he had left his shirt. A moment of tensing up was relieved when he noticed it was Shaya, the younger sister of Alexis, who stood there. He paused in his swimming to wave to her, then immediately power-stroked his way to shore, reaching the smooth bank only about ten feet downstream from where he had entered. _Not a bad performance, given how strong this current is_, he thought to himself as he stood out from the river, water streaming off of his body.

Shaya looked at him wide-eyed, and van Horn realized that none of the natives had really seen him without a shirt on. _It must really emphasize our differences, especially with my chest not being as hairy as some people I've known_. He shrugged mentally, not really caring about his appearance too much, save to make sure that he at least wasn't offensive." Is there a problem, Shaya?" He asked politely as he reached where he had left his shirt and towel, using the latter to dry off the slightly mucky river water.

The young gatón simply looked at van Horn for a bit, and then managed to stammer out a response. "I, uh, heard about, uh, you swimming from Mikula, and I, uh, just wanted to see if he wasn't pulling my tail."

Van Horn smirked a bit at the last words, recognizing the idiom, as it was so similar to the Human version. "So, didn't quite believe that someone could enjoy the water?" He asked, letting his smirk spread into a friendly smile.

Shaya looked at the river. "Not really, no. Uh, just seems strange. I mean, doesn't it bother you to be wet?" She turned back towards the human as she asked this.

Van Horn kept smiling as he finished toweling off and reached for his shirt. Even bending down, he noticed that his head only came as low as Shaya's waist. "Not really, no. As you can see, I really don't have all that much hair to keep water next to my skin, so it tends to flow right off." Standing up, he pulled on the t-shirt and noticed it clung a bit in some places where he hadn't dried fully. He shrugged at that, and also to emphasize his next words. "It's really not that big a deal."

"Well, it certainly isn't anything I've heard of before." The blonde-haired gatón replied.

Van Horn smiled a bit and then motioned for Shaya to follow him back to the small camp the group had set up. "I understood that from Mikula, when I spoke to him."

Shaya fell into silence as they walked back along the path that had been recently trampled into the underbrush of the woods. Then a question popped into her head. "If your people like water so much, does that mean you don't go inside when it rains?"

Van Horn's laugh startled her, and made her feel a bit embarrassed. Van Horn noticed this, and smiled at her. "No, not really. See, we only like water and getting wet when we choose to do so. Most of the time, we're like you and prefer to be dry, so we get out of the rain, and build buildings, and stuff like that." He said as they came up to the clearing that the camp was situated in. Stopping as soon as he got into unblocked sunlight, van Horn closed his eyes and stopped for a second. "Ahhh. Sometimes, though, I rather suspect that I and my people like to swim and such just so we can feel how good it is to dry off."

Now Shaya chuckled. "That's funny. And yet, it sounds close enough to be true."

Van Horn opened his eyes and smiled at the gatón again. "Sometimes, that's what makes things funny." He said, and then went off towards the _Darter_. Some commotion around the entranceway to the car caught his attention, and so he hurried his pace, reaching the doorway in only a few seconds. "What's going on here?"

Several lupar and gatón turned and backed away to let him through, but no one answered him. However, Mikula's voice came through from inside. "Earl, there is a strange noise coming from one of your devices."

Reaching the door, van Horn head that strange noise, and his heart leapt. _Holy shit!_ He fairly hurled himself into the car, where he saw Mikula standing near the front control consoles, where the noise was coming from. In the middle and back of the main cabin, he saw Alexis and her parents standing. But he didn't care about them at the moment, as he practically leapt into the driver's seat and replayed the message that had come in via the satellite link.

"Research Outpost Foxtrot Four Eight Six, this is resupply ship USS _Dubois_, we have detected unknown jumpships at the jump point. We ask for your situation, over." These English words were the sweetest van Horn had heard in practically his entire life. Looking at the radio control display, he realized that it had just come in a few seconds ago. He checked the computer, which authenticated the security stamp that verified the transmission as actually coming from a Republic ship.

"Ha ha!" He yelled out, and then quickly worked the radio to transmit to the satellite, where it would hopefully be relayed to the supply ship. _If they haven't jumped out already_ came the dark thought, dampening his enthusiasm a bit. Totally ignoring the others around him, he opened the recording function on the comm. set and composed his message even as he spoke. "USS _Dubois_, this is Doctor Earl van Horn, occupant of Research Outpost Foxtrot Four Eight Six. Word of Blake remnant forces have invaded several indig cities. I have picked up chatter on unguarded frequencies indicating they plan to use this planet as a base for launching attacks into the Republic, including the use of atomics. I repeat, Wobbie forces are on-planet and wreaking havoc on the native population, with the intent of using them to support further attacks. I am mobile in my planetary rover and uncaptured, verification Echo One One Eight. This is no fucking joke, so get the military off their asses and out here ASAP!"

After playing it back once to make sure it was concise enough, van Horn zip-squealed it up to the orbiting satellite that the Blakests would surely locate now, and potentially his location. "Fuck it anyway." He mumbled to himself and sat back in his seat, the adrenalin coursing through his body. _Dear God, let them respond_, he thought, even though he knew that the jump point was at least thirty-five light minutes away. Realizing that it would be over an hour before he heard a response - _if _he did - he breathed a sigh to calm himself.

"Earl, what is going on?" Mikula's voice startled van Horn, who then remembered the natives in the car and standing just outside. Turning his chair around, he looked and saw questioning looks on all the faces he could see. Taking another deep breath, he began speaking. "That 'noise' you heard was one of my people's ships trying to contact me. The radio recorded it, and now I sent a message back." He closed his eyes and continued. "If my message gets through, then it means that my people will come and help us."

The others in the car and just outside fell deathly quiet, so much so that van Horn had to open his eyes to make sure that they were still there. "Does that mean they will fight the ones who attacked us?" The question came from the middle-aged gatón with brown hair and yellow eyes who stood in the car; Alexis' father.

Van Horn nodded. "It does. But it also means that, until they come, the Wobbies might know I'm here, in which case," he stood, "none of you are safe near me." He turned his head and looked at the radio. "When the time comes for Forbasa and the others to check in, I will tell him that we need to come into Hercor, so that they can take care of the wounded, as I need to leave."

"But, why? How can these 'Wobbies' find you now if they haven't already?" Alexis asked.

Van Horn turned back to face her. "Because the methods we use for communications are not untraceable. The small radios that I gave to Forbasa and the others aren't strong enough to be detected, but that transmission to the ship was. It is... Hard to explain. All I can say now is that it can be found out, and that increases the danger to you all, because you are near me." He closed his eyes and bent his head down a bit, shaking it lightly. "Which is why you need to get to Hercor, or at least with the rest of the caravan. So that I can leave and keep the Wobbies from attacking you just to get to me."

Mikula frowned in confusion, his ears flopping down a bit to further emphasize. "I don't understand why would they want to get you?"

Van Horn opened his eyes and looked to the lupar. "Because I have a radio. I have technology. And more importantly, I can do what I've been doing; helping you and others to stay safe and away from their grasp. They are power-mad barbarians, and my presence can disrupt their plans."

"How can you do that?" Asked the lupar again.

"Because they rely on the cowardly tactics of terror and terrorism. They rely on fear to control you. But if I'm here, I can tell you what I've been telling you, namely that they're vile barbarians, and tell you to not be afraid. That destroys their power, and they won't allow that. So I am a threat, one they will try to extinguish."


	12. Chapter 12

It took slightly longer than ninety minutes for a response to come back from the supply ship. Van Horn had, of course, been on pins and needles, and worried sick over what would be said, and over what would the Blakests do.

The reply message was brief. "Doctor van Horn, this is Captain Shinaka of the USS _Dubois_. We read your transmission, and we've identified the unknown ships in the area. They are, indeed, vessels that disappeared with remnants of several Blakest forces. An HPG message has been sent, and the Fleet has been called. As of now, you are to remain hidden and stay safe. Forces are en route to eliminate the infestation. Do not bother to reply, but be ready to transmit a beacon when the ships come calling. Over and out."

Van Horn had listened to it three times now, wanting to make sure he had heard it correctly, as well as to locate the code words he knew were in the transmission. 'Infestation' told him that Captain Shinaka believed van Horn when he had said that he was not captured, and 'bother' in the last sentence told him that, although they'd gotten the message, they were unsure as to when help would come.

_Something's changed_, he thought to himself. _Normally, the good captain would have said 'trouble yourself' had forces been actually dispatched when he contacted the fleet base at the New Honshu system. So that means something else is grabbing the military's attention._

"Damn." He swore softly. The word spoken aloud brought his attention back to the here-and-now, and he looked to see if anyone else had noticed his curse. Fortunately for him, the cabin in his _Darter_ was empty, as the natives were busy repacking so they could move to Hercor tonight, just as soon as van Horn could contact Forbasa and the caravan to let them know they'd be coming.

_The problem is, our contact schedule doesn't have his radio on until sunset,_ he thought as he stood from the driver's seat and stretched a bit. _That's a good six hours away, and Lord knows that the Wobbies could be swarming here by that time_. The sooner he could be away from the natives, the better the chance the Wobbies would leave them alone.

His face contorted into a mask of anger. _But who knows if those bastards would even care about leaving them alone. Just being anywhere near here may be grounds enough in their minds to lay waste to the town and the caravan._

These troubled thoughts followed van Horn as he walked outside to see how the natives were doing. The bright sunlight from the planet's sun was beginning to be interrupted with rolling cumulonimbus clouds starting to build across the sky. In the distance, they were taking on a gray, menacing look as natural updrafts built the low clouds into towers.

Turning his attention back to the immediate area, van Horn saw the gatón and lupar that had stayed to help with the wounded working to clean up the camp they had set up only this morning. Although he'd given them only short notice, they'd done wonders in packing up, and were nearly ready to leave.

One of them noticed van Horn standing and watching. The young gatón walked over, and van Horn soon realized that it was Alexis. "Hello, Alexis." He said to her. "I take it that preparations are coming along well?"

She nodded. "Yes, they are Earl. We should be able to leave in a few minutes." Then she tilted her head to the side that van Horn knew to be a sign of wistful curiosity. "Will you stay with us until we reach the town?"

He nodded. "That would be the plan, Alexis. Especially since the rest of you can't take all the wounded by yourself on those carts and carry your possessions. You know this."

Alexis nodded a bit. "Yes, I know. I simply ask because I... I am just curious as to what will happen then. You will leave, you say, but you have not mentioned a place that you will go to."

Van Horn sighed. "To be truthful, I haven't thought that far ahead." He shook his head a bit. "I think, though, the best route might be to head for the bunker- Err..." He temporized after slipping in the English word accidentally. "I mean the 'house' I was living in for a while before the Wobbies came."

Alexis looked out over the group as it worked, then turned back to look at van Horn. "But didn't you say you left that place because you worried that the Wobbies would find you there?"

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I?" He replied with a small smile, which then faded. "It may not be the safest place, but it's better than me staying here and risking all of you." He shook his head again. "In any case, help will be coming. I can hold out until my people arrive." He paused for a second, and then continued under his breath in English. "I have no choice."

"What don't you have?" Alexis asked, in Gatonese, which started van Horn a bit. "You heard that?" He asked incredulously.

She smiled a bit before replying. "You forget that I have good hearing." She said and tapped one of her large, triangular ears. "And that you've taught me some of your language."

Van Horn smiled ruefully. "I forget sometimes when I'm worried. And you have surprised me at how well you've picked up the few words I've taught you in only a few days."

"Flattery is good, but it won't distract me." She replied with a smirk. "What don't you have?"

Van Horn was tempted to try and distract her by noting the similarity of idioms, but he felt that it was a waste of time. "I said I don't have any choice." He said with another sigh. "I can't endanger the rest of you, as I've said, and I do not want to be captured by the Wobbies. So I have no choice but to stay uncaptured and away from you."

Alexis sighed herself. "I see what you mean, I think. Still, we will all be sad for seeing you go, even if you don't have all the interesting tools and supplies you had when you arrived."

Van Horn favored Alexis with a smile. "Thank you, my dear. It means much to me that I've managed to earn your trust, despite my differences." He said as another familiar person walked up. "Hello, Mikula."

The young lupar nodded. "Hello, Earl, Alexis. I came to let you know that we're pretty much ready to leave. All we need to do now is get the wounded back in the metal wagon and we can begin the trip over to Hercor."

Van Horn nodded. "Alright. So who comes-" He halted in mid-sentence as he noticed that the natives had suddenly tensed. "What is it? More bandits?"

Mikula shook his head. "No, not bandits. It sounds like that thing that flew above us at the caves after you had arrived. I think you called it-"

"A VTOL." Van Horn breathed as he, too, finally heard the familiar noise of a rotary-winged aircraft. "Goddamnit!" The English curse escaped his mouth, and he turned and rushed over to get to his scout car. "Shit-sucking goddamned mother-fuckers! Couldn't have taken another few hours?!" The natives couldn't understand the stream of English invective, but they could grasp the general meaning.

"Alexis, tell the others to pick up the wounded and go and hide in the trees." Mikula said as he started to follow van Horn. A hand on his arm stopped him for a second, and he turned to face Alexis. "What is it?" He asked.

"What do you plan to do, then?" She asked with concern in her voice.

He gave one of his lopsided grins as he gently shook her hand off. "I just want to see what's going on, exactly." The grin disappeared. "Please, just trust me, okay? I'll be right back."

She nodded, and before either could change their minds, Mikula leapt to follow van Horn. It was, of course, only a short few meters, but even then, a growing sense of urgency propelled the young lupar to the metal contraption.

Alexis watched him go, and then turned to go speak to the others in the small mini-camp. _Just come back, Mikula._

Van Horn vaulted aboard the _Darter_ and in a second, he was at the controls for the military-issue sensor suite. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions; a pair of VTOLs were scanning the area with active radar. _A pair of _Peregrines _by the look of it. Not at detection value yet, but they're getting closer._ Another warning light flashed on even as he looked over the various monitor screens. _Damn! Ultrasonic pings. That'll go right through the trees in the forest, so no hiding there... But they'd have to be close to use it effectively._ The problem was that the Blakests were probably not going to give up until they found the source of the radio transmission, which meant that they were going to blanket the area, if they had to.

Watching the monitors intensely, he noticed that the _Peregrines_ were not heading directly for him, but rather, were angling towards Hercor. In a flash, van Horn realized that they probably suspected the town, and his initial relief soon turned to ice in his belly.

The noise of Mikula hopping up the steps and into the _Darter_ send a jolt of adrenalin through van Horn's body, and he whirled about, hand reaching for his holster and pulling out the pistol within. Fortunately for Mikula, van Horn realized who it was and managed to not pull the trigger in reflex. "Jumpin' Jesus o a pogo stick..." He muttered in English, and then switched to Lupari. "Mikula, you shouldn't do that when I'm tense."

Mikula looked with slightly widened eyes at the gun as van Horn put it away, but his voice remained steady. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what the situation is."

Van Horn nodded and turned in the driver's chair to face the monitors at his left again, pointing them out to the native. "There are two of the flying craft out there, and both are heading towards Hercor."

Mikula looked at the indicated screen, but he couldn't understand half of what he saw. Still, he had no reason to doubt the human. "They think you are in the town?"

"Perhaps. At least, it's the most recognizable feature, and all towns and cities have lots of small places for people to hide, so it's not totally impossible that I could be there."

Mikula noticed a slight change in van Horn's voice at the last. "Are you alright?"

Van Horn looked at the lupar. "I'm tense and anxious. Why do you ask?"

"Because you sounded different there, when you mentioned that the 'Wobbies' might be looking for you in the town."

With a sigh, van horn shook his head slightly. "I'm worried... At this point, the Wobbies are unpredictable. If they don't find my equipment or me by scanning the town with their sensors, then they will do one of two things. Either they will send a party of ground troops out to search the town..." Van Horn took in a deep breath and held it a second, then let it out as he continued. "Or they might just decide that they would rather be sure that I was dead, and so they might raze the town."

The young lupar gave van Horn a disbelieving look for a few moments. "You can't be serious."

Van Horn gave a stern look right back. "Mikula, you told me how they attacked your unit without warning. Then they blasted Kuamket. Do you really think they would balk at destroying that town over there?"

Mikula blinked hard and looked off into space. "I- I suppose. I guess I didn't think about it." Van Horn's sigh brought his attention back to the human. "What?"

"Nothing," van Horn replied as he gave another, small shake of his head, then turned back to turn off the main power systems and non-essential systems in the _Darter_. "Just don't feel too bad that you didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that the town could be leveled." He said with a tight smirk. "It just shows you are not a barbarian."

The lupar looked indignant. "I should hope not." He then noticed what van Horn was doing. "What are you doing there?"

"I'm turning off the machines in the car. Some of them can produce... Signatures, that can lead the Wobbies to here." He replied speaking as he turned the fusion engine to its lowest power setting. "If they find us out here, I _know_ they will not hesitate to attack."

An involuntary shudder went through Mikula's body, his tail and ears twitching. "Then it's good that you are taking such precautions." He turned to look back towards the open door to the outside. "Do you think that we should start bringing the wounded in now? The others outside should be ready now, and they can help move them inside."

Van Horn shook his head. "No. The Wobbies might still find this vehicle here, and if they do, I need to be able to get out of here fast so I can lead them away from you and the others."

The lupar turned back. "Then what can we do now?"

"Sit still, and pray."

Outside, Alexis finished tying a knot that would hold a small parcel of clothes onto the small cart her family had been using to carry their few remaining possessions. Around her the few lupar and gatón that weren't fastening objects to their carts were helping the wounded get ready to board van Horn's metal craft. The noise of their movements was hurried, as the constant, low noise of the Blakest _Peregrine_s made everyone nervous and unsure.

Alexis, however, felt fearful for herself, and her family. _I was very lucky that my family survived the attack on Kuamket so well. But with the bandits attacking, and now this... I can't help but wonder... Will I lose a parent? My sister or my brother?_ Her thoughts were naturally troubled, all the more so because, being the oldest child, she felt a kind of obligation to help her parents take care of her siblings.

Another tug on the rope and she was finished. Alexis paused to catch her breath and finish her internal monologue. _Poor Mikula has already lost a brother to this whole mess, and so many others have lost family as well._ Her thoughts drifted to the Waso, the messenger who had brought Shaman Jukas from the north, and the horrible loss of his entire family. Her tail spasmed a bit and she closed her eyes unconsciously as she wondered at whether she could stand such a loss. _No, I can't think that way_, Alexis thought with a small shake of her head. _I won't let anything happen to them, and neither will anyone else that I know_.

"Alexis? Are you alright?" The voice of her mother came through Alexis' thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to look her mother in the face. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just- Thinking, that's all."

The reproachful look her mother gave her made Alexis feel like she was half her age. "Alexis, you are a lousy liar, you realize that?"

Alexis smirked a bit. "I know, mother." She turned to face towards the direction of the sounds of the flying machines. "I just worry, and I don't want you to join in that worry, that's all."

Her mother shook her head slightly, her face lighting up for a split second with a small smile that died as soon as it formed. "My dear child, you have it backwards. I'm supposed to be worried and trying to not let you worry." She reached out and took Alexis by the shoulders and turned her around. "Whatever it is that has you worried, you can tell me. Even if I won't understand you, from all that time you spend with the shaman, and now that strange furless person."

Alexis frowned. "I know, mother. I just don't wish to burden you or the others. All of you had to walk outside while I rode in Vanhorn's metal wagon, all comfortable. The least I can do is not to lay my worries on you."

Letting go of her daughter, Alexis' mother shook her head. "Are you still going on about that? Your father and I told you before that we understood why you could go in there and not us. You were taking care of the sick and injured, and that means you need the rest that you wouldn't get from walking outside with the rest of us."

Alexis sighed. "I know, but it still eats at me, knowing that you two had to practically push the cart all by yourselves, with Shaya too young to help, and Reyato busy guarding everyone with his bow. And now..." She turned again to face towards Hercor and the continuing noise. "Now, I worry over what might happen soon. What I- what we all might loose." Alexis choked out the last few words, and then tilted her head down to look at the ground, doing her best to regain control.

She felt her mother's hand on her left shoulder. "My darling child, I forget how truly grown you are." The hand came off as she came to stand beside her daughter. "In all the confusion and terror of the recent events, I've forgotten that you've seen more than any of us here, and yet you've handled it so very well, and with such maturity." She shook her head a bit and sighed. "It is inevitable that you should wonder about what ifs and what coulds. But, my darling daughter," she as she turned to face her child, "you shouldn't let such thoughts weigh so heavily on you, for all they will do is make you loose hope and sink into despair."

Alexis shook her head as her mother spoke. "But I can't just stop thinking about it. I see the results of such 'what-ifs' in the back of the metal wagon, with all the wounded. I saw it in the bodies we helped to bury at Kuamket and in the attack on the lupar that drove me home that rainy night." She shuddered at the memories' resurgence. "And it scares me, momma."

"I know, dear." Alexis' mother said as she reached around with her arm to hug her eldest child across the shoulders. "But the true test of character comes not from knowing what to fear, but to know that the fear is but a feeling, and that alone cannot hurt you."

A brief smile came across Alexis' muzzle. "That reminds me of something Vanhorn said about his people's past. He said that there was a leader of his people who once said 'we have nothing to fear but fear itself.'"

Her mother chuckled a bit, tense though it was. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Well, if this 'human' and his people have had such sayings, then I suppose they can't be all bad."

Alexis caught something in that sentence. "You don't like Mr. Vanhorn, do you mother?"

Her mother let go of her daughter before replying. "It's not that I don't like him. It's just that I- I have my reservations, 'tis all." She said somewhat embarrassed. "I guess it's silly, but I just can't bring myself to fully trust him so soon."

Alexis tilted her head to the side, and shook it slightly. "Funny, mother, I never took you for one of those who has an 'outsider' complex."

The other shrugged in reply. "What can I say? I'm a bit old-fashioned."

Before any of them could continue, however, a new sound came from the direction of the town and the craft that they had been hearing for some time. The noise consisted of a loud series of cracking noises, followed by the sounds of a wind blasting through trees... Only the air around them was calm. "What was that?" Alexis' mother asked.

Alexis didn't now either, but she knew it could only be bad news, a fact borne out by a rather loud exclamation from the direction of the _Darter_. "I think things have gotten worse."

"Jesus Christ!" Van Horn's mouth seemed to run off on its own, blaring such an utterance. However, he had good reason to not care about the faux pas, as his passive sensors showed an active radar lock from the _Peregrine_s' dual Larkin missile systems. But they weren't locked onto the _Darter_, or anywhere near it.

"What? What's wrong?" Mikula asked from where he had taken a seat not five seconds before. Although he had promised Alexis that he'd only be a short time away, he had been too entranced with the eerie display that van Horn had been telling him about as the Wobbie attack vehicles had circled the town.

Van Horn remained silent as he stared in horror at the readout. _Damnit! Those fuckers, they couldn't have any evidence that I was there... But it doesn't matter now._ Grimly, he turned from the display and started flicking switches across the control panel faster than he ever could remember doing it. He spared a quick glance to his right, where Mikula sat in the passenger seat. "You should leave. Now."

"What? Why?" The young lupar was obviously confused, his flickering as the numerous noises from the reviving scout car came through.

"I don't have time to explain! Just leave!" Van Horn almost shouted as he took another few seconds to flick the active probe sensor array to full transmission. _This'll get their attention_.

"What's going on? I want to know why you're so upset." Mikula said, raising his voice a bit in match to van Horn's own.

The human just gave the lupar a look, and then shook his head. "It's your funeral." He said in Lupari, then hit the last button on the console and then reached for the drive controls. To his right, Mikula started and yelped as the door to the outside fairly slammed shut. Turning back from that somewhat disheartening image, he looked at van Horn just in time to hear him speak.

"Buckle up and hold on." He said as he shifted the stick into first gear and slammed the gas as he took his foot of the clutch. The sudden lurch nearly caused Mikula to fall out of his seat. As it was, he managed to hold on as the rear wheels spun in the semi-wet soil, then caught traction as the automated computer system adjusted the tires to compensate.

The _Darter_ lurched from its resting position and sped underneath the trees that opened up ahead onto the plain around Hercor. Although going fairly slow when compared to civilian groundcars on a paved highway, the small vehicle was accelerating fast enough that Mikula slipped off his seat, not having attached the seatbelts in time. He slammed to the floor and landed on his tail, yelping again as he did so. Before he could do anything else, however, the car hit a bump in the path, which sent the young lupar flying before he came down again, this time on his belly. Deciding that he had had enough of being tossed, he reached out and grabbed onto the support for one of the chairs that sat near the back cabinets, having slipped back there in his movements.

Understandably, he was not pleased. "Are you insane?!" He called to van Horn.

"Yes!"

Alexis just gaped open-mouthed with the rest of the natives that had been startled to see the metal wagon in their midst lurch and race off at a speed that they had never seen it attain before. They continued to gawk as the car sped up even more as it began to clear the thicker part of the forest canopy.

Alexis had been walking towards the car when the door had slammed shut, practically in her face. Then she had jumped back in time to see the craft spin its rear wheels, then move off and make a quick turn as it circled the encampment and raced towards the town in the distance. Worried before, her fear came back in triplicate; for the town, for the small group, and for Mikula, who was still in the craft as it sped towards the sounds of what she had realized was an attack on the town.

_They must have seen it with those devices of Vanhorn's_, she thought. _But why race off like that? Vanhorn said that the Wobbies were looking for him, so why go out now when they're attack-_

An instant of complete clarity came over Alexis as she realized what was happening. _Oh, by the Gods, no!_

"Alexis!" The yell coming from near her family's cart brought her back to the present. She looked and saw that it was Kanu, who was - against previous cautions - standing, though at least he was supporting himself on the cart and keeping his weight off of his bad leg. Off to the side stood the gatón and lupar who had volunteered to stay and guard the small camp. Kanu beckoned her towards the group, which seemed to be attracting everyone in the mini-camp, save the wounded too hurt to even stand like Kanu, and a pair of gatón who were attending them at the moment.

Alexis walked over before Kanu could call her again. As she walked up, she noticed more than a few eyes on her, but Kanu began to talk and so she paid it no heed. "Alexis, do you have any idea what's going on? Why did Vanhorn leave? Why is my brother with him?"

Alexis shook slightly as the fearful thoughts came over her. "Mikula was in there talking to Vanhorn, then they took off without saying anything to anyone. However, I believe I know what they are up to."

Kanu looked intensely at her, and Alexis felt a shiver run up her spine from the base of her tail at the intensity in those eyes. "How do you know, then? And more importantly, what _are_ they doing?"

Bringing her head up, Alexis met his eyes with an assured look. "We all can guess what's going on, what's making those new noises. I don't think we need to be reminded of why we had to leave Kuamket?" The slight hanging and shaking of the heads around her filled her question succinctly. "We can guess, then, that Hercor is under attack. That's why they left."

"What? For whatever reason?" Kanu asked in a frustrated manner.

"They're-"

"-Bait."

Mikula held dearly onto the straps of the passenger chair he had clawed his way back to once the _Darter_ had reached mostly level ground. He had been trying to clasp them when he had asked van Horn why they had left in a hurry. "Could you repeat that?" He asked incredulously.

"I said we're bait." The human then turned hard on the wheel as they raced across the plain, barely avoiding a large boulder. "The Wobbies want to kill me. They think I'm in the town, or the town might be a source of support. They take it out, they can either kill me or scare the survivors into telling everyone not to help me or my people, when they come." His words came in clipped sentences, as he strove to keep his attention on the path in front, as well as on the sensor readings being displayed on the HUD.

Ahead was Hercor, on top of its rocky spire, looking as immovable as it had this morning, or so Mikula thought until he saw the smoke rising from glowing pits in the city's walls and outer buildings. He soon realized the glow came from fires, and it wasn't hard to discern the perpetrators; two shapes hovering in the sky near the town, tenuously connected to the devastated areas by tendrils of lithe, white smoke. The HUD had drawn a red triangle around each of them, and figures danced alongside the triangles that Mikula couldn't understand.

"I don't recall having volunteered for this." He tried to say in a nonchalant manner, though most of the effort was lost when the _Darter_ hit another bump, causing him to clip his last words. Fortunately, Mikula had finished clasping his belt not a few seconds earlier, and though he was shaken, he hadn't stirred from his seat.

Van Horn grunted at the bump, and replied while still keeping an eye on the windshield. "You volunteered by staying in the damned car when I told you to get your damned ass out." He managed to mutter, using the only curse word that he knew in Lupari to illustrate his point.

Mikula could only sit still and look out the windshield. _What a mess I've gotten myself into._ He thought to himself as the car bounced over a small ditch. They were getting close to the town now, and the farm fields were getting close. _A bit too- Shit!_ Mikula barely restrained himself further before the _Darter_ bucked into the air as van Horn plowed through a stone wall that marked one particularly lush farm. Stalks of yusurri plants either parted or were crushed under the car as it raced through the field.

A sudden wailing alarm came on throughout the compartment, accompanied by some red colored letters on the HUD. "What now?" Mikula asked, realizing that the strange words probably meant trouble.

Van Horn grimly smiled; a fearsome sight that Mikula did not like to see. "It means The Wobbies have us targeted instead of the town." Without further comment, van Horn violently yanked the wheel to the left, causing the _Darter_ to slew to follow his direction. The back end fishtailed as the moisture from the yusurri plants they crushed slicked the treads of the rear tires. But before van Horn could loose control, the computerized tire-pressure system brought the pressure low enough to provide traction, and the 13-ton craft accelerated like a missile.

Which was fortunate, as several real missiles impacted the area the _Darter_ would have traversed had van Horn not radically altered his path. The echoing boom of their explosions came through even the metal hide of the _Darter_. Mikula looked back instinctually, but quickly brought himself back around to face van Horn. "What was that?"

"Nothing to worry about." Van Horn replied nonchalantly. Though the sheen of sweat on his forehead told a different story... Or it would, if Mikula knew about human behavior. Still, the continuing booms behind them gave lie to the statement well enough on their own. "Right." Mikula replied sarcastically.

Another boom and a wrenching lurch forward rocked the _Darter_, causing the heads of the two people inside to shake with the whiplash. The headrests fortunately prevented them from getting damaged, but all Mikula could think of was that his neck would be awfully sore tomorrow.

"Now, _that's_ something to worry about!" Van Horn's excited half-shout brought the lupar's attention back to the driver's side. "Hang on!"

Mikula braced himself, grabbing the sides of the just-too-large seat and going stiff in the chair, just in time for van Horn to slap the stick into neutral and slam onto the brake pedal. Mikula felt as if some great hand was pushing him forward and out of his seat as the car decelerated from over ninety kilometers per hour to a near-dead stop.

The force made him look out through the front windshield in time to see a dark shadow cross the ground in front of the _Darter_. Before he could comprehend the shadow, a pair of Short Ranged Missiles slammed into the unplowed field not five meters from the front of the vehicle.

"Fucking Hell!" Mikula blurted as the brilliant orange explosions threw up fountains of dirt that began to rain down on the windshield. The little clumps didn't stay there long, however, as van Horn hit the gas hard and dropped the stick into gear. The horrific noise grated on Mikula's ears almost as badly as the gears grated each other, but the transmission managed to hold together, and the _Darter_ accelerated like a scared cheetah.

More grating noises came through the hull of the vehicle, and van Horn briefly wondered if the gears were still slipping. Then he realized what the noise was. "Oh, shit, machine guns." He said in English.

"What?" Mikula half-shouted, his more sensitive ears still ringing from the missile blasts and the transmission grating.

Van Horn swerved the car before responding in Lupari. "Those are- Damnit, I don't know the word. They're the things that gave you that wound in your leg, and they're chewing up the armor."

Mikula's eyes grew wide, before they automatically slammed themselves shut as the car took another bump and swerved around. Even with the overwhelming noises and movements, his attention easily focused on the memory of the night his unit was attacked, and the weapons that had reached out and killed so many. _And those things are attacking us now!_ He thought to himself and involuntarily shuddered.

More of the noises came through, this time from the side. Van Horn checked the armor diagram on the HUD. "Damnit, we can't take much more of this." He said aloud in English, though this time Mikula didn't have to ask the reason for the utterance; he could hear the clattering noises of the machine guns now, above the thumping noise of the _Peregrin_es' rotary wings and the _Darter_'s own engine.

Meanwhile, van Horn's mind was racing. _Great work, idjit. Now you'll get this poor lad killed. Too fuckin' eager, ain't you? Jumpin' out like this, almost like you're showing off, like when you wanted to go for a-_ His thoughts screeched to a halt, even as he heaved the steering wheel to the right, aiming towards the town and the rocky spire it sat upon. "You said you could swim, right?" He asked Mikula feveredly.

Mikula gave him an incredulous look. "What? Yes, but I don't-"

"Just hold on damnit!" Van Horn shouted and gunned the throttle. _Dear God, let us make it_.

"Dear Gods, let them make it." The voice belonged to a young lupar guard by the unlikely name of Kendo, one of the five lupar guards who had stayed to help protect their wounded comrades. He stood near Alexis and most everyone else from the encampment, save a few of the older gatón - her parents included - and the younger kids. They had crowded onto one of the large boulders that littered the river's floodplain, desperate to see any glimpse of the human's vehicle as the two flying machines shot at it with their weapons.

Alexis was on the highest part, though the taller lupar still managed to reach or exceed her eye level. She didn't care, though, as she strained to make out the shape of the metal vehicle in the distance and through the dust thrown up by the attacks and maneuvers. Her thoughts mirrored the lupar's words, as she silently prayed that Mikula and Vanhorn would be all right.

The view wasn't encouraging, however, as the flying machines flittered through the air, appearing to close in for the kill, even to the relatively ignorant natives. Then they saw the _Darter_ lurch out from a small cloud of dust, spitting up rooster-tails from wheels as the driver gunned the engine and racing along fast enough that the lines of light and death coming from the flyers missed the speeding craft.

Alexis, though, couldn't help but have a feeling of dread come over her as she saw the car angle towards the town and closed with one of the flying machines. The craft wasted no time, she saw, as it rained a cloud of the things that made the cracking-wind sound. Fiery explosions littered the ground around the metal car, and one even erupted right on the front of the _Darter_. Seeing that, Alexis' breath caught in her throat and she feared the worst.

Fortunately, the little car raced out from the cloud that had grown around it, and it continued to race near the town. A small cheer came from one of the gatón, but Alexis didn't bother to see who it was as she intently focused on the racing object that held two people she knew. It was this attentiveness that let her see the shift in the car's track as it turned from its path towards the town and heaved itself to head towards the river.

"What are they doing?" She couldn't help but blurt out. No one answered her, as the flyers again launched a wave of their attacks, peppering the ground and tearing a hole in the back of the scout car with their weapons. The car shuddered violently, but it continued to turn and race right up to the riverbank. And beyond, as the car rammed into a small dolman at high speed, its momentum transferred from lateral to vertical movement as the car's front went up the ramp-like rise of earth, vaulting the multi-ton craft into the air.

It didn't stay airborne for more than a split second, yet it was enough time for the natives to watch it turn in mid air and fall into the river with the door side facing downwards, the top of the craft facing upstream and towards the group. The impact splashed a virtual wall of water that obscured their view for a second and making a noise that they could here even so far away.

It also apparently distracted the gunners in the flying machines, as they didn't fire for a few moments, giving Alexis hope that Mikula and Vanhorn could escape. However, the water subsided and the enemy again opened fire, their weapons tearing into the damaged hull of the _Darter_ with a fury made accurate by their target's immobility.

One of the missiles fired by the _Peregrine_s found its way into a breech made in the starboard armor of the scout car. Tearing its way into the internal structure, it exploded next to the fusion engine. The shaped-charge warhead, although designed to penetrate armor, did just as good a job in penetrating the metal-ceramic reactor vessel. Within a few microseconds, air and water rushing into the reactor flash-cooled the miniature star, killing the reaction... But also absorbing much of the waste heat, as well.

What followed next was what, to the uninitiated, looked to be a reactor explosion. In reality, the superheated air and steam blasted back out from the reactor vessel, tearing the breach wider and illuminating the air around the dead vehicle with the incandescent glow that matter gives off when it's heated a few thousand degrees in less than two seconds. With the wider breach in the reactor, enough air and water got in to cool off the interior without being converted to plasma itself, and so the frightening display vanished into nothingness as its energy bled into the surrounding air.

Of course, Alexis and the others knew none of this as they saw the fiery display. All they could do was stand quietly as the flying machines circled the area a few more times, then turned and moved off in an easterly direction. In a few minutes, they couldn't be heard at all, and the group began to slowly climb off the rock.

Alexis was the last to come down, and she only did so mechanically, as if her mind wasn't there. Once on the ground, she turned to face towards the ruin of what was once a mighty spectacle for her. _A ruin that contains two more dead bodies_...

Suddenly, it was too much for her. The weight of the past few weeks came crashing back, and she fell to her knees as strength left them. Memories, visions, fantasies, nightmares, all came swirling back in a maelstrom that drove from her mind all thoughts, save one; _He's gone_. It stayed in the middle of her mind, and it grew, until it was all she could see, all she could know. _He's gone_.

It was with sudden clarity that she realized the true depth of her feelings for Mikula. Thoughts and memories of him came through her head at breakneck speed, despite the fact that she had so relatively few of them. All the while, the one thread traced through her consciousness; _He's gone_.

Looking out, she saw the columns of smoke that were rising from in Hercor, in the fields, and from the blasted _Darter_. Tears began to stream from her eyes as the smoke billowed up from fires caused by the touch of war. Alexis tilted her head forward, and she fought to control herself, to keep from collapsing entirely into a helpless mass.

Footsteps came up to her right side. She didn't bother to look. She just sat there, her limbs unmoving, her head bent forward to hide her face from the world. So she would have stayed if not for the gentle touch on her shoulder. The pressure was light, but to Alexis, it felt like a hammer blow, for it made her bring herself back into the now, into the pain of the events just passed.

"Alexis..." She recognized the voice as that of her brother's. Looking up, she saw Reyato, two years her junior. "We should go... We need to get to the town. We're not safe out here from bandits."

Although Reyato was trying to sound soft and comforting, his voice was nothing of the sort to Alexis at the moment. "I don't care, Reyato." She said, and then turned to again face down towards the ground.

Her brother, however, wasn't about to give up. "Alexis... Please. We need you to come help. You're the only one left with any experience in helping treat and care for the wounded. We need you to help us."

_'You're the only one left...'_ The thought went through her mind, and again depression threatened to take her. But this time, she had something else to hold on to. _I have my duty_, she thought as she rubbed her hand over the areas where her tears had soaked into her cheek fur. _I will not fail it. To do so would besmirch the memories of Mikula and Vanhorn._

Taking a deep breath, she stood slowly; using her tail for all the balance she could get out of it, hoping that it would be enough to keep her weak knees from buckling again. Once upright, she looked at her brother. "I- I'll be there. Just give me a moment."

Reyato nodded silently, then turned and quietly stalked away, but occasionally glancing over his shoulder towards his sister.

Alexis ignored it, knowing that her brother was just worried about her. She took a quick look around, and noticed that everyone had left already. In fact, the sun seemed lower than she remembered it. _Have I been at it so long?_ Her thoughts turned to shame, briefly, as she realized the mess she must have looked like, and the weakness she had made in the group.

She shook her head once to clear it. "No." Alexis spoke to herself in a whisper. "I will not let my mistakes control my future." She looked back up towards where the wreck of the _Darter_ sat upended in the river. She noticed some commotion near the town, and near where the car had flown into the river, and realized that people would be looking for survivors.

She titled her head downwards briefly. _I've seen attacks by these Wobbies before. There are no survivors._ She again looked up. _But today, I vow that I will not let there be another attack like this so long as I can do anything about it._

With a final deep breath, she turned from the tableau and walked towards where the others waited. For the first time, she felt something that she had only heard of in stories. She felt her anger transform into rage.

_I don't know how, but I'll get the ones responsible for your death, Mikula. I'll stop them and make sure they can't hurt anyone else again._

It was well into the night when they arrived at Hercor. The small group had pushed themselves hard to cross the plain as soon as they could, even discarding all of their supplies and remaining possessions to lighten their load. Not to mention, to also make space on the carts for the wounded that couldn't walk.

_Although some who can walk shouldn't_, Alexis thought to herself as she carried a small bundle and medicines and bandages strapped to her back. She had protested when some of the wounded had wanted to walk by themselves, or at least with only some help from someone else. However, most of the others agreed that it would speed them up enough that they could get to Hercor in one spurt, even if they would take most of the night. Reluctantly, she had agreed, knowing that bandits wouldn't hesitate to kill the lot of them.

So now the group trundled in the dark along a path that wound between two planted fields of crops. They had arrived at the outskirts of the planted fields only a few minutes before, and the group had experienced a slight burst of energy, as they hoped safety was only a few minutes away. Still, they had to make sure to not get turned around in the maze of paths that zigzagged between the two-meter stalks of yusurri and the shorter, but thicker bushes of gorongo. Thus, Alexis was one of three who walked a bit in front of the others, making sure that they could find the right paths through the fields. Or at least, avoid the paths that lead off back to the untamed plains.

Alexis shifted the bulk of the pack from her right shoulder to the left, seeking some brief respite from the weariness of carrying the bulk for several hours. She didn't pay it too much attention, however, as her thoughts kept drifting over the day's events, and what they meant to her. More importantly, she silently mourned the death of Mikula, and to a lesser extent, van Horn. She had spent much of the time walking in silence, studiously ignoring attempts by the others to engage her in conversation.

_Not like me to be rude_, she thought to herself. _But then, I've never had such a day before... And I don't think I will ever again._ Her internal monologue paused as she and the other two 'pathfinders' - Kendo and a gatón named Wayner - reached a small intersection in the paths. A quick check of their orientation allowed them to pick the path that headed towards Hercor, and after looking at each other in silent communication, they turned and followed it, though Wayner stayed behind to direct the rest of the small group when they arrived at the intersection.

As she walked down the road, Alexis took some time out from her depressing thoughts to marvel at the smell of the gorongo flowers, which was nothing she had experienced before. The brief moment of unadulterated wonder came to a crashing end when she remembered a conversation she had had with Mikula where he had mentioned the fruit of the bushy gorongo trees and the lovely-smelling flowers that grew into them. The feeling of loss again came over her, and turned the smell of the flowers bittersweet, to match the memory of that conversation.

So things carried on, until Alexis and Kendo reached the next intersection, and found it guarded. The two stopped as the pair of armored lupar guards walked over from where they were standing in the middle of what was obviously a main road. Taking a second to look around, Alexis noticed that, not only was the base of Hercor's spire very close now, but that there were several buildings along the base. Large ones, and various, unidentifiable sounds came from them. All curiosity was pushed aside, however, as the two lupar came walking up, their torsos and heads encased in a breastplate and a helmet. One stepped a bit further forward than his compatriot and spoke. "Identify yourselves in the name of Sha'na'kre."

Alexis' face twisted in puzzlement, her ears shifting downwards to mirror the expression. She dismissed the confusion at a thought, however, and decided to reply. "We are some travelers, separated from the caravan that arrived here at Hercor earlier this day. Our group is just a short distance behind us, and we now come to rejoin our friends."

The lupar who had spoken had done so towards Kendo, but now he turned and faced Alexis, lifting off his helmet and tucking it under his left arm, while his right rested on the hilt of his sword. "And who might you be, little girl?" He asked with a sneer.

Alexis felt that the guard was trying to cow her. Instead, she stood more erect and answered back with a strong voice that carried. "I am Alexis, aide and apprentice to the Shaman of Kuamket. I ask to be taken to him now."

The guard lost a bit of his cockiness, though he still was confident in his reply. "Oh, do you now? Well, it's the middle of the bloody night right now, and the gates to the town are closed until morning. You and your little group will have to wait until then to see your friends."

The guard's attitude and his faintly patronizing speech made Alexis angrier. "Are you aware that, under the bylaws of the Trader's Guild, you are violating the right of a Master to receive his apprentice at any time of the day?"

That shook his demeanor. "How do you know about the bloody Trader's Guild?"

"That is none of your business, and the bylaws clearly state that I do not have to divulge to you any reason for my visit to my master. Now, you can let me in know, or I can find a barrister in the morning and sue your clan for your dense attitude." Alexis spoke this as quickly as she could in Lupari, her voice fairly ringing with indignation and anger.

The guard was clearly shocked, so much so that he took a step back. "I, uh- I mean..." He fumbled verbally a bit, and then his ears and tail went down in embarrassment. "Just- Fine." He finally grunted out in frustration. "Follow me. But your friend will have to stay here."

Alexis looked to Kendo, who returned the look and nodded towards her in silent approval. She also saw a hint of a smile on the side of Kendo's muzzle that faced away from the guard. She nodded back to him and winked with her left eye before turning back to her right to face the guard again. "Very well. Lead on."

The guard frowned at her commanding tone, but he said nothing and instead turned about and walked towards the other guard. Taking a few seconds to whisper something into the other lupar's ear, he then turned back and gestured Alexis to follow him. "Come on, then." With that, he started down the road at a good clip, putting his helmet back on as he moved.

Alexis strode off to catch the lupar, and found herself trotting just to keep up with the fast, long-paced strides of the guard. _He's walking fast just to show his irritation, _Alexis thought._ No matter._

It took a few minutes of exhausting travel before they reached one of the large buildings, which Alexis realized that it was, in fact, a gatehouse for a good sized wall that ran around part of the base of the spire. The other buildings she had seen from a distance were inside the wall, and Alexis realized that this would be the town's common trading and equipping area. The two approached the main gates, and then angled off to head towards a door that had another pair of armored lupar standing on both sides of it.

As they came near, the guard leading Alexis raised his right hand in a gesture to the other two guards. "It's Vilini. I have someone who has to get in and talk to one of the newcomers in the caravan that came today."

The guard on the left spoke up. "Vil, you know the rules, no persons allowed in until morning. And you know that, after today, the higher-ups are going to keep their eyes on us more keenly."

Vilini took off his helmet and gave the speaker a sour look. "Kel, she's quoted Guild bylaws. Do you want to explain to the captain when a barrister comes calling?"

Alexis could've sworn she saw a shudder in both of the guards standing near the door. "Guild laws, eh?" The one on the left asked rhetorically. "Fine. But you explain to the Captain if he finds out."

"Yeah, yeah." Vilini grumbled, as the door guards moved and one knocked on the door itself. A small portion of the door opened up, and Alexis realized that it was some sort of built-in window, and that there were more guards on the other side. Before she could puzzle over this any further, the door opened and the guards stepped aside.

The one called Vilini turned and gave her a poisonous look. "Come on, then. In you go." He said and motioned for the young gatón to go in front of him. Alexis felt a bit suspicious, but chalked it to her general distaste for the guard's attitude earlier. Resolutely, she stepped forward and through the door.

Nothing happened, she realized with some relief. _I guess I'm more like mother than I'd like to admit_ she thought as she realized that part of her anxiety came from a distrust of lupar in general. It was something she had thought she'd grown out of after getting to know Mikula and the many people from Tanzano. _I suppose that old paths are the best worn_, she thought with a mental sigh.

Soon enough, however, Alexis had plenty to distract her from her thoughts. She stopped and looked around the courtyard that was formed by the surrounding buildings and wall. Near the base of the rocky mount upon which Hercor rested were several large buildings, very much like barns. When she heard unmistakable pongo noises coming from them, she realized they _were_ barns, only much larger than she had seen gatón build them. Some movement to her left brought her head around, and Alexis saw that it came from a building that stretched along the side of the wall for half its length. Although made of wood, it had two stories, the lower one seemed to be entirely made of shops, or so she thought. It was, after all, night, and all but one of the doorways were shut, and the small windows were shuttered. The one door that was open, however, had light pouring from it, and various noises came from that direction. A shadow would move across the doorway from time to time, interrupting the light and creating the sense of movement that had drawn Alexis' attention in the first place.

From behind her, Vilini nudged her in the back with hand. "Come on, girl. You wanted to see your master, then you can't just sit here and stare."

Alexis recovered from the light nudge easily, and turned to give the lupar an irritated look. "I'm sorry," she said in a voice that indicated she was anything but. "I just was a bit interested in the yard. Now, which way is it then?"

Vilini smirked a bit when she mentioned her interest in the courtyard, but that disappeared in a second. "Well, now that depends. Who did you want to see? Most of the caravan people are in their wagons at the barns, or in the hostel." As he spoke, he indicated the barns Alexis had noticed earlier, and to the hostel, which was a low-slung building to the right side of the yard. Alexis looked in that direction and noticed that many of the carts the gatón members of the caravan had used were sitting outside in rows. Her strength seemed to come back a little at seeing them, and the pair of gatón who were standing outside, apparently watching the carts to make sure nothing was stolen.

Before she could think of going over there, the lupar spoke again. "Also, some of the caravan leaders went into the town proper to speak with out ruling council. If your master is important, he'd probably be up there." The guard seemed to take some perverse pleasure at mentioning this. Looking up towards the town, Alexis saw that it was quite a climb up the ramp that had been chiseled into the living rock by the lupar to provide access to the town. _No wonder he's happy. I'm already tired, and now I'm going to have to climb up the ramp to speak to the Shaman._

Alexis sighed loudly, not caring what the lupar would think. She then turned to face the guard. "Well, my master is most likely up in the town." She said. "Lead on."

It was a good twenty-five minutes before they finally reached the gates to Hercor proper. Although not as large as the gates to the courtyard below, the gates to the town were richly decorated with elements of lupar mythology. Or, at least Alexis assumed so, since she knew very little on the subject. Her only clue was a carving on one of the wooden gates which resembled a print in a lupar book she had read, which was supposed to be Vorana, the female lupar figure that supposedly was one of the first lupar, and said to be the patron spirit of good luck. The other figures she could identify, and she didn't have any more time to look at them anyway, as the gates were pulled open once the guard had identified himself and the reason he was there.

The iron hinges on the gates creaked loudly as they were pulled back. Looking through, Alexis saw that there were another four lupar guards on the inside, holding spears at the ready. Her stomach knotted in fear for a second, and then she managed to get a hold of her feelings.

"Come on." Vilini said, and he started off immediately. Alexis again found herself hurrying to catch the fast-walking lupar. _Isn't he tired at all from the climb up?_ She thought as they walked into the gatehouse. The spear-carrying guards stepped back and raised their spears to a resting position, but they all kept their eyes on Alexis, which made her want to shudder. Nevertheless, she kept herself calm and moved beyond the gatehouse and into the town of Hercor itself.

Looking around, Alexis was immediately struck by the fact that nearly every house was made of stone. All of them were also nicely kept on the outside, and all of them had curtains, rather than doors blocking their entranceways. _How trusting of their neighbors_, she thought. She then noticed that many houses also had two stories, and a few one-story houses had scaffolding around them, indicating another layer was going to be added soon. _They must be prosperous to afford such extravagance_.

Walking through the town also gave her a bit of the creeps, as the night was eerily silent. Built so far up, the town was isolated from the natural sounds of the forest or the plains, so Alexis could hear no animals, no birds, no insects, save for one or two buggers that flittered by her as she followed Vilini down the main avenue of the town.

"Where are we going, exactly?" She asked the guard, a little less sure of herself now that she was in such an alien environment.

Vilini responded soft in volume, though his tone was still annoyed. "We're going to the manor house of the maegister. That's where the caravan leaders are being put up for the night, as they negotiate with the council."

"And who is the maegister?" Alexis asked.

"He's the head of the ruling council and the man in charge of running Hercor from day to day. His house is the largest, and has several guest rooms, so that's where your master is certainly staying." Vilini finished and then took a hard right down a narrow alley. Alexis turned to follow him, though again her stomach twisted as she feared some sort of trick. She shook her head quickly to try and dislodge the ill feeling. _You can't be so suspicious. It's not like everyone's out to get you._ A sudden memory popped up in her head. She had been talking to van Horn during one of the nights that they were at the caverns outside of Kuamket. He had been out to check on the wounded, and he had a weapon strapped to his hip. When she had asked what it was and been answered, she had mentioned that it was rather paranoid to be carrying a weapon just to go between the cave entrance and his vehicle. To that, he had replied, "just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me."

The response was slightly amusing then, but now it was funny enough that, had she been in a better frame of mind, Alexis would have laughed. Instead, she simply smiled for a bit. The smile died, however, as she remembered van Horn's fate. Also, they had reached the end of the alley, where it opened up to face a large, two-story house that stretched at least twice as long as any other house Alexis had seen in Hercor.

"This way." Vilini grumbled, and he moved towards a door that was on one of the house's shorter sides. Alexis noticed that it seemed to be a lesser entrance than the main one along the front, broad side of the house. She took no offense, _even though that's probably what the lupar wants_.

They walked up to the door, and Vilini wasted no time in knocking on it, though Alexis noticed he did so softly. She did her best to hide a smirk. _As irritated as he is, he doesn't want to upset this 'maegister.'_ For some reason, that amused her, though she would have been just as quiet out of respect for someone of such importance.

The door to the house opened, interrupting any further musings. Vilini took off his helmet as an elderly lupar woman, lit by the candle she was holding in a metal holder, appeared in the doorway. "Yes, who's there? And you'd better have a good excuse for coming so late at night." She said in a slightly raspy voice.

Vilini shuffled his feet a bit. "I'm sorry to bother you so late at night, Mrs. Varner, but I have a person here requesting to see one of the people from the caravan. She claims the right of guild law to see her master."

The lady lupar tilted her head slightly to her right, causing some of her white hair to flop over the side. "Guild Law? Well, I don't know about that, but one of our guests did say someone might be coming for him." She turned to look towards Alexis, who stood a slight bit back from the door and the two lupar. "A gatón, eh?" The elderly woman said. "What's you name, child?"

Alexis took a smooth step forward. "My name is Alexis, daughter of Karn Hurano. I come from Kuamket, and I seek to speak with Shaman Forbasa." She spoke, enunciating slowly and keeping her voice low and her tone confident, though not arrogant.

A small grin flashed over the old lupar's muzzle. "Well, that sounds like one of the people he was waiting for." She stepped back and pulled the door all the way open. "Come in, the both of you. You must be tired from the climb up, so you can rest in the kitchen while I wake up Mr. Varner and Mr. Forbasa." Without waiting to see if they followed, she turned and walked down the hall that the door opened up to.

The guard Vilini stepped in first, being closer, and Alexis followed. It was a short walk down the bare-floored hall to a small door. Vilini went through it without hesitation, so Alexis followed right behind him.

They walked into a decently sized room that Alexis recognized as a kitchen right away. Pots hung from a rack suspended from the ceiling, and a large oven over next to a wall that Alexis realized was the outside of the house. A large, rectangular wooden table dominated the center of the room, and several stools stood alongside it. Mrs. Varner was standing next to the table, leaning over with her candle to light the small oil lantern that hung above the table. After it was lit, the near-elderly lupar turned to face the two arrivals. "Now, you two wait here and sit if you want. I'll come back to get you when the others are all woken up and ready to talk." With that, she turned and went out the other door the kitchen, which led into another room on Alexis' left.

Vilini grumbled quietly, then went to the table and grabbed a stool. He dragged over next to a cabinet and sat down away from the table with a bored look on his face. Alexis herself just went and sat at the table, and used the quite moment to take the pack she had been carrying off of her shoulders. After the pack was lying on the floor, she rubbed her shoulders and absentmindedly made a soft purring sound. _Feels good to finally take that off_.

The noises she made attracted Vilini's attention. "How long have you been carrying that pack?" He asked. Alexis looked over towards him, a bit surprised that his voice no longer had the irritated quality that he'd been affecting since she'd pressured him into taking her into Hercor. Glancing over his face, she noticed that he also didn't seem to regard her as something distasteful, though he still had a guarded, wary look.

Alexis decided to try and be friendly. "I've been carrying it since about two hours before nightfall." She said as she continued to rub her shoulders.

"That long?" Vilini asked, seeming a bit impressed. Alexis nodded before responding. "Yes. It's taken my group that long to get from the forest near where the river comes out to the town."

"That's a good distance, but it shouldn't have taken you so long."

Alexis shrugged at the comment. "We have a lot of wounded, and though we dumped most everything save some food, medicine, and the wounded themselves, we were slowed."

The mention of wounded brought Vilini's ears up. "Injured people? Why didn't you mention that earlier when you demanded to be brought inside?"

Alexis gave him a sour look. "Would it have mattered?"

Vilini seemed to deflate a bit. "No... No I suppose it wouldn't. The gates have to stay shut for a reason, you know. But at least we could have woken up a doctor, had them come out and check on-"

Alexis' headshake caused him to cut off. "No, they're as well treated as they can be, so I doubt your doctors would help all that much. What they really need is some rest in a safe place."

Vilini frowned at the comment about the town's doctors, but he let it go. "Well, in any case, they can't come in until morning unless the maegister says otherwise."

Alexis' face darkened. "Why is that? What's with this strange rule that no one can come in during the night?"

Vilini gave her his own, irritated look right back. "There are a couple of reasons. The main one being that bandits could - and have tried, mind you - to get inside the front gates by claiming to be in some sort of distress. That way they could open up the trading houses and pillage everything there. In fact, according to the village elders, a group did that once, many years ago. Since then, we've had the rule that no one can come inside the gates unless they have a very good, verifiable reason."

Alexis shifted on the stool, trying to get a better position on the seat, which was just a bit too tall for her to find comfortable. "I can see that. But you said you had a couple of reasons. What's the other one?"

Vilini looked less irritated then, and even, to Alexis' puzzlement, embarrassed. "It's kind of an old superstition many of our elders have. There are very old stories about shape-shifting demons that can appear like your friends, so we're not supposed to let anyone in." He shrugged at that. "Kind of silly, if you ask me, but that's the way it is."

Alexis shrugged herself. "I suppose it might be unlikely, even silly, but... After some of the things I've seen recently..." She shuddered visibly. "I would not be surprised to see such a demon."

Vilini gave her a hard, appraising look. "Yes. For instance, that unprovoked attack from those strange air-creatures on our town, and the thing that raced about and distracted them. You must've been close enough to see that earlier today, right?"

Alexis nodded. "You might say that."

"What does that mean?"

Before she could reply, Mrs. Varner came through the open door to the other room. From where Alexis was sitting, she could see that it was the apparently the main dining room. The elderly lupar looked from one to the other as she talked. "Well, everyone's up and in the receiving parlor. Come follow me and please don't knock over anything."

Nodding their assent, both Alexis and Vilini got up and followed Varner as she walked out through the dining room. Alexis heaved up her pack from the floor and found, to her mild irritation, that she again could not see ahead due to the broad, armored back of Vilini.

She shrugged to herself and decided it didn't matter. After a few moments of following the two lupar through several twists and turns in the house, Vilini's back disappeared from her view as he stepped through a doorway, and then sidestepped off to the left. Alexis followed and stepped into the room. After which, she smiled for the first time since the afternoon as she saw Shamans Forbasa and Jukas sitting on a small couch.

The room was nicely furnished, with a purple-dyed carpet on the stone floor, several couches, each with a blanket or two draped over their backrests, and a painting that hung on a mantle. The fireplace below it was stocked with wood all ready to burn, but it was unlit. The gatón shamans were on the couch that sat on the far wall that ran from the fireplace on the left to the wall opposite of the mantle. Another couch sat along that opposite wall, though it was pulled a few feet towards the center of the room to bring it closer to the other couch, and also to provide some walking space for the doorway in the wall behind it. On this couch sat Tiana Farkas along with another lupar, who looked middle-aged like her. Unlike the caravan members, who were simply dressed in their traveling clothes - _put on in a rush, apparently_, Alexis thought to herself - the unfamiliar lupar wore a brownish-red robe.

Alexis turned back to look at Forbasa. "I take it that you saw what happened earlier today, shaman?" She asked without preamble.

Forbasa nodded, showing no irritation. "Yes, we all did. I- I take it that our friend Vanhorn is... No longer with us?"

Alexis hung her head. "Yes. He was in his car when it ran off, and I didn't see him leave it before- before it was destroyed." She managed to get the sentence out without breaking into tears, though she was struggling. "That's why we left our encampment and came here, since it's not safe there anymore without his protection."

Forbasa nodded. He also noticed the catch in Alexis' voice. "I take it, from the way you're avoiding eye contact, that something else is wrong?"

Alexis just stood there quietly for a moment, trying to gather her strength up. "Yes." She said quietly in a child-like voice. However, she managed to infuse her next words with some more strength. "Yes, something is." With her willpower straining, Alexis brought her head up and turned to face Tiana. "I- I'm sorry, Mrs. Farkas, but Mikula-" The words caught in her throat, and she looked down again to try and get herself back into control.

Tiana didn't make it easier, as she practically leapt off the couch. "What? What's happened? What's wrong with Mikula?" Her worried words came at a fast pace, heightening the guilt Alexis felt. Somehow, she managed to raise her head and say it. "Mikula's dead. He was with Vanhorn when they were attacked."

Tiana looked as if someone had stabbed her in the stomach. She wavered in her stance and fell forward in a faint. Fortunately, the other middle-aged lupar had stood soon after she did, and now reached out to support her just as Alexis managed to grab Tiana's shoulders. Vilini then came up and gently took Tiana from Alexis' hands, and helped the elder lupar move her back to sit on the couch. Alexis felt a bit irritated at the way he just took over her lifting position, but she was also relieved; Alexis was very tired, more so with the emotional stress that flooded the room.

When Tiana was sitting on the couch, unconscious, Alexis heard Forbasa clear his throat. She turned and saw that he and Jukas had both stood, as well, the former using his cane for support. "Alexis, was anyone else hurt or... Killed?" Forbasa asked.

She shook her head. "No. Mikula was in the car talking to Vanhorn, for all I know. Then when the attack on Hercor started, the car door slammed shut and it raced off." She bent her head down again, and wrapped her arms around her torso, while her tail wrapped itself around her left leg. "Given the response of the Wobbies, and the way Vanhorn went, I can only assume that he did so to distract the flying machines from hurting more people in Hercor."

"Who is this 'Vanhorn?'" Asked the middle-aged lupar, who now sat half on the couch, holding Tiana upright with an arm on her shoulder. Forbasa grimaced slightly before turning to face the lupar. "He is- was a great friend. I told you about the humans that attacked us, you'll recall?" He paused while the lupar nodded. "This Vanhorn... He was a human, as well. However, he was practically the opposite of the attackers. Where they destroyed our village and killed people, he brought medicine and helped to heal the wounded. Then he joined us and carried the wounded in that metal wagon of his that now lies in ruin in the river."

A moment went as the lupar absorbed this. "Might I ask why you didn't mention this before?"

Forbasa contritely nodded. "You had a hard enough time allowing us in this morning, and then even deigning to speak with us. How would you have treated us if we claimed to have such a person with us?"

"I'd probably not treat with you at all." The lupar said with a sigh. "I see your point. In any case, I didn't see any wounded with your group earlier this day."

Forbasa looked pained. "Yes. To tell the truth, all we heard of your town was a distrust of outsiders, which Shaman Jukas here said had grown with the news from the east of the invaders. We honestly did not know how we would be treated, so..." He trailed off, not wanting to put the thoughts into words.

Again, the lupar nodded. "Yes, we have that nasty reputation, don't we?" Another sigh. His ears then twitched. "Wait, this new group you said would be arriving, it's not just this lady, is it?" He asked.

Forbasa shook his head. "No. The wounded are undoubtedly along with the others."

The middle-aged lupar turned to look at Vilini. "Was there another group out there when you brought her in?" He said, indicating Alexis with a nod of his head.

Vilini looked hapless. "I- I don't know for certain. We were on patrol and then she comes up with a friend and then she claimed she needed to come in immediately to speak to her trade master." He stammered out. "She did mention something about having wounded-"

"Well, then bloody get them inside! The bandits will almost certainly attack before morning if there's a small group outside the gates. Go, now!" The lupar said with a raised voice. Vilini turned and tried to race out the door, but he misjudged his position and instead slammed into the doorframe. He recovered in a second, however, and without a look back he raced out into the house.

Forbasa turned to face the lupar. "I thank you, Wenar, for your gracious consideration in the face of our... Injudicious choices."

The lupar waved his free hand towards Forbasa. "It's alright. Besides, after seeing what those bastards did to my town, I believe you about the invaders, and I certainly don't want to deny anyone a safe haven with them about." He tilted his head down a small bit, and his features hardened a bit. "However, I want there to be no more secrets from now on. Is this agreeable?"

Forbasa nodded. "Most certainly." Jukas even chimed in. "Absolutely."

The conversation stopped, however, when Tiana stirred. All eyes turned to her as she awoke, pushing herself into a more upright position on the couch. "Mmmph. What? What happened?"

"You fainted, Mrs. Farkas." The male lupar said. "Please, don't try to get up."

Tiana then opened her eyes, and to Alexis, they looked full of pain. _Something I have in common with her_, Alexis thought. _We both lost someone special to us_.

"It... It isn't a dream, is it?" Tiana asked, looking to Alexis. "He's- My little boy-?" She couldn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to for anyone to get the meaning. Alexis simply nodded, and again she felt herself near tears. "Yes. He's gone." _But not forgotten. Nor are those who took him away_. Alexis again felt the fire in her belly with this thought, though her feelings quickly came back to grief and sympathy as Tiana bent forward slowly, and then started to sob with her head in her arms.

Forbasa and the others in the room looked uncomfortable. "Mrs. Farkas... Perhaps- perhaps you'd like to have some time alone?" The middle-aged lupar asked. Tiana stopped sobbing and nodded her head, though it was hard to tell with her face still facing the ground and covered by her hands.

Just then, Mrs. Varner came in through the door behind the couch where the two other lupar sat at. Alexis felt a bit startled, as she hadn't even realized that the elderly woman had even left the room. Mrs. Varner came around the couch and reached for Tiana. "Come, dearie, let's get you to your room." She said and reached out. Tiana lifted her head just a bit so she could reach out her own arms to the elderly lupar. Standing, she let herself be lead out through the door that Mrs. Varner had come through just a few seconds before.

The remaining lupar just shook his head. "Mother always did like to eavesdrop. But bless her for her timing." He stood again, and faced towards the others in the room. He looked Alexis over, and then turned his head towards Forbasa. "And who is this lady?"

Forbasa managed a small smile. "My apologies for waiting on introductions. This is Alexis, my apprentice. Alexis, this is maegister Julius Varner, chief of the town of Hercor."

Alexis bowed. A bit awkwardly, as she still carried the pack that had been her burden for so many hours. "I am pleased to meet you, maegister Varner." She said in her best Lupari.

Varner smiled a bit. "As I am to meet you, Alexis. Tell me, please, how long have you been traveling this day?"

Alexis shrugged. "Since about two hours before sunset. We left as soon as we could, but the wounded cannot be moved nearly as fast as they could with Vanhorn's metal wagon. The group only arrived on the outskirts of Hercor's fields just about an hour ago, by now." Suddenly, she yawned. "Excuse me. The day's events seem to be catching up with me."

"Indeed. Well, it is late, and we should all get some rest so we can sort things out better in the morning." Varner said. "If you'd like, you can spend the night here at my house. Though I am afraid that we are out of spare rooms, so you'd likely be sleeping here on one of these couches." He waved a hand to indicate the couch that Forbasa and Jukas had been sitting on when she had entered.

Alexis shook her head. "I greatly, greatly appreciate your offer, maegister. But my family is with the group just coming in, and I haven't been able to spend much time with them since our village was attacked." She looked down again. "I- I just would feel better being closer to them tonight."

"I understand." Varner said softly, which brought Alexis' head up. He had a small smile on his muzzle as he spoke. "Times like these, those we love are the ones we need to be near. I shall call for an escort to take you back down to the courtyard."

Alexis bowed awkwardly again. "Thank you, maegister. I shall appreciate that much."Varner nodded, then turned to the others in the room. "I think we should all get to sleep as well." No one objected.


	13. Chapter 13

Daylight poured out of the blue sky, covering the plain of Hercor from one end to the other. An occasional cloud drifted overhead, casting its shadow to the ground below. And on this day, there were more than just cumulus clouds in the air.

Van Horn's head broke the surface of the water ninety meters downstream from the burning wreck of the _Darter_ scout car. He looked around warily, to see of the Blakest _Peregrine_s had noticed him. As he looked up, he saw one of them hovering near the town, but it was pointed towards his destroyed scout car, rather than down river. Van Horn gave a small prayer of thanks at that, before s sudden realization hit him. _Where's Mikula?_

Again he swerved his head everywhere, this time to scan the river. _There! Oh, shit!_ He saw Mikula by the gray-green tunic he wore and the gray fur on his neck, which was all one could see as the lupar was facedown. _Fuck fuck fuck!_

Van Horn heaved his 'bug-out' bag so that the strap would fit over his shoulder, and then began to furiously swim towards the lupar, who was further downstream. It only took a few seconds to catch up, however, and van Horn quickly yanked Mikula's head up and out of the water. "Mikula!" He fairly shouted into the young lupar's ear.

Mikula's eyes opened wide, and he began to choke and cough, spitting up water from his mouth and nostrils. Van Horn let go of Mikula's head, and his practiced eye looked him over. He decided that the lupar would be okay enough for now. _At least until we get to shore_.

Again, van Horn looked around, a bit less frantically this time. He found, to his dismay, that the river seemed to have picked up speed as it bent around Hercor, and they were already past the town's rocky mount. Even as he looked, the town and the smoke clouds that billowed from it and the _Darter_ seemed to grow more distant. _Shit!_

"We have to get out of this river." Van Horn said and looked towards Mikula, who was still looking pale, even through his fur. The lupar nodded his head to show his understanding, but his appearance and coughing showed that he couldn't talk for the moment. _At least he's treading water well enough_. Though van Horn as he took another moment to search the riverbanks. _All muddy, good. May be a mess to our clothes, but we shouldn't have too much trouble getting out_. Sparing Mikula a glance, van Horn waved and indicated that they should swim towards shore. The lupar's quick nod was all van Horn needed, so he turned and quickly set about swimming his way to a mudbar he had spied.

When he couldn't hear Mikula swimming behind him, van Horn stopped and turned in worry. Then he saw why he didn't hear Mikula and nearly laughed. The lupar was doing the doggy paddle. _You've got to be kidding me_. Unfortunately, that particular style wasn't known for speed, and Mikula was behind van Horn a bit. "Is that the best you can do?" Van Horn asked as Mikula got close.

The lupar gave him a poisonous look. "I nearly drowned, give me a break." He said between breaths. Van Horn just rolled his eyes and reached out as the lupar got close. Grabbing Mikula by the scruff of his neck, van Horn began a one-handed backstroke and pulled Mikula faster than the lupar had been going on his own. Mikula let loose a panicked yelp before he realized what van Horn was doing, but he soon got control of himself.

They soon got to the mudbar, and van Horn released Mikula as he felt his feet gain decent holds on the gooey surface. Taking careful time, van Horn pulled himself up onto the mucky surface of the bar and simply sat down, facing the river. Mikula dragged himself up right after, and sat down beside the human, although he was clearly in a foul mood. Van Horn ignored him for a minute, and listened hard. _No VTOLs. Did they leave, or are they just approaching from downwind?_ "Mikula, can you hear those VTOLs anymore?"

Although irritated, the lupar took a second to hold his head at various angles and twist his ears around all the while. The end result was that his face changed to look more confused than angry. "No. I don't hear them at all." He looked towards Hercor, which had grown as distant to them as it had appeared from where they had started the day. "Of course, we could be so far that we can't hear them."

Van Horn shook his head. "You all heard them in the camp earlier today, didn't you? And we're just as close now as then." Mikula looked embarrassed, his ears sliding down on his head. "Oh, right. I guess I forgot in all the excitement." Suddenly, his faced changed to anger again. "Speaking of which, you could have killed both of us, do you realize that?"

Van Horn turned from Mikula and faced the river again. He leaned back a bit before responding. "Yup."

Mikula's anger again drifted back into confusion, which then melted into simple contemplativeness. "Hmm. Yes. Well... Your plan worked... To a degree..." He looked from the human and, like van Horn, stared across the river to contemplate just how close they did come to dying.

They sat like that for about ten minutes before van Horn slowly stood up, wary of the treacherous surface of the mudbar. "Well, we should probably head for the town, given our predicament."

Mikula gave van Horn an unreadable look, then shrugged and stood himself. "You're right, of course. Besides," he indicated his wet clothes with disgust, "the walking would at least dry me out."

Van Horn chuckled a bit. "You weren't kidding when you said your kind don't like to swim, eh?" He said and turned to carefully make his way down to the end of the mudbar.

Mikula followed him. "No, I wasn't. And I can see you weren't kidding when you said your people like to swim a lot."

"What makes you say that?" Van Horn asked as he reached the sport where the bar went below the water's surface. It was another two meters of wading in the water until they got to the shore proper, so van Horn carefully entered the river again.

"A couple of reasons. For one, you just entered that water with only the slightest hesitation. For another, you're carrying a bag, _and_ managed to drag me through the water." Mikula said this as he himself hesitated at the water's edge. "Which was rather embarrassing. I haven't been grabbed like that since I was a cub and my mother had to keep me out of things."

Van Horn laughed a bit as he waited in the middle of the water. This drew a look from Mikula, and van Horn quieted down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's just that it's a funny image, you begin dragged by your neck."

Mikula continued to give van Horn an irritated look as he finally began to walk across the water that separated the mudbar from the shore. "Well, I suppose so. But it still is rather annoying when I'm fully-grown."

Van Horn shrugged and turned to walk the rest of the way through to shore. "Would you rather be swimming in the river longer?" He asked as he turned his head back a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mikula shudder.

"No, I suppose not." Mikula said. "Just- well..." He paused for a minute as he walked carefully through the water. "Could you not mention it to anyone?"

Van Horn had to stifle another laugh before responding. "Certainly. Now," he paused himself as he climbed up the low bank to stand on firm ground, "we should rather focus in on what we need to do next."

Mikula quickened his pace and climbed out soon after van Horn did. "Next? I thought the idea was to head for Hercor?"

"Well, sort of." Van Horn said. "But remember, the whole reason for me staying behind was to keep them from overreacting. Now they've been attacked, and they saw us in my car... Well, they didn't see us per se, but they saw the car, and they can see I'm different. It doesn't take much to out two and two together, you know." Van Horn finished by translating one of his favorite idioms into Lupari.

Mikula nodded. "I see your point. Still, the others in the caravan have been there for some time, and the group with the wounded will be heading there as fast as they can. Even if we are not welcome, we can at least meet up with those who do welcome us."

Van Horn absentmindedly nodded. "True. I suppose there's really no point about discussing it." He hefted his bag a bit to shift it to a better resting position on his back. "I suppose we should start off now... Unless you have any reason for us not to?"

Mikula shrugged. "No, not really. Let's go."

Mikula was regretting having gotten into the metal wagon earlier in the day. He and van Horn had been walking for two hours, following the river, which had, surprisingly, carried them almost to the next forest that marked the edge of the plain. So they had walked, and now it was nearly sunset as they came close enough to see individual buildings along the edge of the town. Details, though, were lost at this distance.

What made the trip especially annoying to Mikula was the wet clothes and fur, both of which made a terrible rasping noise on the meter-tall grass that grew along the river. The two travelers had little choice but to venture through the thicker patches, as there seemed to be no paths, and van Horn didn't want to leave the river too far away should the Blakest VTOLs come back.

Mikula sighed. _My feet hurt, my clothes and fur are stained with mud, and I have no weapons to defend myself_. He thought gloomily to himself. _Still, better than being dead, I suppose._

Van Horn heard Mikula's sigh from where he walked, which was about a meter in front of the lupar. He had decided on this because his height would let him pick out a safe path easier, though there were few paths to take at all. _God, it's boring though._ He suddenly yawned as he thought this. _Okay, boring _and_ tiring. I should find a spot to rest._

Providence seemed to shine on the two, as van Horn saw a small clearing ahead in the tall grass leaves. He turned his head back to look at Mikula. "Feel like taking a break?" The lupar's silent nod was all that van Horn needed, so he turned and bent the path he was pushing through the grass to angle for the clearing.

When he got there, van Horn took a second to look around. The clearing was a small area that had been clearly cut out by someone. Van Horn tensed and looked around, sense open to the environment. But he neither heard nor saw anything, save Mikula as the latter walked up.

"What's wrong?" The lupar asked as he stepped up to stand next to van horn. Then he looked over the clearing. "Oh." He said quietly, and he, too, used his senses to scan the area.

Van Horn waited a minute to see if the lupar could sense anything he might have missed. However, Mikula took a few seconds, and then stood more erect. "I think it's safe. I don't hear anything, and the scent is old. Perhaps a week."

Van Horn nodded in agreement; having come to the same conclusion himself after noting just how tall the cut leaves had regrown. "Yeah. Should be safe. Anyway, let's sit." He said and then walked slowly into the small cut in the grass.

The area was little more than two meters across, and the middle had a dark area that was easily identified as a spot where a campfire had burned. Van Horn went and sat down near the spot, since the grass there was shortest. _Most likely trampled a bit by whoever camped here_. He thought as he sat down and settled into a cross-legged position.

Mikula warily followed, and sat across the small fire spot from the human. "It feels good to take a break, and rest my feet." To illustrate, he rubbed the footpads on his digigrade feet.

Van Horn smiled for the first time since they had left the river. "Well, I'd imagine so, given the fact you aren't wearing shoes. Although," he began to pull off the still-damp shoes and socks with a grimace, "they aren't doing my any favors at the moment. Damn, I'm going to have blisters."

"Blis-ters?" Mikula asked curiously.

Van Horn nodded, his face showing the discomfort he was in. "Yeah. I don't have pads like you, so I wear shoes. Unfortunately, when they get wet, they rub against my skin more than they usually do, and that makes blisters." He pulled off a sock to check his left foot, and sucked in some air through clenched teeth. "Yeah, I'm going to have a nasty one on my foot." He said and rubbed the spot tenderly.

"They sound - and look - painful. Surely your people have found a way to prevent them?"

Van Horn smiled at Mikula's comment. "Yeah. It's called 'do not get your feet wet and walk in wet shoes.'"

Both of them shared a chuckle at that. "I can see your point." Mikula said as he shifted and leaned back to be in a laying position, resting on his elbows. A sigh of contentment came from the lupar, and he closed his eyes for a moment to revel in the feeling of not-walking.

He opened them soon after, however, as he heard van Horn rummaging in the bag he had been carrying. "What do you have in there, anyway? And how did you manage to bring it with you?"

Van Horn chuckled at that. "Well, after I threw you out the hatch, I Reached for the spot where I keep this bag, which is right next to the escape hatch."

Mikula grunted at that, and memories of the _Darter_'s crash in the river came back. _A cleaver trick, having an emergence door out the bottom of the wagon_, he thought as he remembered the way the hatch had appeared in the middle of the compartment. _And that loud noise it made... I thought we were dead!_ Mikula chuckled a bit at that.

"What's so funny?" Van Horn asked good-naturedly. Mikula shook his head a second. "Just... Remembering." The lupar then sat upright on the grass and faced van Horn. "In any case, what's that bag for, anyway?"

Van Horn smiled a bit. "It's what's called a 'bug-out' bag." He said, trying to translate the term into Lupari. "It's something that people like me have to pack before arriving on this planet to study your people." The smile disappeared. "I never thought I'd use it... Hell, I can't remember what exactly I have in here."

Mikula indicated the west with his hand. "Perhaps now would be a good time to look at its contents, while we have light left."

"Have you become a mind-reader now, Mikula?" Van Horn asked with another smile. As the lupar blushed, the human went on. "You're right, of course." And he unceremoniously dumped the contents of the bag into the grass.

Several objects fell to the ground, al of them dry. _Thank God for waterproof polymers_, van Horn thought as he looked over the contents, his spirits rising as he noticed that the biggest object was a miniature solar converter that would recharge batteries. _Of course, it'll take all day to recharge just one battery, and that's only if the sun's out all the time. But at least it's a good start_. He picked up the device and set it aside before looking at the next object. Another smile came over his face as he saw what it was. "Good, a rescue radio.""I'm sorry?" Mikula asked, not having recognized the English. Van horn looked up and a sheepish look came over his face. "It's a special kind of those radios I showed you. This one screams as loudly as it can - over the radio, mind you, not out loud - so that you can call attention to yourself."

Mikula sat back a bit with a look of great puzzlement on his features. "But- I thought you didn't want to be noticed by the Wobbies?"

"Yes, and that's the operative noun, here, the Wobbies. My own people, when they come, will need to locate me, and this will let them do it." Van Horn held up the small, green box to illustrate, and then he gently placed it next to the solar charger before picking up the next item.

Mikula recognized this one. "Isn't that one of your Em-are-ees?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. Macaroni and Cheese, apparently." He set it aside. "We'll deal with that later. Now, let's see what's left." He reached down and pulled up a lethal-looking piece of equipment that Mikula hadn't seen before. "Another one of your fancy weapons, I presume?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. Very fancy, indeed. It's a Hold-Out Needler." He made sure the weapon was loaded and safed before going on. "It works by shredding- Uhm, I don't think you have a word for what it is, but my people call it 'plastic.'"

"Plassstic?" Mikula mimicked as best he could. To which van Horn replied with a nod and a small smile. "What is this 'plassstic?'"

Van Horn shrugged. "It's kind of- well, it's a material completely made up. It doesn't exist in nature."

Mikula looked puzzled again, then shook his head. "You know, whenever I talk to you about these things of yours, I get a headache."

Van Horn chuckled. "Well, don't feel too bad. Hell, you think I was born knowing all this stuff?" He paused as Mikula perked his ears up from their lowered position. "I had to learn all of this, too. It's just that I started learning from childhood, and you're trying to catch up." The human shrugged. "So again, don't feel bad. I've just had a head start."

Mikula smiled a bit. "Thank you, Earl. Now, what else is there?" He asked, indicating the last few items.

Van Horn looked back at the small pile. "Hmm. A couple of battery packs, some Narrow Joes for snacking, and the best thing of all," he picked up a small green bundle. "An extra pair of socks." Van Horn fairly beamed at this, and held up the socks in both hands, as if they were some sort of lost relics.

Mikula laughed at that. "Funny. I suppose now you can keep from getting more 'blis-ters?'"

Van Horn shrugged. "Depends. My shoes need to dry out a bit more, but that will be done soon enough. Sooner than the socks, come to think of it..." His voice trailed off for a second, and then he looked towards Mikula. "That raises a question. Would you mind staying here a bit longer than a simple break?"

Mikula tilted his head quizzically. "I suppose. But why?"

Van Horn nodded to where his shoes were. "Those will dry out, but they need time, and they won't dry fast enough if I'm wearing them. And if they're still wet, then even with dry socks, I can get more blisters. If we wait until they're dry before continuing, then I might have a few blisters from earlier, but it won't be too bad."

Mikula waved his hand in the air. "Why even ask? If it means you won't be hurt any more, than I don't see why we can't wait a bit."

Van Horn smiled. "Thank you my friend. Now," he turned back to the rolled socks in his hand, "time to put these puppies on." He began to unwrap the socks when he finally noticed that there was something wrapped in the socks themselves. "What the?" He pulled the device out, and stared at it for a minute.

Mikula looked from the small silver colored device to Van Horn. "What is it?"

Van Horn looked back at Mikula with one of the widest smiles the lupar had ever seen him have. "It's my musichip player!"

Mikula again tilted his head in a quizzical manner. "I... Will not even try to pronounce that. But what does it do?"

Van Horn chuckled at Mikula's comment. "It plays music. Man, I forgot I even packed this with me." He paused when he saw that Mikula's expression had changed from quizzical to confused. "What is it?"

"How does that thing play music? Is it like a flute?" Mikula asked. Van Horn shook his head in response. "No, not really. It's not actually an instrument."

The lupar looked even more puzzled. "But if it's not an instrument then how can it play music?"

"I'll show you." Van Horn turned back to the small device, and flipped the recessed switch into the 'on' position. The player's LCD screen lit up and displayed its status. With a few selections on the touch-sensitive screen, van Horn checked to make sure the volume was low, and hit the 'play' command.

Mikula jumped back as the opening strains of classical music began playing. "What the?!" He exclaimed, but calmed himself as van Horn sat there... And as the music played on, which grabbed his attention and wouldn't let go. "What... What kind of song is this?"

Van Horn smiled. "It's called "Hymn to Red October." It's some music from an old, old, old form of entertainment."

Mikula just nodded a bit. "Are- are those more of your people singing in that?"

Van Horn nodded. "More humans, yes. But the singers are speaking another language altogether, so even I have no idea what they're singing."

"Then why have such a song?" Mikula asked, looking at van Horn, but training his ears to listen to the strange music.

Van Horn shrugged. "Because it sounds good."

_I can agree with that_, Mikula thought. _It sounds... Amazing. Well... Not so good as some of the better chao music I've heard, but still... Amazing._ "How does it work? This device?"

Van Horn hesitated. "It is... Well. You remember that the door to the car would open up to my hand?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes. You said it had some kind of... Memory..." The lupar looked up from the dying strains of the song. "This has something similar?"

Van Horn grinned widely. "Exactly. In this case, instead of remembering my hand, it remembers music played by others. And not just by single people, since that song you just heard was made by dozens of people playing all sorts of different instruments."

Mikula looked back at the small device. "Amazing. Simply amazing." He looked back at van Horn. "Can we hear some more?"

Van Horn tried not to laugh. "Sure, but not all of my music is as nice as that song. A lot of it you might not even like."

Mikula shrugged. "I like most music."

"Yes, but you haven't heard nearly the same amount of variety as I've experienced, so you will undoubtedly find something you don't like." Van Horn said. Then he shrugged and continued. "But the only way is to find out is to listen, so I suppose we can listen to some more music as we wait for my shoes to dry."

Mikula smiled at that. "Sounds good to me."

It was well into the night before they managed to get going again. Not only did van Horn's shoes not want to dry, but also Mikula was enjoying himself listening to the music player, having gained an unlikely affection for country music. Still, they managed to get going after a time, and now they approached the base of the rock formation that the town sat upon. However, they were coming up from where the rock blocked the view of the courtyard, which faced away from the river. _Probably to prevent floods from wrecking their buildings, _Van Horn thought. _Good idea, but it still is a pain in the ass_. His mood wasn't the best because they had approached the area between the rock and the river only to find it blocked by a fast moving stream. It had turned out to be a spring, which explained the faster current the river had once it passed Hercor, but it also meant that its channel was too fast and deep for them to cross, so now they were walking around the town the long way.

_It took us long enough to walk here, and now we gotta take more time 'cuz of that damn spring_. Van Horn gave out a silent sigh. _Well, it could be worse; at least we're still alive_. That thought kept him a little happy, despite his predicament. _Stuck on an alien world, with natives who are being attacked by religious fanatics, and I've got no equipment, save what's on my back and maybe whatever I can get from the wreckage of the _Darter. Another sigh. _Well, at least we're next to a somewhat safe place to stay, and the Wobbies think I'm dead. So maybe things'll go decent for a while_.

"Is there a problem?" The question in Lupari jostled with his internal monologue, so van Horn had to stop for a second to sort it out. He then turned to Mikula with a sheepish grin on his face. "No problem. Just thinking about my situation."

"Ah. Well, I kind of understand, I think." Mikula said, giving his lopsided grin, as he stood net to van Horn.

"Oh? How so?" Van Horn asked good-naturedly. He sat down on a rock as he asked, deciding it was a good as time as any to rest a bit.

Mikula followed his lead - sitting down on another rock - before replying. "Well, before you showed up, I did spend some time alone in Kuamket. Well, alone in that I was the only lupar." He sat back and stretched his arms over his head. "It felt so strange, seeing everything so familiar, yet so different. Having everyone look at you so strangely, fearing and hating you." He shrugged. "Fortunately, they got over me pretty quick. But that was mainly because I was a guest, and I was at least something they've seen or heard of before... Unlike you."

Van Horn nodded and smiled. "Again you impress me with your mental flexibility, Mikula." He waited while the lupar did the equivalent of a blush before continuing. "And you have it right. It is very alien to me, yet so familiar as well. And the way both gatón and lupar react to me is unsettling at times..." His voice trailed off as he looked off into the plains. The moment stretched as van Horn just sat quietly, both thinking and letting his mind take in the quiet beauty of the moonlit vista before him. "But, you know," he turned back to face Mikula, wearing a smile, "I don't think I'd rather be anywhere else."

Mikula tilted his head. "Seriously? Even with the fact that there are people out there who want you dead? Or that you have none of the things that helped make everything so easy for you?"

Van Horn's smile grew broader. "All of that, and add in the fact that I'm tired, hungry, dirty, and my feet are sore, I can't picture myself anywhere else."

Mikula looked at van Horn a minute, and then began to laugh. Although it was lower and less barking than human laughter, it was still enough to get van Horn laughing as well. The two went on for about a minute before they finally quieted down. "Oh, man. I hope we did not wake anyone up." Van Horn said as he looked up towards the town above.

Mikula looked up as well. "Well, I don't see any lights on, so I guess we're too far down." He looked back at van Horn and smiled. "Although I wonder what they'd think, hearing two people laughing. And one of them not sounding like a lupar at all."

Van Horn chuckled. "You have a funny imagination, Mikula." He said as he stood and stretched. "And I think we've spent enough time resting. We should get to the town _before_ the sun rises, after all."

Mikula chuckled himself and stood. "Indeed. Well, let us go then."

With that, they again started walking, following the curve of the rock formation. Van Horn took a look at the rock from time to time, trying to figure out what made it. _Hmm. I don't see any striations that would indicate sedimentary rock... And it's in the middle of nowhere. I'd have to guess it's volcanic. Probably the plug of an old volcano._ Although he was a sociologist, van Horn did take some of the hard sciences to get a good grounding in alternate methods of thinking. He had liked geology, to a degree, and so he remembered some of the calluses he took. Since the rocky spire that Hercor sat on rose from the middle of a plain, with no other mountains around, it seemed logical that it was the leftover from an extinct volcano. Such things were common on any planet that was geologically active, and from what he remembered of the planetary survey he had read before arriving at Bowman's Planet, the place was active enough.

_That would explain the spring, then... A volcanic plug like that would breach all sorts of aquifer layers, thus allowing such a strong current_. Van Horn grunted softly. _Makes it a pain in the ass to get to the town, though._

They had traveled onward for another hundred meters or so, when Mikula stopped suddenly. Van Horn turned around at the noise, and saw the lupar standing still and smelling the air. "What is it?" _Must resist urge to say 'boy' after every sentence._

"I smell something... It's strange... It smells like Lupar, but... Different, somehow..." He continued to sniff in the air for a few more moments, and then his ears twitched. "Wait, I remember that smell now... It's what lupar smell like when they're using a scent-masker."

"Scent masker? Trying to hide themselves?" Van Horn asked quietly now as he tensed his muscles slightly, in case instant action would be needed.

Mikula nodded to the inquiry. "Indeed, that's the only purpose for scent masking. Usually, it's only used for hunting, but many armies use it when they need a small group to go in and raid a special target."

Van Horn nodded. "'Commandos,' we call them in my language. Do you think a lupar army would be trying to raid the town?"

Mikula tilted his head in thought, and then shook it. "No. The smell is a cheap scent mask; otherwise I would not be able to smell the lupar through it. The people who use that are usually those who want to be stealthy, but cannot afford the good stuff."

"Bandits." Van Horn came to the easy conclusion. Mikula nodded, and then indicated the wall and courtyard of Hercor's ground entrance, which had only just became visible a few minutes ago. "The wind is coming from that direction, and it makes sense." They had both dropped into whispers by now, and had begun to crouch in the plain's tall grass. Van Horn still could see above the blades easily, however, and he noted movement near one side of the wall. _I wonder what's going on?_

Vilini walked across the courtyard at a fast pace. He was not in a good mood, having had to walk up and down the Rock in less than an hour. What irritated him more was the reason for his hurried movements. _Stupid gatón. Can't they just stay in their damn forest and be happy? No, they come here with stories of metal giants and creatures from their myths._ He snorted to himself as he approached the gatehouse. _And yet, the maegister believes them! Yelled at me, even, for obeying the rules, so I ran out of their without even my helmet._ He had dropped his headgear when he had run into the doorframe at the maegister's house, which only piled on top of the ill mood he had.

He tried to push aside his thoughts for the moment as he walked up to the guards on duty. "Frayter, Jenk, go wake up the others in the barracks. We'll need them to open the main gates."

Both of the lupars twitched their ears, which stuck out through holes in their helmets. The one identified as Jenk responded. "Why? It's the middle of the night."

Vilini looked at him crossly. "I suppose you don't hear that noise, then, of a group of people arriving at the gate?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, as they could all hear the noise of wooden wheels rattling on the cobblestone apron that sat just outside the gated entrance.

"Uh, yeah. But the standing orders are-"

"-Are not to open the gates unless it's an emergency or ordered by the maegister. I know, and I just came from the bloody maegister's house and I am bloody telling you that he wants those people inside now. Since they are carrying wounded, and they have carts, they will most likely need to come through the main gate. So get your tails in gear and get the men out of the barracks now!" Vilini snapped at the two guards, his temper stretched thin from earlier in the night. He did feel a bit better, however, as the two guards quickly leapt from their positions and raced towards the barracks, which formed the south side of the courtyard square.

Vilini watched the two guards go into the barracks, and then he went into the walkway that went to the person-only door that he had come in earlier. With the guards gone to the barracks, Vilini had to lift the heavy bolt on the door himself. _Damn thing's heavy,_ e thought as the bolt slipped down into a recess in the wall that had been crated to hold it. With a sigh, he pushed heavily on the four-inch-thick wooden door to get outside.

He stepped through the entrance as soon as the space was wide enough, not bothering to look. Then he was outside and he stopped in his tracks at the scene before him. Three carts were there, all of them carrying wounded of both gatón and lupar. Members from both species stood next to each other, either tending the wounded or standing idly around the carts, carrying large bundles and looking dead on their feet.

Vilini hadn't been awake when the main caravan had come in, as he had had the night guard shift for a while, and so had missed the unusual mix of the two peoples. Now he was just a bit bewildered, not having seen the sort of cooperation that the group before him displayed.

He shook his head to clear it. Then he walked towards the group, where he had noticed - with more irritation - that his guard partner and the two outside door guards had gone to talk. _Morons_. "Varshi, Gree, Herk, why are all three of you not at your posts?"

All three of the armored lupar cringed in surprise, as they had had their backs turned towards the gate. All three now turned around, and stood more erect, almost at attention, since Vilini was the ranking member of the night watch. "Uh, sir, we didn't think they're be a problem, and we thought-"

"You are not to think, soldier, you are to do your duty." Vilini said crossly at the one called Herk, who was the one who had spoken. "I want you and your partner back at your posts now." The two indicated lupar nodded and hustled back towards the gatehouse door.

The one remaining was Vilini's partner. "Vil, aren't you being a bit too harsh? They only came out to offer their water bottles to anyone who needed some."

Vilini gave his guarding partner and friend a slightly less cross look. "Damnit, Var, they know the rules. And so do you, as a matter of fact, which has me wondering why I had to lay down the law when you were here before me."

Varshi tilted his head back slightly to get a clearer look from underneath the lip of his helmet. _Damn things never fit right_, Vilini thought just before his friend spoke. "Vil, what's gotten into you? You're not usually such a stickler for rules' exact wording."

Vilini looked at Varshi for a second, then his face melted from the cross look to one of simple tiredness. Vilini shut his eyes and tilted his head forward so that he could rub the space between his eyes. "I know. It's just all the stuff going on. That attack, the visitors we have to put up with, and now the maegister just yelled at me to open the gates because they have wounded."

Varshi chuckled. "He yelled at you, eh? Well, perhaps you won't be such an ass to the next gatón then."

Vilini opened his eyes and again gave his friend a cross look. "Listen, just because I wanted to follow the rules-"

A large creaking noise came from behind, causing Vilini to pause and look back. He saw the gates were opening now, and several lanterns had been lit to provide light in the entranceway. _Well, at least something's going right_, he thought.

Just then he heard the unmistakable sound of an arrow flying past his head at about an inch's distance. The observation was confirmed easily when the arrow clattered on the cobblestone apron in front of the gates, eventually bouncing to a complete stop.

Training took over and he jumped down to the ground, Varshi right behind him. "Arrows! We're under attack!" Vilini screamed as loud as he could, given that he had nearly knocked the wind out of himself. Still, it was enough that her noticed frantic commotion at the gatehouse. He spared a look towards the personnel door to see what the two guards were doing.

It was enough to make his stomach flip-flop, as three arrows stuck Gree to the door itself, blood trickling down visibly from the obviously fatal wounds. The other guard, Herk, had taken an arrow in his left arm, but he too had dropped to the ground to avoid further attack. Unlike Vilini, he was in a crouch and had his sword drawn.

Spurred on by Herk's stance, Vilini rolled onto his back and got into a crouch himself. He drew his sword and looked around frantically to take in the situation. Around the carts, the gatón and lupar had both taken to ground, although he saw a few gatón crouching and shooting their own, accurate bows into the night. The panicked scream from out in the gorongo field that was the source of the attack told him that the gatón were living up to their reputation as great bowmen. The wounded on the carts had rolled themselves off and took cover behind the wheels, save for the few lightly injured, who were helping gatón and lupar alike to drag the more badly hurt people off of the exposed carts.

A noise brought Vilini's attention back to the field, and he saw dark shapes running towards him and the others in the group. One was coming right for him, wielding a wicked looking crossbow that he discharged towards Vilini.

Vilini ducked a bit and avoided the bolt, but that put him in a bad position when the bandit got close and drew his dagger. A part of Vilini's mind noted that his attacker was lupar, but it went uncontemplated as he brought his sword up, clumsily deflecting the downward thrusting dagger. His enemy, moving at a good jog, had to do a pirouette and take a few steps so he wouldn't trip over his own feet as the counterblow unbalanced him. This was enough for Vilini, who leapt forward with sword held back. As he got off the ground, he began to bring the sword forward, aiming to slash the intruder's belly open.

The bandit saw this, and managed to take a half-step back, putting him just outside of the sword's reach. However, Vilini kept moving forward, and he let the momentum of his swing twist his body so that his shoulder came up to ram the enemy straight in the stomach. Both lupar collapsed to the ground as the impact destroyed both of their senses of balance.

Vilini rolled off of the bandit and stood up in a half-crouch, sword in hand. The other lupar was a bit slower, and he was still trying to stand when Vilini swung his blade. The forged-steel of his sword cut deeply into the neck of his assailant, and a stream of blood flowed from the severed arteries. With a jerk, the body went limp and Vilini yanked his sword out, intending to look for a new target.

He didn't get a chance, however, as a blow struck the back of his head. Although not enough to knock him out completely, it stunned him greatly and he fell forward to lie next to the bandit he had killed not three seconds before. He didn't have time to contemplate as rough hands grabbed him on the shoulder and spun him about so that he faced upwards and into the face of an angered lupar.

The bandit growled as he put down the crossbow he had used to whack Vilini with. "Bastard, you killed my brother. Now you die." The somewhat slurred language came from the lupar's mouth as he drew his own dagger. Kneeling, he held his dagger high with the intention of plunging it into Vilini's throat. _I can't move! I'm going to die!_ Vilini's thoughts raged as his body refused to move.

Then suddenly, two arms came from around the bandit lupar's back and grabbed his neck and the end of his muzzle. Before the surprised bandit could do anything, the hands moved in opposite directions at a fast speed. Vilini managed a wince as he heard the unmistakable sound of vertebrae being snapped.

The lifeless body was yanked to the side so it wouldn't fall on Vilini, and he received what was possibly the greatest shock he ever got in his life. Kneeling next to him was a large, furless, snoutless being with a skin color that Vilini didn't think could exist in nature. _Gods, I'm dead and this demon has come to torment me_.

But the thing simply laid a hand on Vilini's throat and felt around for the artery. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" The Lupari words, though a bit slurred, brought Vilini some hope. That and the quickly returning feeling and control he was getting from his own body. He managed a nod. "Fine... Hit... Head..." He managed to say to the furless thing.

The thing nodded his head. "Alright. Just relax, and don't force anything. I'll be back." The thing then stood and with a look around, left Vilini's frame of view. That left him with only one thought.

_What the _HELL_ was that?!_

Van Horn reached and grabbed a crossbow and some bolts off of the lupar he had just killed. Although unfamiliar with the medieval contraption, he managed to figure it out enough to load the bolt and cock the weapon. Looking up, he saw a pair of bandit lupar near the wounded guard at the gate, obviously hoping to take him out with a concerted attack.

_Fat chance assholes_, van Horn thought as he aimed the crude weapon and let fly. Although it wasn't up to a rifle's level of accuracy, the crossbow's bolt flew accurately enough to impact the lower right back of the lupar on van Horn's right. As the wounded lupar fell, van Horn leapt up from his position and drew the bowie-style knife that he had taken to carrying strapped to his ankle. The wounded lupar's partner turned around in time to see a large, unidentifiable being coming at him, and he hesitated. The hesitation cost him his life, as van Horn swung the knife down in an arc that intersected the hapless lupar's neck. The hardened endo-steel blade was hardly slowed by the lupar's muscles, arteries, or larynx, and it came though the neck after severing all of the above.

Clutching his neck, the doomed lupar collapsed to the ground, and his twitching stopped almost immediately. Van Horn then turned to the other bandit, who had propped himself up on an elbow so he could draw his dagger. He, too, however, had a moment of hesitation at the human's appearance, and so he only sat there with his blade drawn, not knowing what to do.

Van Horn made the decision for him, as he stomped on the bandit's wrist that held the bladed weapon. With a yelp of pain, the bandit dropped the blade and fell back to the ground.

"Good boy." Van Horn couldn't help to say in Lupari. He kicked the dagger away from the bandit and turned to look at the guard, who looked good, despite having an arrow in his arm.

"Stay here, and kill him if he moves." Van Horn said to the guard, indicating the stricken bandit with his bloody knife. The guard, despite his wild-eyed stare at van Horn, managed to look at the bandit and back, nodding his understanding.

Van Horn nodded back, and then sprinted for the carts. He got there just in time to see one of the last bandits being taken down by multiple clawed hands, as the fool had made the mistake of ignoring the wounded as he headed towards Reyato and the bow that had snuffed out the life of his friends. Before the bandit could do anything about it, several jaws tore into his neck, silencing him forever.

Van Horn kneeled down behind the carts. "And how is everything this evening?" He asked flippantly. Reyato and the others spun about, not having heard the human's approach. They all looked wide-eyed at van Horn for a solid half-minute before anyone could speak. "Wh- wh- what? Vanhorn, is that really you?" Came the voice of Kendo, who crouched next to some of the wounded.

Van Horn smiled broadly. "Yeah, it's me. Seems you have a pro-" He cut himself off in mid-sentence as another bandit raced at the group, clearly intending to take advantage of their temporary distraction. In a single motion, van Horn flipped the knife around and flung it towards the bandit, nailing him in the face. The now-lifeless body fell to the ground in a heap just a foot short of the nearest wounded gatón. All of the natives started at van Horn's move, and then at the noise of the body hitting the ground.

All of them looked back and forth between the dead bandit and van Horn, clearly trying to decide which was the more unusual happenstance. Van Horn, meanwhile, concentrated on his hearing. _Don't sound like there's any more out there. But let's ask the experts_. Do any of you still hear any more of those bandits out there?"

Reyato looked back at van Horn, and then turned his head a bit. Most of the others followed suit, though a few had the presence of mind to simply keep looking with their eyes in case another bandit tried to sneak up on them.

Kendo responded first. "I hear some footsteps running away and- Wait! There's one coming from the field!" He whispered urgently.

Van Horn tensed, and was about to make a run for his knife when he heard something that brought a smile to his face. "That's okay, don't attack. It's only Mikula."

The others crouching between the two carts again looked incredulous, but Mikula's arrival broke the silence. "I heard you, Earl." He said as he reached the cart and kneeled. Near the lupar that van Horn had killed with the knife throw. "'Only' Mikula? I'd thought you'd be happy to hear what I have to say."

"And what is that?" Van Horn asked.

Mikula smiled a bit in reply. "They're running. Apparently, when I took out their two good shots, they lost their nerve. They're running towards the fields at a panicked pace." Mikula edged a bit closer, which allowed everyone to get a better look at him in the moonlight. Van Horn noticed that, like his brother in the last bandit attack Mikula had used his muzzle full of teeth effectively. "I also think that your appearance alone scared them, Earl. The second one I took out muttered something about a demon before I took care of him.

"That, and, well, you took out their entire right flank." Mikula gave van Horn the kind of tired smile that those who've survived battles could have. Van Horn grinned right back. "Thanks, but I wasn't alone, entirely." His smile disappeared. "Which reminds me about the task at hand. No one can hear any more of the bandits?"

When all present shook their heads, van Horn stood upright, prompting the others to follow suit. "Then we need to take care of the wounded, old and new."

Alexis rushed down the ramp at a dangerous rate, given her tiredness and inexperience with the path. But the sounds of battle being joined were unmistakable, and despite her own misgivings and those of her escort, she hurried.

When she had begun her rush, Alexis hadn't understood why she was propelled towards the fighting. As she rushed, though, part of her began to understand. It was the same part that had felt anger over the loss of Mikula, the part that had sworn a form of revenge. And now that part drove her forward.

"Damnit! Wait up girl!" The armored lupar hollered from behind her. He sounded out of breath, which made sense given he was one of the gate guards from the town itself, and was armored heavier than Vilini or the other guards in the courtyard, wearing as he was greaves and gauntlets in addition to the helmet and breastplate. His spear seemed to be pretty heavy too, or so Alexis thought as the guard had taken to dragging it down the sweeping ramp instead of carrying it.

Alexis ignored the call, instead focusing more on the path ahead of her. _I need to get down in one piece if I'm to help_, she thought. How she could help was still undecided, but that didn't matter at the moment. What she considered the most was the idea of loosing her family, who were undoubtedly in the midst of the fighting, since the sounds came from near the gatehouse front. The thought of loosing anyone else made Alexis' stomach ache with the weight of an icy ball, and that as much as any desire for revenge made her heedless of her own safety.

The sounds of battle then faded and stopped altogether. At first, Alexis thought she had simply gone around the rock formation, but then she realized that she could still see the glowing lights from the courtyard below. Alexis paused then, coming to a halt only after checking her forward momentum, lest she trip by slowing down too fast. She peered carefully down at the front of the gatehouse, just outside the courtyard's wall. All she could see, however, was a few figures and the shadows they cast as guards with lanterns swarmed out the gates.

Alexis was still trying to discern anything she could when the lupar guard caught up and she too slowed to a stop. He, however, did so mainly because he was out of breath. His heavy breathing interrupted on Alexis' thoughts, and she turned to face the guard. "I would think that a guard at the main gates to his town would be in good enough physical condition to get down the hill." Alexis couldn't help but needle him, though the harshness in her voice surprised her.

The guard didn't seem to notice the look on her face. "Fuck you. If you're so good, then maybe you can jump the rest of the way down?" The guard's short breaths kept interrupting his sentences, but he got his anger across.

Alexis turned from him and faced down the ramp, not wishing to look at the lupar just that moment. Instead, she started back down again, increasing her pace as she went. The guard's moan of displeasure was expected, but even so, it brought some sort of grim satisfaction to Alexis. _At least I can get down a bloody rock without panting like that_.

It was another ten minutes before she finally reached the bottom of the ramp and the courtyard that it merged into. Alexis stopped to catch her breath for a minute, and also to let the guard catch up. Where the barns sat to her right, and the hostel to the front and left there came several small groups of lupar and gatón, armed and obviously willing to go help defend the place. However, lupar guards from Hercor were already swarming around the main gate, and so the caravan members simply gathered in the middle of the courtyard, waiting to see what would happen.

Before Alexis could decide on what to do, a lupar guard came running from the front gate. Running on all fours, he moved so fast that he zipped by Alexis and up the ramp in only a few moments. She turned to see him disappear up the ramp just as the guard from above came jogging down around the last bend. She decided that she shouldn't wait, and so she began a fast walk towards the main gate, a walk that increased to a run when she heard a call in Lupari. "Wounded! We have wounded!"

Alexis broke into a full run, fearing the worst, that one of her family had been hurt or even- _No! I can't think that way, not until I know for certain one way or the other!_ Prodded on by her worries, she managed to pass through the group in the middle of the courtyard without any of them recognizing her until she had passed them by. A few of them called to her, but she ignored them as she moved towards her objective, the main gate, which was now opening.

She had gotten close before the press of Hercor guards blocked her route. The taller lupar also blocked her vision and the noise of their armor and footfalls made it hard to hear anything, either. With all her senses cut off, Alexis could only guess at the activity to her front. The obvious noises of the gates opening and the sound of cart wheels rattling on the cobblestones were enough for her to gather that somebody from her little group had survived, and her hopes climbed a bit higher. She was about to push through the guards when they began to back up, and so she was pushed with them.

Then she heard a voice that made her knees weak and her stomach twist itself in knots. "Make way! Make way, damnit! We need doctors!" Frantically, she pushed through the guards, shoving one so hard that he nearly fell, and growled at her back. She ignored him as she reached the front of the group and gawked at the view in front of her. _Oh, my GODS._

Several gatón and lupar were all around the carts, and the wounded from Kuamket were sitting or walking alongside a couple of injured guards from Hercor. But what had her attention entirely were two figures she had thought she'd never see again. Van Horn, for one, was walking along, holding up a lupar that seemed unhurt, but wasn't walking well. Her mind noted that, then promptly went into a blank stare as she saw Mikula helping along one of the wounded from Kuamket walk into the courtyard, and then handing him to a Hercor guard who wore a blue armband.

Alexis rubbed her eyes, wondering if the poor light was playing a trick on her. But, no, it was Mikula. _Back from the dead._ Before she could think, she raced out and ran towards him. "Mikula!" She called.

Mikula turned in time to see a green and brown shape rushing at him before Alexis ran into him and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tightly as he momentum brought both of them back to hit one of the carts that had just been stopped inside the gates. Alexis held onto him and just kept her eyes screwed shut so she wouldn't start crying, although tears started to well up at the corners of her eyes.

Mikula, meanwhile, had recognized Alexis by scent and her unusual blonde hair. Sitting there, leaning back against a cart and being hugged by her, he felt a flood of emotions run through his head, everything from relief, to guilt, to embarrassment, and to even a fear of sorts. They all threatened to overwhelm him, and he desperately tried to get things under control. "A- Alexis. Uh... Nice to see you too?" He said unsurely, not having any idea on how to proceed.

Alexis kept holding him. "I'm so glad you're safe." Mikula just looked around in embarrassment, his ears folding down and his tail tucking itself between his legs. He saw that most of the gatón and lupar from the caravan were desperately trying not to smile, as was van Horn. The latter even had turned red-faced, which Mikula had learned was a sign of embarrassment, amongst other things. All were studiously looking away, or focusing on their work, no matter how trivial; just whatever they may be doing at the moment. The guards from Hercor stood around the group in clusters, their faces displaying a range of emotions from confusion, to amusement, to even faint disgust.

Mikula finally squirmed a bit in Alexis' arms. "Alexis, I'm really glad to see you too, but it would be nice if I could breath in the next few minutes."

Alexis suddenly realized how the whole thing might look. She let go and took a step back quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's jut that, well, we all thought you were dead."

Mikula could see on her face, the way her eyes moved around looking at others and the way her ears and tail were positioned, that she was embarrassed at the display. He decided to try and lighten the mood, if he could. "Well, a few times, I thought I was going to die, with the way Earl drives."

This was the opening van Horn needed to rescue Mikula from his sticky situation. "Well, my people have a saying. 'Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash.'" As the lupar laughed, he repeated it in Gatonese for the Kuamket natives, who soon joined in the quick chuckle.

Alexis felt a little better now that the attention was more on the human than her own actions. _Poor Mikula, I must've scared him half to death. Not to mention embarrassed him in front of everyone! Oh, what a mess_. She looked up from where her eyes had settled on a single cobblestone to look at Mikula. "I'm sorry, for acting like that. It's just that I- we all never thought we'd see you again. And then I heard noises from battle, and then I worried again for my family, and then I-" She couldn't continue, as she realized she needed to check on her family. "Gods, are they alright? I'll be back." She left before Mikula could say anything,

Mikula meanwhile, just stood there dumbstruck. _What... Has just happened?_ The flood of emotions continued through his head, but they were under enough control for him to think a bit, now that Alexis was gone. _Alexis... Why did she worry so much? Why is she so happy to see me that she forgot about her own family?_

Before he could think further, he felt a prodding on his back. "If you don't mind, you're leaning on my good leg." He turned to face his brother, Kanu, who had been forced to sit on the cart the whole way from the forest due to his leg. Although this had made him indignant earlier, that he couldn't be allowed to walk, even with someone helping him, he now had an irrepressible grin on his muzzle. "What are you so happy about, Kanu?"

Kanu's grin grew a bit wider before he replied. "Nothing. Just still happy to see you've cheated death, _again_."

Mikula started to feel embarrassed again. "Look, it's not like I want these things to happen to me. They just... Do." Mikula noticed that Kanu was trying not to laugh. "What? What did I say?"

Kanu shook his head, buying time to control himself. "You really don't know, do you?"

Mikula frowned, then waved his hand dismissively. "I'm tired, Kanu, so don't play games. What are you talking about?"

Kanu shook his head again. "You're right, you're tired. In fact, we're all tired from today's events. Perhaps we should talk about this tomorrow when we've all had a chance to rest and adjust to everything that's happened."

Mikula continued to frown at his brother for a moment, then rolled his eyes and sighed. "Very well." He turned to look into the crowd that was gathering in the courtyard. Torches and lanterns were now everywhere, which made for haphazard lighting conditions as shadows bounced to and fro, and the lights themselves ruined any chance of a person's eyes adjusting to the darkness. Mikula thus didn't see the stream of guards rushing down from Hercor proper, nor would he have cared, save that it would mean that the place would be much more safe for the immediate future. Hercor guards were moving all about, many forming a barrier outside the main gates until they could be closed. Mikula's trained eyes easily noted that they weren't expecting a serious attack, just were there to provide reassurance and to ward off any weak enemies that might still be out there.

_There won't be any, though_, Mikula thought as he stood there, the exhaustion of the day finally getting to him as his adrenalin wore off. He was trying to figure out what he should do, or at least where he could curl up and sleep when a figure came through the crowd and walk quickly to where Mikula stood next to his older brother. "Pavlo, nice to see you woke up. That is, after the fighting's already done." Kanu's jib came quickly as the youngest of the three brothers got into conversation range.

Pavlo stuck his tongue out at Kanu before replying. "At least I didn't ride here on my back." He teased, which made Kanu growl. Pavlo ignored it as he turned to Mikula. "Well, you look like you're worse for wear. I guess whoever attacked you guys didn't figure on you being there."

Mikula wondered just how many times one could feel embarrassed in the same night before your brain melted. "Well, it helped that we were behind them."

"We?" Pavlo asked, confused. "I thought they attacked you, not you attacked them?"

Mikula realized that his brother probably hadn't known hat he was in the _Darter_ earlier. "Yes, me and Vanhorn. We got separated when we fell into the river."

Pavlo's eyes widened. "What? Vanhorn's alive? You were with him?" He sounded incredulous.

"Yes, he was. Scarred us for life, he did, though we should know by now that it takes more than overpowering attacks to kill Mikula here." Kanu said from behind Mikula's back. Pavlo chuckled, but it was strained. "Yeah. Your luck has been rather unusual lately, hasn't it?" He said, trying to change the topic.

Mikula shrugged. "I suppose. Now, Although I'd love to stand here all night talking, seeing as I'm tired and muddy and bloody and have been walking all afternoon, but perhaps we could find a place to sleep?"

Pavlo grinned. "Well, the Hercorians are a bit more hospitable than we figured, once we told them about the attack we suffered at Kuamket. They have a hostel of sorts, and everyone who doesn't have a place to sleep on a wagon is in there. Of course, we _do_ have a wagon in the family, and mother's up staying at some special leader's house, or something, so there's plenty of room."

Mikula thumbed over his shoulder. "What about Kanu?"

Pavlo grinned. "We can just cover him over to keep the dust off of him, and he'll be fine."

"Wiseasses." Kanu grumbled. Mikula and Pavlo laughed and they both turned so that they could face each other and Kanu. "Oh, I'm kidding, Kanu. Although I'd love to fit you in, too, I think that there will be some special area for the wounded." Pavlo said. As if in response to his words, a pair of lupar from Hercor walked up, both wearing a blue armband and nightclothes. The lead one spoke first. "Okay, who's injured here?"

Kanu meekly raised his hand, prompting his brothers to grin again. The Hercorian rolled his eyes and motioned for his partner to go around the cart to check on the others, while he went to look over Kanu.

Mikula took a step back. "Well, Kanu, I think we'll leave you to the doctors."

Pavlo shook his head. "Poor guy, and he looked like he was going to pull through, too."

Kanu gave them an obscene gesture, which made the younger brothers laugh as they turned and walked towards the barns where the wagons sat. On the way, they found van Horn sitting down by one of the carts parked in front of the hostel. He looked up and waved towards them when he recognized the pair. "Ahh, the brothers Farkas. Well, two of you anyway. I hope Kanu is alright?"

The concern in the human's voice touched Mikula. "Yes, he's fine. In fact, so is most everyone in the group. Only that one guard was killed, the others just got wounds."

Van Horn smiled slightly. "Good. Nice to know that we did some good out there tonight."

Pavlo looked at the human. "So I gathered. I talked to Kendo, and he mentioned that you seemed to be able to kill at will."

Mikula chuckled. "No, not at will, just a flick of his hand."

Van Horn's smile died. "I suppose I impressed him with my little trick."

"What trick?" Pavlo asked.

Mikula grunted in amusement. "He threw his knife and impaled a luckless bandit in the face. Not only that, but I did manage to see him save a guard's life."

"Two, actually." Van Horn said and then yawned. It proved infectious, and the two brothers followed suit. "In any case, I think we all need some sleep."

"A good idea. We were just heading to the hostel for that very reason." Pavlo said good-naturedly. Then he paused as a thought hit him. "Wait, Vanhorn, you don't have your wagon anymore, do you"

Van Horn smirked. "You might say that." He said wryly. He waited for Mikula to chuckle a bit before going on. "And you can call me Earl like Mikula here, you know."

Pavlo grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, uh, Earl. In any case, if you want, we have space in our family wagon tonight, since my mother is staying at some place up in the town proper. We'd be honored to have you stay with us, since you've done so much for all of us, and especially our brother."

Mikula nodded before van Horn could say anything. "Indeed. In fact, I'd like to insist if I might. After all, you let me sleep inside your wagon enough times, as well as all the wounded."

Van horn felt warm inside. "Thank you, gentlemen. I humbly accept your offer." He stood stretched. "Although I should warn you, I've been told I snore."

Mikula chuckled. "Can't be any worse than Kanu. He'll probably wake us up from wherever they stick him tonight."

They shared a laugh as they began to talk towards the barn.

Vilini sat upright on a bench near the gatehouse. It was one of several placed nearby so that guards could catch a moment to rest their feet. Of course, it was out in the open of the courtyard, so that their superiors could make sure that the guards weren't slacking off, either. Now, however, it was a good spot of Vilini to rest while the doctors attended the more gravely injured.

His friend Varshi walked over. He hadn't been hurt himself, which was fortunate as he had fought and killed a bandit that was with the one that had cold-cocked Vilini. "How are you doing, Vil?"

Vilini winced. "Not so loud. My head feels like a thousand waterfalls are pouring through it all at once."

Varshi couldn't help but smile. "You always have a way with words. Nice to see that that hit didn't knock it all out of you."

Vilini grumbled. Then he looked up - slowly, as his head was in serious pain - to his friend. "Var, did you see anything... Strange, out there?"

"You mean the creature with the furless body?" Varshi asked. Vilini raised his head quickly in surprise, and then grimaced and slowly set his head back down into his hands. "I take it, then, that it isn't a figment of that hit on my head?"

Varshi shook his had. "No. I was busy most of the time, fighting what was the bandits' only swordsman. Damn spawn of a zugert wouldn't let up. I got him, but when I saw you lying there..." His voice trailed off.

"Var, I know what you're thinking, and I want you to stop it." Vilini wanted desperately to raise his head, but he couldn't find the strength. Instead, he made sure his voice was strong. "You did the best you could, I'm sure. I got myself into the situation by forgetting my helmet, otherwise that blow wouldn't have knocked me so badly." He sighed. "In any case, you're changing the subject."

He felt Varshi shift on his feet. "You mean the furless one?"

"Yes, Var. All I saw of him was when he broke the neck of my attacker with his bare hands. Did you see him do anything else?"

Varshi gasped a bit. "Broke a neck with bare hands? Even with his size, I wouldn't think that was possible."

Vilini shrugged. "Well, I saw it plain enough, since my head was facing in the direction at the time, and I heard bone snap."

Varshi took a second to digest that. "Well, I shouldn't be so surprised... After all, he managed to save Herk from being skewered by a pair of Kurrnaki."

Against his own pain, Vilini looked up. "Kurrnaki? That's who attacked us?" He asked incredulously. His friend nodded. "Yeah, no mistake. I looked over a few of the bodies, and they have al the classic markings. The attack pattern matches what we've heard about, as well. And finally, that furless thing took one of them prisoner."

Vilini had brought his head down while Varshi had talked, but now he brought it up again, despite a new wave of pain. "You're kidding? Kurrnaki? Prisoner? That's unheard-of."

Varshi tilted his head and shook it a bit. "I'm not making this up, Vil. You'll probably see him in the hospice, since that furless thing did a number on him. I think he scared the crap out of him, too, since he hasn't tried resisting or even to take his own life like they're supposed to."

Vilini just sighed and laid his head back down into his hands. "One day, Var. One fucking day and everything changes." _Sha'na'kree help us all._


	14. Chapter 14

Van Horn awoke with a start, as he was wont to do. Opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings, and tried to remember where he was. _Oh, right. Wagon, Hercor, Bowman's Planet..._ His thoughts stirred as he shut his eyes. Part of him wanted to go back to sleep, while another part pushed for him to wake up. It was only when the smell of hot food cooking wafted into the wagon and thence to his nose that one side finally won out. Opening his eyes again, van Horn pulled himself upright and yawned. He then took another look around the small wagon, given that it was the first time he had had to study one in daylight. _Too busy otherwise_.

The somewhat cramped wagon had all sorts of bundles tied up everywhere, either hanging on the walls or piled onto one side of the interior space. The floor had various rugs or blankets strewn about, and in two places they had been gathered up into mounds. Van Horn smirked at this, noting that he had his own makeshift pillow made from the fabrics. Another yawn came, and then he decided to get out before his legs cramped up. The wagon was, after all, made for life forms smaller than he, and though it was spacious enough to accommodate all three, it wasn't the greatest night's sleep he'd ever had. _Though pretty damn close when you've been close to death twice in one day_.

Van Horn pushed off the blanket that he had on top of him, and turned to climb out the back of the wagon, which was the closest entrance to him. He was careful to avoid the pair of swords that sat in the back, as well as the other pieces of soldier's equipment that the Farkas family had brought with them. After getting to the ground, he stood up, closed his eyes, and stretched his back and his arms over his head.

"Errrrraaahh." The simple emotive sound escaped his lips and filled the nearby area. Van Horn opened his eyes and saw a couple of lupar looking at him from another wagon nearby. Sheepishly grinning, he waved to them and finished stretching his legs. They grinned and waved back, then went back to doing whatever they had been doing just a moment ago.

Van Horn was mildly curious, but didn't particularly care. Instead, his stomach rumbled, and he realized that he hadn't eaten since a small snack at lunch the day before. _Gotta get some food in me. Now, where's that damn good smell coming from?_ He set out to walk towards the barn's entranceway to find out.

As he walked, he noted things that he hadn't during the night. The 'barn,' for one thing, was built more like a warehouse, with a large open floor and a large opening instead of any doors facing the courtyard. The only thing differing it from most warehouses van Horn had known on the planets he'd visited is that this one had a wooden roof and stone walls, rather than simple concrete-and-steel.

The floor of the barn was stone, as well, though a thin layer of grass cut from the banks of the river made it so that animals - _Unintelligent animals, that is_, van Horn had to remind himself - could lay down and sleep, or just rest. As he walked out from the side of the barn that had the lupar wagons from the caravan, he saw the natives' beasts of burden tired up on the other side of the barn. _So that's what I smelled last night_, he thought. But the scent of good food was coming from outside the barn doors, so he followed it and stepped into the sunlight.

He was greeted with the sight of the courtyard full of activity. Soldiers from Hercor were training and drilling near the gatehouse and barracks area, while a stream of gatón and lupar flowed in and out of the hostel. He soon saw why, as their destination was also the origin of the wonderful smell; it was the 'chuck' wagon from the caravan, apparently doing its job just as well as always. _Which means there'll be a line,_ he thought to himself. _Ah, well, might as well get started on waiting at the end of the line._

Van Horn started off, and then stopped as a thought hit him. _Wait a minute, I haven't bathed_. Of course, he had gotten used to not being clean while traveling earlier, given that his _Darter_ had lacked amenities for such hygiene. But now he remembered that he had been in a river yesterday, had gotten muddy, had walked half the day, then was in a rough-and-tumble fight that may or may not have gotten blood on him. _I need to find some place to clean up_.

He looked around the courtyard, trying to figure out how the others would be getting themselves clean. All he could see was that a few of the caravan natives were heading out the main gates, and then turning to head towards the river. _Must have to wash up out there_, he thought with a sigh. He then looked down and tried to check himself over as much as he could. _Hmm. Mud stains all over my pants... Some bloodstains on my arm since I didn't clean myself off soon enough. God, I hope those bastards don't have any diseases._ Van Horn's skin crawled at the thought of blood-borne pathogens. _Despicable little things._

Before he could decide whether to wash up or eat first, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, van Horn saw Pavlo standing there. "Well, there you are."

Pavlo grinned. "Indeed I am. I was wondering when you were going to get up."

"Well, some of us didn't ride here in a wagon." Van Horn replied with a slight chuckle. "Which reminds me, I'm famished, but I don't know if I should wash up first. Is there any sort of convention about this with your people?"

Pavlo's grin faded a bit as he thought. "No... Not really. It is polite, usually, to wash up a bit, but we are traveling, and you were in a battle last night defending the wounded and even the Hercorian guards." The grin returned to full force. "I think no one would mind if you came out naked."

Van Horn's face turned red a bit. "I, ah, don't think I will be doing _that_ anytime soon. But if it's alright, I would like to get some of whatever smells so good."

"Very well. Let's get in line then, shall we?" Pavlo replied, and then followed van Horn as the latter moved off to find the end of the line.

_Oh, God, this is good_, van horn thought to himself as he ate the food that he had gotten. "What do you cal this again, Pavlo?" He asked the lupar as they sat on the back of the Farkas family wagon.

The lupar smiled a bit, clearly pleased that van Horn was impressed with the food. "It's yusurri paste. They grow it here at Hercor, so our chefs managed to get some. Although I wonder what they could have traded...?"

Van Horn shrugged. "Well, unless it was someone's child, then I'd say the trade was worth it." He said and then scooped up another bit of the unappetizing-looking, but good-tasting paste. _Damn shame they don't have any flatware. My hands ain't that clean... Ah, well._ Briefly, he wondered if the plant could be cultured off-world. _You'd make a good killing, since this stuff tastes better than quillar_.

Pavlo shrugged in response, then a smirk came over his features. "Well, I haven't seen Mikula for a while..." He trailed off, and then he chuckled, which van Horn joined in on.

"Seriously, though, where is Mikula? I haven't seen him this morning." Van Horn asked wonderingly.

Pavlo nodded towards the gate. "He went to get water so we could wash up. Usually, that's a female's job, but none of us have mates, so we have to do it ourselves."

Van Horn had to repress an urge to look at the lupar funny. _Hey, so they're sexist. What primitive culture isn't? Hell, these guys at least give credit to the opposite sex,_ he thought. It still didn't sit quite right with the human, but he kept his peace.

"Oh? So we'll be able to clean up without having to bathe in the river, then?" He asked, hoping to direct the subject to a less touchy topic. _For me, anyway_.

Pavlo chuckled. "What, you want to get naked in front of a town of strangers?" Van Horn blushed at the question. "No, of course not. I just had no idea what was... The accepted way of getting oneself clean."

The lupar's grin broadened. "Well, there are a couple of tubs we brought in our little pack. First the women will be able to bathe, then the males, although if you want, you could probably go first. I don't think anyone would object, seeing the way you've helped to defend us twice now, and help the wounded."

Van Horn blushed again. "No, thank you. I don't want any special treatment. I'll wait and clean myself after everyone's done, in fact, just so no one can feel put out."

Pavlo gave van Horn a look. "Put out? No one thinks that. But if you want, you can wait, I guess. Not like there'll be much clean water left."

"Well, maybe I'll just get more." Van Horn replied with a smile, and then went back to trying to shovel the mush into his mouth. "Besides," he said one he had swallowed a bite, "I wanted to see if I could salvage anything from my _Darter_ anyway. Might as well wait until I'm back from that before I get cleaned up."

"Ah." Pavlo said, and then fell quiet and pecked at the last of his meal. _It's a pun, but he wolfed it down_, van Horn thought with a grin.

He had almost finished when Mikula appeared from around one of the lupar wagons, carrying a pair of large buckets. He set them down near the back of the Farkas wagon, their water splashing over the rims a bit, and sighed. "Such a long way to carry water that we're just going to dump over our heads."

Pavlo chuckled. "Especially when you just had a bath yesterday, eh?" He asked mischievously. Mikula growled at his younger brother. "Funny, aren't you? Perhaps you'd like a bath right now?" He picked up one of the water buckets and held it menacingly.

"Uh..." Pavlo looked stricken, and he froze into place. He didn't stay that way as van Hon began to laugh, and Mikula soon joined in. "Had you going there, eh Pavlo?" He asked as he put the bucket down.

Pavlo stuck out his tongue. "Laugh it up, zugert. At least I don't need a bath as much as you."

Mikula shook his head. "Whatever you say, Pavlo. In any case, I see the two of you have eaten already. Perhaps one of you could help me carry this over to the bathing area so people can start getting cleaned?"

"I'll do it." Pavlo said grudgingly. "I don't have anything else to do."

Van Horn nodded. "Yeah, and I was going to salvage anything I can from my car." He stood. "If you don't mind me eating and running?"

Both of the brothers waved him off. "Of course not, Earl. Go right ahead. We'll still be here when you get back, I'm sure." Mikula said, and Pavlo nodded his agreement.

"Thank you, my friends." Van Horn said with a smile. "Well, I'd better get going if I want to be back before the day is half over." He said. "If you'll excuse me?"

The two lupar nodded and waved their goodbyes as van Horn walked away, returning the waves. He quickly turned and began his walk, passing wagons and lupar coming in with more buckets of water. Many gave him nods, which he returned. _Nice to know these folks are the polite, decent kind._

Van Horn reached the main doors, where he saw things had changed a bit during the time he'd been eating. The food wagon was still sitting there, but the lupar who ran it were cleaning, rather than cooking. Off to the right, the line of storehouses had a small group of Hercor guards in front of it. _Must be a bit wary of the newcomers. Can't say I blame them,_ van Horn thought. He began to walk towards the gates to the outside, which drew attention from a few sources. Mostly, it was the guards eyeing him, sizing him up. A few lupar who watched him, however, seemed to be a bit more finely dressed than the armored guards. _Must be merchants, form the way they look and the fact that they're moving about the storehouse_. Van Horn mused over how Hercor got such a reputation for keeping people out when they obviously were equipped well enough for trading.

He shook his head a bit to clear it. _Debate that later, just get going._ He mentally prodded himself, and then continued his walk cross the courtyard. A glance to his left showed that many of the gatón were out about their carts, but apparently not doing much. _Probably not much _to _do, given their- our, predicament. _He mentally corrected himself. _I'm pretty much stuck with these people now... Though it could be worse. At least they don't want to dissect me like some government would've done on Old Terra_. He grinned at this thought as he approached the gates.

The gates were left open during the day, but they had a good contingent of guards in the gatehouse. _Geeze, that's how many?_ Van horn mentally tallied up the number of guards he had seen just then. _Has to be at least, twenty-five, maybe more. That's a lot for a small town._ He wondered just who was left to work the fields outside.

He got his answer as he passed through the gates. In the nearby fields he saw not only male, but female lupar, as well. _Of course, dumbass. Only more advanced societies have that 'woman of the house' BS. _Van Horn sighed a bit. _Gonna have to remember to keep my thought patterns out of the old ruts._

"Excuse me." The halting words, spoken in Lupari, brought van Horn's attention back to the present. He turned to face the speaker, who was a guard. He looked nervous, and a couple of his comrades were standing by the side of the gatehouse, also looking nervous. "Yes, how can I help you?" Van Horn replied.

"Uhm, rules state that the gate area should be left clear as much as possible, so they can be shut quickly if need be..." The guard said, and trailed off, looking up towards the arch above. Van Horn followed his sight, and realized he was standing right in the middle of where the gates sat when they were closed. With a smile, van Horn realized the source of the guard's nervousness. _He's trying to tell me to move along, but he's scared of me, as well, so he's trying to be polite. Well, might as well return the favor._

Van Horn looked back down at the guard, and gave him a polite smile. "Ah, I see. I will move along." He nodded to the lupar and turned, heading out and towards the river, leaving the relieved lupar behind. He smirked to himself. _Probably gonna tell a tale of the big bad boogey man, or whatever he'll call me when he goes out drinking_.

Van Horn followed the obvious path to the river that had been flattened with repeated use. For that, he was grateful, as the path lead towards where the _Darter_ had come to rest. Looking ahead, he saw a small group of lupar already standing and staring at the upended wreck. From the nets that they absentmindedly carried, they appeared to be fishermen of sorts, but their duties seemed forgotten this day.

Van Horn sighed to himself as he began to approach the group, wondering how he'd handle any questions they'd have. _Well, only one way to find out, I suppose_. He continued walking at a leisurely pace; eventually reaching the small area of flattened dirt that seemed to be the favored fishing area. His arrival spurred a few fishermen to turn from their conversations to look at him, and their wide-eyed stares and silence brought the rest of the locals' eyes around to stare at the human.

Van Horn smiled politely, and nodded to the group. "Good day." He said in Lupari, and walked to a spot a bit further upstream from where the lupar stood. He sat down without waiting for the stunned natives to reply, and began the process of taking off his shoes, shirt, and undershirt. _Gonna have to leave the pants on if I want to retain any modesty_, he reasoned.

The tableau went on in silence, as van Horn felt no need to talk to the natives, and they seemed too unsure of what to say to him. Finally, though, a younger lupar - _Jeeze, can't be more than sixteen, or whatever the lupar equivalent is_, van Horn thought - took a step forward and cleared his throat.

Van Horn looked up from where he had just finished taking off a sock. "Yes?" He asked politely.

"Uh... Mister... Might I ask what you're doing?" The youth asked with his ears and tail twisting down to the position that van Horn had learned was embarrassment.

He smiled slightly. "I'm taking off some of my clothes so they won't get wet when I go swimming."

The youth's eyes seemed to bug out. "Swimming? You're going swimming?"

Van Horn nodded and he took off his shirt before answering. "Yes. That thing in the river used to be my... My wagon. I want to see if anything survived it being attacked. Well, apart from me." He finished with an amused smirk.

Apparently, the other, older lupar seemed content to let the youth speak. "You? That was you? But, we saw it..." The young lupar looked from van Horn to the wrecked _Darter_ and back again. "We thought that it was some sort of creature, not a wagon."

Van Horn grunted as he took off his undershirt. "Well, it's not a creature. And I'm going out there, so could you do me a favor and watch my clothes...?" He trailed off.

The youth got the intent of the action. "Jerryk. My name is Jerryk."

Van Horn continued to smile friendly like. "Well, Jerryk, I'm Earl. Could you watch my clothes until I get back? I don't want anyone accidentally kicking them around while they're working." _Nor do I want anything taken as a souvenir by curious fishermen_.

Jerryk blinked. "Uhm, sure. I can do that, if you want... Uh... Mr. Errr-aal."

Van Horn grinned at the title. "Just 'Earl' is fine. And thank you." He stood up after placing his undershirt on the pile of his clothes, and turned to walk to the riverbank. He dipped a foot in to feel the water first, and then started to wade in. _Current shouldn't be too bad upstream of the spring, so it should be like my swim in the forest yesterday_. Taking heart, van Horn plowed into the deeper water, and began to stroke his way across to the wreck of the _Darter_.

Alexis woke up slowly, her ears taking in the various sounds of people moving about, talking, moving things. She screwed her eyes shut as she became more aware. _So tired, just a little bit longer_.

But her nose then picked up a good smell, and her stomach rumbled. Alexis realized that she'd never get back to sleep while she was hungry. So she opened her eyes, and took in the room that her family and her had shared with another gatón family from Kuamket.

The room was small, even by gatón standards, and it lacked anything but a small cot. Piles of blankets were strewn about on the floor in an effort to make it more comfortable. Alexis felt like snorting, but her nose was always stuffy in the morning, and so snorting in derision would have not been pleasant. _Not very comfortable with just about every body stacked next to each other_, she thought.

"Oh, good, you're awake." The voice came from the cot, and Alexis realized she had overlooked the one person that had used it the night before. Turning her head back around, she tried to smile at the other gatón. "Yes, I am, Mrs. Teryo. Where is everyone?"

The older woman shifted the child that she cradled in her arms. "I'd imagine that they're all out getting breakfast. I heard that the lupar from our caravan got some of the local plant that the Hercorians grow. It's supposed to be good, so maybe you should go and get some before they run out." She finished with a small smile.

Alexis chuckled softy, not wanting to disturb the baby on the other woman's arms. "Well, why aren't you out there, then?" She asked politely, but with a smile to show she was just trying to make good conversation.

Mrs. Teryo smiled back. "Well, little Heeb here wanted to get his meal first, so I stayed behind to feed him, since I don't know how our hosts would take to that."

Alexis nodded, then levered herself up slowly. She stretched to get the kinks out of her back and limbs. "I wouldn't know, either. So perhaps it's a good thing you stayed. In any case, I think I will take your advice, and go get some breakfast. Would you like me to bring you back anything?"

Teryo shook her head. "No, that's alright dear. Mr. Teryo is going to bring back some food. Either that, or _he_ can try to breast feed Heeb here."

Alexis and Teryo chuckled softly together, and then Alexis waved a goodbye and pushed open the door. Walking into the hall, she took a moment to gather her bearings, having come in during the night. She finally remembered which way the stairs were, and she walked in that direction. As she went, she passed more doors like the one that led to the room her family and Mrs. Teryo's shared. Soon, she was at the stairs, and she climbed down those easily and entered another hallway, identical to the first.

Almost identical, anyway, as a couple of gatón were standing and talking. They became silent and nodded out of respect as she moved past, although Alexis thought she could see something else in their eyes. She briefly wondered what else the two were thinking about, when the memory of last night rammed back into her consciousness.

_Oh, Gods. I really did that?_ Alexis halted a moment to make sure it wasn't some dream-inspired fantasy, which was likely when one is recently awakened. But soon her mind cleared and the night's events became clear.

She made herself start walking again towards the small receiving area that also served as the entrance to the hostel. Various feelings arose and vied for dominance in her mind as Alexis moved out the entranceway to the building. Two thoughts, though, remained clear: _Mikula's alive and safe_, and _What do I do now?_ She had feelings for Mikula that were deeper than what she felt towards someone who was just a friend, _but how deep are they really?_

Alexis felt very confused, and so she stopped and looked for a spot to sit and think. She picked a small spot near an empty cart and sat down, leaning against eh wheel that faced towards the center of the courtyard. And so she sat, and tried to reason out her feelings. _What I wouldn't give for a tree about now_.

Her thoughts ran rampant. _Am I just... Fascinated by the new and unusual? The allure of the exotic?_ She couldn't help but have doubts, given the unusual nature of the events that had changed everyone's lives. She then noticed a figure that literally stood above the rest as it strode from the barn where the lupar wagons were held. Alexis smiled slightly as she recognized van Horn walking out. She was happy that the unusual being had survived as well, and she thought about that. _I _know_ I don't have any similar feelings over van Horn that I don't have over a friend. Happy he's all right, worried sometimes but little else. So maybe it's not the allure of the exotic?_

Alexis shook her head, and debated whether she should try and flag the human down. She decided not to, as he strode purposefully towards the main gates. _He looks like he knows what he's doing. I'd better not bother him now_. She watched as he paused at the gates, and the brief conversation with the guard. Alexis also smirked in amusement at the relieved way the guard walked back to where a few of his comrades stood.

Then she remembered that Mikula was a soldier, and so were his brothers. That brought up the whole mess of feelings she had to begin with when she had sat down. She sighed, and wondered what she should do.

Alexis' stomach grumbled, reminding her of the reason she had woken up to begin with. She looked towards where the lupar food wagon had been serving breakfast, but she saw that they had stopped and were cleaning their cookware. _Great. No breakfast for me then, I guess_.

She started as a plate was laid down next to her. Alexis turned and looked up to see her brother, Reyato, standing to her left. "I figured you would miss breakfast, so I saved you a plate." He said with a smile.

Alexis tried to smile back, but the effort felt weak even to her. "Thank you, Reyato." She picked up the plate and smelled the paste that sat on it. "This smells good. What is it?"

"The local Hercorians call it 'yusarri.' It's very good, so have some." Reyato replied, a bit of concern seeping into his voice. "You look like you need it."

Alexis smiled again, this time a bit better. "Yeah, I guess I should." She then turned and tentatively too a bit into her mouth and chewed. Then she found out how good it was and quickly gulped up the rest of the plate in a few minutes.

Reyato feigned shock. "My word! I suppose I should count my fingers, eh?"

Alexis ignored him as she licked the plate clean. "Mmm, that _was_ good." She licked her chops off to get the last bit of flavor off them, and then looked up to her brother. "Thank you very much, Reyato."

He chuckled. "No problem, sis. After last night, I figured you might not be feeling too well and would need some extra sleep. Just had to plan ahead, that's all."

The mention of the night before caused some of Alexis' rising mood to dissipate. "I suppose I did make a fool of myself, didn't I?"

Reyato scratched his chin. "You mean your little outburst? I wasn't really talking about that, but rather the long walk in." He leaned back a bit. "But I suppose it's the former that has you so down right now?"

Alexis frowned and looked away. "Yes, it is. I embarrassed myself, Mikula, and my family."

Reyato shrugged, which Alexis could see out the corner of her eye. "I don't know about you or Mikula, but I wasn't really embarrassed. I don't think mother and father were, either."

_You say that now, but what if I told you about what I feel inside?_ She couldn't help but think bitterly. "I suppose, Reyato." She then stood up, holding the plate. "Thank you for the food. I'll take the plate back." She said dismissively.

Reyato looked confused at the tone of her voice, but he had long ago learned not to question a female's mood shifts. "You're welcome. Mother and father and Shaya are all inside by now, so come in and say hi whenever you get done doing whatever you want to do."

Alexis turned to face her brother. "What makes you think I'm going to do anything besides return this plate?"

Reyato gave her a grin. "Because I know that look on your face." He turned and left her standing alone by the cart, holding the empty plate in her hands. She watched her brother go, then turned to look down ad the wooden plate she held in her hands. _Everyone seems to know me better than I know myself_; she thought and gripped the plate tightly, coming to a decision.

With a sigh, she raised her head back up and walked towards the food wagon. She got there quickly, and with a small smile and a nod, she handed the plate to one of the cooks, and then turned and slowly began to walk towards the barn. _Might as well get this over with_.

A tap on her shoulder startled her and she spun around to see who would be behind her. She felt embarrassed when she saw that it was a Hercor guard. "Excuse me, you are Miss Alexis, yes?" He asked. She nodded and the guard waved a hand towards the ramp that led up to Hercor proper. "The maegister sent me to escort you back up to his house. Apparently, your leaders want to speak to you."

Alexis felt stricken. _Now?! Of all the times... Ugh._ "Very well, soldier, please lead on."

It took another twenty minutes or so to again climb the ramp up Hercor's spire, and another few minutes to get to the heart of town. The trip in town was made a bit longer than when Alexis had come the night before, due to the larger amount of lupar out and about. Mainly women and children, the former going to the few shops that existed in the town, and the latter running about in various forms of play. Both groups, however, took time to gawk at Alexis, who was not only gatón but, she realized, also had the unusual hair. _I must stand out pretty well_, she thought. She would be happy once she was away from their questioning eyes. _I haven't felt this way since the lupar came from Tanzano into our old village. It took a tragedy to change their suspicions, though they learned to treat us as friends. But these Hercorians haven't begun to feel the full power of the Wobbies_. She shuddered as her and her escort entered the small square in front of the maegister's house. _Though I pray they shall never have anything happen to them like what happened to us_.

Alexis' thoughts came to a halt as she and her escort came to the main door. A quick knock was all that was needed and the door was pulled open from the inside. Alexis saw that the lupar who answered it was the guard who had been with the one called Vilini the night before.

"Ahh, Miss Alexis I would presume." He waved her and the guard inside, and closed the door after they came inside the small foyer. "Thank you, Frayter. Wait here and let in the other one when Jenk gets him up here." He then turned back to Alexis. "This way, please." He led off, and Alexis followed, perplexed at who else would be summoned up into the town. She didn't have much time to think, however, as she and the guard - _Varshi, I think his name is_ - passed quickly through the hallway and entered the same room she had been in the night before. Alexis felt a sense of déjà vu, as again Forbasa and Jukas sat on the one couch, and Varner sat on the other couch. Instead of Tiana Farkas, however, Alexis saw the irate guard from last night. He was leaning back on the couch, and he seemed to be in pain.

The two gatón shaman and Varner stood, but Vilini sat still, apparently too hurt to move much. Alexis wondered why he was even here, but she soon focused on Forbasa as he came up to Alexis. "My dear Alexis, I do hope your family is alright?" He asked in Lupari out of respect for their hosts.

Alexis smiled a bit before replying in the same language. "They are fine, thank you Shaman, for your concern."

Forbasa nodded. "And I take it that Jahni wasn't exaggerating when he said Vanhorn and Mikula had returned back from their apparent deaths?" He asked with a grin on his muzzle.

Alexis' smile died. "No, he wasn't. I do hope Mrs. Farkas was told that Mikula is fine?"

"Yes, she was told last night." Varner said from where he stood. He had a small smile of his own. "She was very happy, but I think the emotions took a toll on her, so she's sleeping in a bit today."

Alexis nodded to the maegister. "Indeed, a good idea methinks." She said, and then she tilted her head quizzically. "But, if I am not being rude, why was I asked to come up here? I told Jahni everything I could when I sent him up here last night, and then I went to sleep." She was a bit confused as to the nature of the meeting.

Varner motioned Alexis to take a chair that had been added to the room since her last visit. She went to sit down on it, as Forbasa and the others were also returning to their seats. The simple wooden chair was a bit uncomfortable due to its size. _Made for Lupar, no doubt_, Alexis quickly thought to herself, but then focused on Forbasa as he spoke. "My dear, we simply wanted some accounts from yesterday and last night. We were hoping that you could shed some light on why things suddenly changed so drastically."

"Not to mention, are the two attacks Hercor suffered yesterday related?" Varner asked pleasantly.

Alexis shook her head. "I don't know why you're asking me. I was in the forest during the first attack, and on the ramp to this town during the second one. You'd be better off asking Mikula, or Vanhorn, or him." Alexis gestured to Vilini. "As I recall, he was outside during the second attack. At least, I would assume so, since I saw him being helped in through the gates afterwards."

Vilini gave her a sour look, but it melted away into one of pain. "Yes, I was outside. And believe me, I've already told them everything. The maegister is simply being thorough." The words seemed to drain the lupar, and he set his head back slowly to rest it against the couch. Alexis realized that he must've been hit pretty hard to leave such a pain, but Varner drew her attention away. "Yes. Vilini speaks truthfully. We simply want your account, and we will get the accounts from others."

Alexis sighed. "Alright, then. What do you wish to know?"

"Just tell us what happened just before Hercor was attacked and take it from there." Forbasa suggested politely. Alexis nodded and began to recount the story, from the mysterious communication van Horn had received, to the approach and attack of the Wobbies to the eventual chase through the Hercor fields. When she was done, she took a few minutes to explain to the two Hercorians the things that van Horn had told her about his machines. "You really should ask him up here, even. I know he can tell you much more than anyone else can." She finished and sat back in the chair.

Vilini seemed to grimace at the mention of van Horn, once he had been told who - or what - she was referring to. Varner just sat and accepted the information, but his face belied disbelief, though not suspicion. "Well, I must admit, I've never heard any story like that before."

"Neither have I." Jukas said, adding in her two cents. "Although, from what little I've seen of this human and his gadgets, I am not surprised."

Forbasa nodded agreement. "Yes, the story rings of truth with what I know. However, we should ask Vanhorn up here to speak, anyway. That is, if you wish so, maegister." He nodded his head in deference to Varner.

Alexis felt a bit unsure of herself, seeing her shaman act so respectful and deferent to someone else. She then realized that Forbasa, and indeed the entire caravan, were pretty much at the mercy of the Hercorians, and if the maegister was annoyed, he could at the very least kick them out without their wagons, leaving them to suffer the elements. Alexis involuntarily shivered at the thought, but she took heart in knowing that the maegister seemed intelligent and kind enough.

Varner brought her attention back to the room's other occupants. "I am not so sure... This human claims to be of the same race as those who attacked us?" He asked, a bit of suspicion leaking into his face and words.

Forbasa nodded sadly. He told us himself. However, I have not seen any attacker up close, only their machinery, so I cannot say for certain if he is telling the truth or not."

Alexis frowned, which drew Varner's attention. "Is there a problem, Miss Alexis?"

She felt a jolt of fear, being unsure of herself to speak to such persons of obvious respect and power. But something had changed in her recently, and it gave her courage. "I am just wondering why your esteemed persons are debating asking him up here. Vanhorn is knowledgeable in many things we cannot understand, and he has shown us nothing but kindness and concern. I can see that you are suspicious of him, maegister," she nodded her head towards Varner and lowered an ear, "but I can tell you from observing him from within his own wagon, his living quarters, that he is a good person. You have nothing to fear from him."

"Unless you wish to make him an enemy." Mikula's soft words came from the door. Alexis jumped in her chair and turned to face Mikula and the guard who had escorted him into the room. She felt her tail begin to curl around her leg by itself as she remembered her embarrassing behavior the night before. But she held herself together long enough for Vilini to speak. "Are you making a threat?" He asked with irritation.

Mikula's ears went down a bit in embarrassment. "No, not at all. I misspoke, I suppose. I was just observing that I would not him to be an enemy." He shrugged. "One only has to see what he did to the attackers last night to understand that."

Varner looked unconvinced. However, Vilini seemed to do an abrupt about face on his attitude. "Yes... I didn't see much of him... But he did save my life." He sighed and laid his head back again. "My apologies for getting angered. I am not feeling well."

Alexis was very surprised at the guard's change of attitude, but she didn't say anything as Varner began to speak. "Well, now that we have that cleared up, I suppose we should ask this 'vanhorn,' to come up and speak with us."

Forbasa nodded. "A good idea, indeed. I think you will be impressed with him."

Varner nodded and then addressed the guard who had escorted Mikula in. "Varshi, you know what this 'human' looks like?"

Varshi frowned a bit, and his ears twitched. "Is that the name of the furless one?"

Varner nodded." It is his race, yes. He is called 'Vanhorn.' Go find him and ask him to come up and speak with us."

Varshi looked stunned, and his ears folded downwards against his skull. "But... How do I even talk to him?"

Mikula turned about and looked at the guard. "Just speak normally. He knows Lupari, and he's friendly."

Varner nodded. "Well, you heard him. Now go, Varshi."

The guard nodded, then turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Van Horn was tired and sweaty. He had been working over his wrecked scout car for about an hour now, and had found little to salvage. _What the missiles and reactor explosion didn't get, the water's messed up_, he mentally condemned the situation. With a sigh, he went back to work trying to jimmy open a cabinet. Since the car was on its side in the river, the flooded compartment was almost ninety degrees off kilter, and so the cabinet he was working on was directly over his head, instead of being at a comfortable angle and height.

With a loud noise, the warped door came free and opened abruptly. Van Horn jumped back to avoid having the content of the storage space fall on him, though when he saw what had fallen, he quickly moved to scoop the items up. "Damnit! Don't be ruined, don't be ruined." He spoke to himself to help with his anxiety as he picked up the Intek Laser Rifle and the M-1911/2985 pistol that he'd used to defeat the earlier bandit attack. In the haste to escape the doomed _Darter_, he had left them behind. Now, he hoped they would work, despite what they'd been through. He checked the two weapons one at a time, holding one under his arm while he looked over the other. _Looks good. A bit waterlogged, but they're military weapons, so they've been designed to get a little wet and still work._ He had hope that he now had his weapons advantage back over the bandits that seemed to plague the area.

Van Horn reached around to behind his back, where another bag like his 'bug-out' kit hung on a shoulder. The waterproof polymer fabric had survived in its own storage cabinet, although it was unfortunately empty. _Still, better than having to carry all this stuff through the water_. He grabbed the bag and swung it around on its strap, and then stuck the two weapons inside, where they joined a change of clothes and a pair of boots.

Van Horn grunted, as he had to stretch the bag a bit to accommodate the rifle. _I should take it apart to clean and store it- but I'm in a wrecked scout car in a river; that can wait until later._ He looked down and managed to find the spare clips in the muddy water. He frowned as he bent over and grabbed them and shook the water out. "These are almost certainly fucked... But I gotta try salvaging them anyway." He mumbled to himself.

The noise of water splashing outside drew van Horn's attention to the open escape hatch that was in what was the floor of the _Darter_. Now, the hole faced downriver and was only halfway above water. Van Horn reached into the water and grabbed the bowie-style knife from its sheath and brought it up in a guard position. _Best not to take chances_, he thought to himself.

He needn't have worried, however, as the shape that appeared in the frame was that of Pavlo, swimming like Mikula had, using a doggie paddle. Again, van Horn found himself suppressing an urge to laugh. He leaned back from his ready position and stretched back to help hide his contorting face from Pavlo, who was now climbing into the wrecked scout car. "You won't mind if I come in will you?" He asked.

Van Horn grinned. "Sure, though the place is a mess." He said and he leaned down to replace the knife into its sheath. _Gonna have to clean a lot of things tonight_, he mused silently. "What are you doing out here? I thought that lupar hated to get wet?"

Pavlo shook himself a bit, again bringing up a comparison to a dog in van Horn's mind. _I've got to get off of this planet soon, before I say something stupid like 'here boy!'_ He thought as Pavlo finished shaking his upper body. "That is true. But someone had to come out and get you, and I seem to be the only lupar who can swim and is willing to actually talk to you face to face."

Van Horn frowned. "'Get me?' Did something happen? Is anything wrong?"

Pavlo shrugged. "No, I don't think so. One of the guards from Hercor came looking for you. One also came a bit earlier and took Mikula with him. Apparently, the gatón shamans and the Hercor leaders want to ask some questions about yesterday's events."

Van Horn frowned, unsure of whether this was good or bad news. "So? Well, I cannot leave them waiting, now can I?" He asked Pavlo with a small grin. "I can finish up here later, since no one seems inclined to come out into the river, even for curiosity's sake."

Pavlo nodded. "Indeed. I wouldn't even come here, and I know the place." He looked around. "It's changed a bit, however." He said with a slight grin.

Van Horn Chuckled and zipped up the bag he carried. "Well, being attacked does tend to let you do a bit of redecorating." He said and waded to the hatch in the floor/wall. With a quick adjustment to the bag, he shoved off of the frame and settled into the water.

A splash behind him brought van Horn around, and he again saw Pavlo swimming with the doggie-paddle. He shook his head and swam over to the lupar. "Here, let me help you." He said and held out his left hand.

Pavlo looked suspiciously at it. "Help? I can swim fine."

Van Horn shrugged, and refrained from grabbing Pavlo like he had grabbed Mikula the other day. "Suit yourself. I'll wait for you on shore." With that, he turned and began stroking his way towards where he had left his clothes.

Along the way, van Horn noticed that most of the lupar fishermen were busy now, though they took every chance watch the human as he swam. Two lupar stood next to where he had left his clothes, one was a guard, and the other was the young one that van Horn had asked to watch his possessions. _Nice to know these folks raise honest kids_. He thought. And then he was at the shore, and he pulled himself out and onto the bank. He stood erect then, and towered over the two lupar waiting for him.

The guard just looked bug-eyed and stood there mute. The youth, however, took a step forward. "Uh, Mister Earl, sir, I kept your clothes in place, like you asked me to." He said.

Van Horn smiled at the kid. "Thank you... Jerryk, the name was?" He waited until the youth nodded. "Thank you, Jerryk. Now," he turned to face the guard, "I understand someone wanted to escort me up to the town. I take it that you're that person?"

The guard blinked a few times before he found his voice. "Ah, yes. I am Varshi. Our town's leader, the maegister, and the leaders of the caravan want to talk to you."

Van Horn nodded as Pavlo climbed out of the river behind him. "Alright, then. Let me get to a place where I can change my clothes, and we'll go after that."

"I'll second that." Pavlo said and then shook himself again, trying to dry himself off. "I would like to look presentable, if I am to go up into town."

The guard frowned and his ears twitched downward. "My orders were to only get the- the 'human.' Not to escort anyone else up."

Van Horn decided to have some fun. "Did your orders say that you _couldn't_ escort anyone else up?"

The guard looked stricken and he turned to van Horn. "Uh... No..."

Van Horn smiled "Then Pavlo can come with. After all, don't you have some place up there where the wounded are kept?" He waited for the surprised guard to nod. "Then Pavlo can see his brother. Now, we need a place to change." He turned to face Pavlo. "Would it be imposing if I could use your family's wagon?"

Pavlo grinned broadly. "I would consider it an insult for you to not use it."

Van Horn nodded; his smile still entrenched on his face. "Let's go then, before Varshi here goes permanently mute from shock."

Pavlo chuckled at that comment, which drew a dark look from the guard. The former didn't care, as he started to follow van Horn towards the town, leaving Varshi to catch up.

It was a good time later before they reached the gates to Hercor proper. Varshi had a slightly indignant attitude over the earlier crack that van Horn had made, but he was slowly warming up to the human as he asked questions about many things. _It's like he knows nothing about how we live, and yet he wants to find out_, the young Hercor native thought. The idea that anyone would want to learn about boring details, such as how waste was removed from the town or how often the crops were planted, astounded the guard.

But it was at the gates that Varshi found himself even more astounded, as the human paused at the gates, looking over one wooden gate door to the other, mumbling something to himself in a tongue that the lupar couldn't understand. "What is the holdup?" He asked of the newcomer.

Van Horn looked down at the guard, and gave a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, but these carvings are magnificent. Could you tell me what they represent?"

Varshi was taken aback. "I- I... I am no storyteller. Perhaps you could ask one of them after I take you to the maegister?" He asked, trying to remind the human about the purpose of visiting the town. To his dismay, van Horn turned back to take another look at the carving. "I'm sure you must know a thing or two. Could you at least tell me what this represents?" He asked, tapping the largest figure on the door.

Varshi blinked and sighed in exasperation. "That's Vorana. She is the patron spirit of good luck." He shook his head. "But we shouldn't be standing in the gates."

Van Horn looked down again. "Oh? Get that many attackers here?" He asked with a grin.

Varshi bristled visibly. "No, because I was sent to get you some time ago, and the longer I take, the more annoyed the maegister will get. I do not like to be seen as failing my duties, especially when it's someone else's own laxness that causes that appearance." The words started polite, but came out sharp towards the end. Varshi clapped his jaws shut as he realized that he had practically told off someone who was much larger than him and had been able to kill dreaded Kurrnaki almost at will. His ears folded down a bit to show his sudden trepid feelings.

To Varshi's surprise, however, van Horn simply blinked himself, then nodded. "My apologies. Please lead on." He said quietly, with an unreadable look - to Varshi, anyway - on his face.

Varshi gulped down his fear. "Alright. Follow me then." He said, and then turned and started off to head towards the maegister's house, van Horn and the silent Pavlo following behind.

Varshi's discomfort returned as many residents of the town who were about stopped to stare open-mouthed at van Horn. _I am going to be questioned to no end over this_, the lupar thought regretfully.

Van Horn, meanwhile, returned the stares of the natives, though he did his best to keep his looks friendly, or at least neutral. _Fascinating. The town looks so much like an old European town from the eleventh century... Though it's better built, all made out of stone_. He thought to himself, observing the various building styles. "Varshi, if I may ask a question that won't slow us down, why did your people decide to build using all stone?"

Varshi slowed down to contemplate, then mentally chastised himself for that error. _Bloody creature. The most infuriating thing is that he seems to not be doing this on purpose, and even seemed to be saddened when I mentioned that he was making me look bad... And usually, people get mad when you say something so stupid to them._ Varshi ran through these thoughts quickly, and then answered with what he knew. "I am told that we use stone because it doesn't burn. Otherwise, any fire that broke out could kill everyone, as we are up so high."

Van Horn nodded absentmindedly. _Well, no one said these folks were stupid_. "A good idea, I think. In any case, it adds a nice charm to the place."

Varshi slowed - _again!_ - To look over his shoulder at van Horn. "Charm? I never thought of this place as charming."

Pavlo smiled and spoke up for the first time in many minutes. "Earl is right, though. The town looks very nice."

Varshi felt pride rise up to salve some of his bruised ego, but Pavlo's words caught his attention. "'Err-al?' I thought your name was 'Vanhorn?'" He asked of the human.

Van Horn shrugged. "You have a family name as well as your own, individual name, right?" He waited for Varshi to nod agreement, though it was delayed due to their entering an alley. "'Van Horn' is my family name. 'Earl' is my given name." He explained matter-of-factly. Then they came out the other side of the alley, and van Horn had to pause with Pavlo to get a good look at the outside of the house that stood before them. "This is the maegister's house." Varshi said, enjoying the impressed looks the newcomers had.

Van Horn nodded. "Very nice. Reminiscent of Viking Longhouses." He said, using a mix of Lupari and English names. This confused the two lupar, however. "What are those?" Pavlo asked.

Before van Horn could reply, they heard someone calling their names. Looking up towards the second story of the house, they saw Alexis waving to them. "Well, I think we should talk about that later." Van Horn replied as he waved back to the young gatón.

Alexis smiled broadly as van Horn and Pavlo returned her greeting and walked towards the house, with the guard Varshi leading them. She turned away from the window as they disappeared from sight. The room's other occupant quizzically tilted her head. "I take it that Vanhorn and yet another of my sons are here?" Tiana asked with a slight smile.

Alexis nodded. "It is indeed, Mrs. Farkas. Funny they should arrive just now. Would you rather we talk later?" She asked the lupar. _She asked to speak to me, but we will both want to be there when the maegister meets with Vanhorn_, Alexis thought to herself.

Tiana nodded. "Perhaps, though I do want to tell you one thing now." She said, and stood from the chair she had been sitting in since Alexis had arrived a few moments ago. "I wanted to thank you for having Jahni come up to let me know that Mikula was still alive."

Alexis felt embarrassed, and her ears and tail swung into her kind's normal such positions for that emotion. "It's nothing to thank me for. Jahni did all the work of coming back up, and it was a simple matter to make sure he would talk to you."

Tiana smiled again, slightly. "Yes, but you didn't have to tell him to tell me in person that he had seen my son with his own eyes. I presume that was not a lie?"

Alexis shook her head. "Of course not. I would never lie about something so important, nor would I ask someone to." A momentary shudder went through her body as she remembered her feelings from the day before. _No, I would never wish my feelings on anyone else if I can help it_.

Tiana motioned towards the door, letting Alexis move first to open it and head into the hall. "I figured as much, knowing you as I do. And my sons speak highly of you, as well, which only confirms my judgment about your good character." Tiana said as she followed the gatón out into the hall.

Alexis again felt deeply embarrassed. "You honor me too much. I am simply doing what needed to be done. What any good person would do." She said as she reached the stairs and began the walk down.

Tiana followed down the stairs carefully before replying. "I know. But there are fewer good people than most would suspect." She frowned, though Alexis couldn't see it as she was watching her step. She could, however, hear the change in Tiana's voice. "I thought there were many good people leading my clan in Tanzano, but I was wrong."

They took the rest of the stairs in silence, and soon reached the landing that opened up into the foyer. A servant was just closing the door as they arrived, and Alexis started off towards the room the maegister used for audiences. A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she turned to see Tiana looking intent. "One other thing, Miss Alexis, that I'd like to say to you."

Alexis felt a tiny bit of fear in her stomach, not seeing such a look often in Tiana's normally gentle features. "Yes?"

Tiana looked around to make sure that the servant was gone, and no one else was nearby. She then turned back to Alexis, and much to the latter's surprise, drew her into a soft hug. With her muzzle near Alexis' left ear, she whispered into it. "Thank you for caring about my son." Drawing back, Tiana gave Alexis an unsure smile, and then turned and walked off towards the audience chamber.

Alexis stood mute for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. Then the shock wore off and in its place was a new feeling. A kind of warmth that felt good. She wanted to puzzle over it further, but the meeting was going on and she wanted to be there. _In case the shaman needs me_, she thought as she turned and followed the hall. In her heart, however, she knew that was only a half-truth. She wanted to be near the action.

Van Horn was impressed with the maegister's house on the inside as much as on the outside. _Well, relatively speaking of course_. He still had clear childhood memories of visiting family on New Honshu, and few buildings could compare to the glittering megalopolis of NeoTokyo, with its glittering towers and massive layout inspired by its fictional namesake. _Still, for a light-tech people, these Hercor Lupar have some good design sense and aesthetics_.

Full impressions had to wait, however, as he entered the large room where the town's maegister held his audiences. _Not nearly large enough_, van Horn mentally complained. As large as the house was by lupar standards, a human such as himself had to bend over to walk anywhere inside of it, lest he make a permanent dent in the ceiling. _A good thing that guard took Pavlo off to see Kanu at the hospice they have here, else he'd love to taunt me over this_, he thought with a wry smile.

The room did, however, interest him. Tapestries hung on the walls, and the couches seemed handcrafted. _Must take some damn good skill to make them look that good_. He saw Shamans Forbasa and Jukas sitting on one, and two lupar sitting on the other. One he took to be the maegister, by the look of the nice clothing. The other was dressed in a guard's outfit, and he was sitting back and nursing his head. _Is that the guy I saved last night?_

Van Horn's thoughts stopped as Forbasa stood and walked over. "So nice to see that you are not numbered among the lost." The shaman said and smiled. And then he held out his right hand, remembering the greeting.

Van Horn smiled broadly and shook Forbasa's hand with a subtly firm grip. "Indeed. One writer of my people put it best when he said, 'reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'"

The two gatón chuckled, as did the elder lupar on the other couch. "How wonderfully adroit." Forbasa said. "But I am being rude. This is maegister Varner, the head man of this town." He said, and waved towards where the lupar sat. The elder stood and nodded to van Horn. "A pleasure to meet you... I think." He said somewhat unsurely.

Van Horn continued to smile and held out his hand towards the lupar. "And I am pleased to meet you, I know."

The lupar regarded the hand suspiciously, and his ears twitched a bit at the subtle rebuke. Still, he managed a smile and reached out like Forbasa had done. "My apologies. I am just... Intimidated, to say the least."

"Perfectly understandable and completely forgivable." Van Horn said as he gently shook the lupar's hand. _No need for showing strength. This guy knows who won the first round._ As he thought that, van Horn felt confused. _Won? What the Hell? Why do I feel so antagonistic to these lupar? I wasn't very nice to that one who came to get me, and now I feel like I'm competing with this leader?_ The thoughts rolled forth as he disengaged his hand. _Need to be more polite_. "It is an honor that you would ask me here to your house, maegister Varner."

The lupar looked a bit confused, then he smiled. "I thank you for being honored. I do hope you can answer some questions for us."

Van Horn raised an eyebrow, but politely smiled. "I hope I may be able to. Please, ask away."

The lupar sat on his couch. "Well, first, please take a seat. I don't think it is comfortable for you to be leaning over like that." He indicated a lupar-sized chair for van Horn to sit on. Van Horn looked for it, and sat down on it - carefully. "I thank you for your hospitality. Now, what is so important that you'd send someone all the way to find me?"

"Well, we'd like to hear from you about the attacks yesterday. Mainly, do you know what caused them? Your friend Alexis seemed to think you might have had an idea." Varner asked intently.

Van Horn felt his insides scrunch up. _Oh God, a fucking committee!_ He knew how the nefarious creatures operated. "I do indeed." He said, and was about to begin telling them the story when Tiana Farkas came through the door. She smiled at Van Horn before turning to face the maegister. "If you would, maegister, would it be alright if Alexis and I sat in to hear what is going on?"

Varner looked a bit uncomfortable. "It's irregular... But I suppose yesterday was very irregular. Very well, but let me call someone to bring in some chairs." He stood up. "Please, excuse me, all of you." He bowed slightly and left the room by the back entrance.

Van Horn blinked a bit in confusion. _The guy has more character and fortitude than I thought_, he observed silently. _Then why do I feel hostile to him?_ Then he realized what it was; he had been, effectively, _summoned_ like some sort of serf by a lord. The walk up the rock spire had been like climbing stairs to some old Terran castle. _And he's obviously the kind who likes power, though he uses it well. So it must be the old authority resentment problem, compounded with the loss of some of my own power_, van Horn thought to himself, remembering the loss of his _Darter_, the most visible of his gadgets. He sighed as Alexis came into the room and the others began to chat a bit with each other. _I am disappointed in myself. I thought I outgrew this shit in college_.

"Is something wrong?" Alexis asked him, bringing van Horn back to the immediate reality. He looked at the gatón - _sitting down and I'm still almost as tall as her_ - and gave her a small smile. "I'm fine, Alexis. I'm just thinking about some depressing things. Thank you for asking, though."

"What things?" She asked. Just then, however, Varner walked back in, carrying a chair, and he had a servant carrying another. "I'll tell you later." Van Horn said as they placed the chairs on the wall that faced the couch where the elder gatón sat. Soon, everyone was seated and again, a story was told about the day before. Van Horn found it a bit rough going, as he had to explain certain ideas to the natives, such as the basic, basic, basic idea of radio waves and about how the Wobbies thought. To his amusement, they also had trouble understanding the idea that humans _liked_ water and swimming.

Finally, though, he was finished, and he took a few seconds to compose his thought. The others, too, seemed needing of some time, so he sat quietly. After a minute, Varner spoke up. "It is getting lat in the day. I think we should take some time for a midday meal." No one objected.

Van Horn walked down the streets of Hercor, led by guard Varshi and trailed by Alexis. They were heading off to the hospice to visit the brothers Farkas after eating at the maegister's house and another discussion that turned out to be surprisingly fruitful. _Maybe the natives haven't been contaminated yet_, van Horn mused silently to himself. The maegister was constrained by the fact that many things he wanted to do needed to be run by the ruling council, but they would meet tonight. Although initially annoyed at the questioning, van Horn had realized that Varner had wanted all the facts so that he could present his case to the council. Apparently, the insular nature of Hercor was something that was fading, though the older members of the council held sway and still tried to keep the town as isolated as possible. Varner was working to remedy that, but he had wanted to know all the facts so there would be nothing his opponents could use to undermine his position.

_Or so he says_, van Horn cautioned himself mentally. _Politicians are a crafty lot... Hell, he could be telling the truth, but only in the exact opposite way, and _he's_ the insular influence._ Almost as soon as he thought that, van Horn dismissed the idea. _No, no xenophobic is that good of an actor. The only ones who rise to power are the most psychotic of that neurosis, and thus couldn't act they way Varner acted today_. His training in sociology included the mass psychoses of culture, xenophobia being a rather depressing constant. _Another one being politicians_, he mentally scoffed. Something still did not sit right with him, though van Horn had decided to put those feelings aside and work cooperatively. _All the more so because I really have no choice._

A noise brought his attention from his reverie. Ahead down the street was a scuffle between two children lupar, each looking barely twelve years old to van Horn's eyes. Their mothers seemed to come from nowhere and began the task of prying the two boys apart, forcing the small group to stop as the path between the houses was little more than a narrow alley. The two women pried the kids apart, and soon began dragging them off by the scruff of their necks.

Van Horn smiled at the scene. Varshi noticed this, and he was prompted to speak. "What are you smiling at, if I may ask?"

Van Horn sighed. "Little boys are little boys, no matter where you go." He said and winked at Varshi, who blinked for a second as he grasped the meaning. Alexis, meanwhile, chuckled. "You have an amusing way of looking at things, Earl." She said.

Van Horn turned to her and bowed. "Thank you, Miss Alexis. Though I'd like to think that I am merely finding the amusing things in life and simply making them plain."

"Yes, well." Varshi said unsurely. "The hospice is just around the corner." He motioned to the end of the alley, and started off, the other two following quickly behind him.

Alexis walked to get next to van Horn, and spoke softly to him in Gatonese. "He isn't very nice, is he?"

Van Horn replied in the same tongue. "It's not a matter of nice, my dear, but the fact that he now has something new to think about."

Her ears flicked quizzically. "Like what?"

"Like that I just mentioned to him just how much little boys are alike, which implies that there is similarity between lupar, gatón, and my own species. Not everyone finds such similarity comforting at first."

Alexis was clearly puzzled. "How could they not?"

"We're here." Varshi said gruffly. He did not know Gatonese, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that the two were talking about him.

Van Horn looked over a house as large as the maegister's, but it had a sign out front of some sort of bird-like animal. _Must be their version of a red cross, or a caduceus symbol._ Sounds were coming from the building's open windows, sounds that weren't usually very comforting. _People in pain_, van Horn realized, and he felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.

He noticed Alexis tensing up beside him, and he knew she felt the same way. Van Horn sighed. "I wish I could've done more..." He said absentmindedly in English.

"You wish what?" Alexis asked in Gatonese, bringing van Horn back to the present. He looked down on Alexis and smiled. "I keep forgetting what I've taught you. I said that I wish I could have done more." He sighed and followed Varshi, who had started off in a huff towards the door.

Alexis followed behind, but stayed silent until they got inside the front doorway of the hospice, which lacked a real working door. She wondered at that, and then figured it must've been easier to carry people in when you didn't have to hold open a heavy wooden door. Inside the foyer was a desk, behind which sat an older female lupar. The scene gave van Horn the willies. _My God, it's déjà vu all over again_, he thought, mentally making the tired joke to try and relieve some of the creepy feeling he had. _So much like us... They even make their hospitals like ours_.

Varshi spoke quietly with the older lupar femme, who alternated listening to the guard with wide-eyed stares at van Horn. The latter simply smiled back to her in a friendly fashion, realizing just how strange it would be for her to see him. After a moment of a mostly one-sided conversation, Varshi turned back to face van Horn and Alexis. "The fellows you seek are at the end of the ground floor of that wing." He pointed to his left, van Horn's right. In the middle of the wall was a doorway, again without a door, and through it van Horn and Alexis could see beds with natives on them. "Unless you need me to guide you back, I will leave you now and go off duty." Varshi finished and lowered his arm, then crossed both over his chest.

Van Horn nodded. "I think we can find our way back, don't you, Alexis?" He asked of the gatón, who nodded. Turning back to the guard, van Horn gently put his hand on the lupar's shoulder. "And before you go, Varshi, I want to thank you for your efforts and your patience. I know I wasn't the nicest person, but I meant no ill will." He smiled. "I just had a bad day yesterday."

Varshi had started a bit at the touch, but van Horn's words kept him still. He blinked and then replied. "I- you are welcome." He took a step to the side, and van Horn lifted his hand off. "You weren't the only one who had a bad day yesterday..." Varshi trailed off, looking around the room. His thoughts were clear to van Horn, who immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I had any excuse for acting the way I did, not when your home was attacked."

Varshi looked up, surprised. "No, that's not it. I was just thinking about it... But I remember what you told the maegister, about how you ran out to distract the attackers. And I remember seeing you fighting to defend my fellow guardsmen." The lupar looked down uncertainly. "I just... I wanted to apologize for my own actions. I usually don't let myself get so short-tempered."

Alexis shook her head. "You two can go on apologizing all day, but it won't change the fact that neither of you are badly at fault."

Van horn grinned. "She's right. How about we let bygones be bygones?" He asked and held out his hand to the lupar.

Varshi looked up, confused. "'Bygones?'" He reached for van Horn's hand anyway, having seen the greeting ritual, so he knew what was expected, though confused as he had already met the human.

Van Horn shook the lupar's hand and released it. "Sorry. It's an old term that means 'let the ill feelings from the past remain there.'"

Varshi nodded, and he even smiled a bit. "A good term, to be sure. And I agree with the sentiment." He nodded and then yawned. "And now I should go before I pass out. I didn't get enough sleep from last night's watch. Good day." He said and walked out of the hospice with a wave.

Alexis and van Horn waved back, and then turned to head into the indicated room. "You were nice there." Alexis observed.

Van Horn shrugged just before they entered the large room on the other side of the doorway. "I didn't do what any good person should do. Apologize for my attitude. "He sighed, and then stopped to take in the room in front of him, Alexis pausing as well.

Before them stretched a room that took up the entire portion of the building's ground floor. Like wards in military field hospitals, the beds of the sick and injured were arranged in the large common area so that the heads of the patients were towards the walls, letting them have a good look at the room, if they were well enough, thought the room's view was broken up by numerous support beams that held up the floor above.

Each row of beds seemed filled with injured, and van Horn realized a good many of them had come from the Blakest attack the day before. The lupar lying in the beds mainly had broken limbs, or even missing ones. These latter ones were the main source of the moaning that van Horn and Alexis had heard earlier. Again, van Horn felt pangs of sympathy, and now regret. _I should have left sooner. Should have made more radio calls as I drove away, calling the bastards to me and not to these people_.

Alexis looked up at van Horn, and could practically feel his mood deepening. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "You are not at fault, Earl. These people were hurt like my people were, by your enemy and ours."

Van Horn shook his head. "I shouldn't have come near your people, Alexis. I only brought the attention of the Blakests to this area, to this town. And look what it has wrought."

Alexis looked up at van Horn, frowning. "But when you came, you helped us. You cared for the sick and injured, you saved lives and made us comfortable. When the bandits in the forest attacked us, you defended us. When Hercor was attacked, you selflessly went out and drew the attackers away. Then somehow, you cheated death and came back again to defend us from bandits." She shook her head. "You said it yourself, these Wobbies attack without provocation. What would have stopped them if they had decided to attack Hercor, even if you had stayed away?"

Van Horn sighed. Then he turned to Alexis and gave her a weak smile. "Now who's being nice?" He joked weakly.

Alexis gave a little smile right back. "I'm just doing what any good person would do, when their friend is blaming themselves for the actions of others."

Van Horn nodded, and sighed again. "Thank you, Alexis." He said and patted her hand, which was still on his arm. "You are a good friend." He lifted his hand, and Alexis withdrew hers. "Now, let's go find the troublemakers, shall we?" Van Horn asked, his smile growing stronger.

Alexis' smile grew in response. "Indeed."

Mikula rubbed his forehead. "Kanu, why can't you just tell me what you meant last night?"

His elder brother shook his head. "You cannot be this dense, Mikula." He sighed. "And if you are, then there's a reason. So go find out yourself."

Mikula frowned, and looked to Pavlo. "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" But the younger brother shrugged silently, frustrating Mikula even more. He turned away from the other two. "Fine, be assholes."

Kanu sighed. "Mikula, aren't you a bit old for the whiny brat act?" His tone and words stung Mikula, who turned back around on his stool, his ears down in shame. "I'm not acting like a whiny brat. I'm just damn tired of this mind game you're playing with me."

Kanu shook his head again. "Mikula... It's not a game. It's just sometimes things can't be told to you, but you have to realize them on your own. In this case, I thought that you'd have enough obvious clues by now."

Mikula twitched his ears in annoyance. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about. Frankly, I didn't think there was anything to figure out, until you said something. And I still have no idea what you could be talking abou-" His words cut off as he saw van Horn and Alexis walk through the doorway at the end of the ward.

Kanu and Pavlo also looked towards the pair, and smiled as they drew near. "Don't tell me you're visiting on my account?" Kanu asked politely.

Van Horn shrugged. "Well, not like there's much else to do." He winked to show he was joking. The others chuckled at that. "Don't listen to him," Alexis said with a smile, "we of course came to see how you and everyone else from the caravan is doing."

"Oh? Then I am honored you decided to visit me first." Kanu said, though a slight raise of his eyebrow would say something else to an observant person. Neither Alexis nor the other two brothers did notice it, but van Horn did. He grinned slightly. "Indeed. Might as well start at the most depressing and work our way up."

Again they all chuckled, though this began to draw some looks from the others visiting their injured relatives. Noticing this, the small group calmed down, their moods somewhat dampened.

"So Kanu, how are you being treated here?" Alexis asked, clearly concerned after having helped to take care of the wounded for a good amount of time.

Kanu gave her a wane smile. "Quite fine, Alexis. Thank you for asking, but the Hercorians... Although they are not perhaps as nice as you, they do know how to help people get well." He said, making Alexis twist her tail a bit in embarrassment at the compliment. "Thank you, Kanu. Though I think you underestimate the help others gave you."

Van Horn yawned. "Excuse me, the day seems to be wearing on me a bit more than usual."

Mikula looked up at that. "If you want, you can sit here. I've been here too long, anyway." He said and stood.

Van Horn gave him a raise eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I would like to rest, but I'm afraid that the maegister asked that we should not go around without an escort, or at least in pairs. I don't want Miss Alexis here to get in trouble."

Mikula waved his hand dismissively. "I can go with Alexis. That is," he turned to face the gatón, "if you don't mind?"

Alexis smiled. "That would be fine, Mikula. I hope you won't mind waiting while I visit with some people when we get to them?"

He smiled back. "Certainly not. In fact, I'd like to say hello myself to a few of them."

Alexis nodded, and then turned to face the others. "If you'll excuse us, then?" Mikula's two brothers and van horn nodded, and Alexis and Mikula left, walking down to the other wing, where the other wounded were kept.

After they were out of the ward, Kanu sighed. "Thank you, Earl, for your timely interruption."

Van horn chuckled softly. "Not at all. I take it you two were having an argument?" He asked and sat down on the stool Mikula had vacated.

Kanu sighed. "Sort of. I slipped up last night, and now he's trying to have me tell him what is so obvious to the rest of us."

Van Horn nodded. "Ah. I figured as much, which is why I feigned a tired spell."

Pavlo looked confused. "You mean you really aren't that tired?"

Van Horn shook his head. "No, I just figured it would be a good excuse for Mikula to leave and accompany Alexis."

"Which is what he wants, whether he realizes it or not." Kanu said with a soft chuckle.

Pavlo looked between the other two, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean, 'whether he realizes it or not?'"

"Pavlo, don't tell me you haven't noticed?" Kanu asked incredulously.

"Kanu, he hasn't been in such close company with those two as you or I have been." Van Horn said. He turned to Pavlo and gave a small smile. "But, you have seen them before we left the area around Kuamket. You've had to notice something."

Pavlo shook his head. "All I know is that they are good friends."

Kanu and van Horn shared a look, and then they chuckled together, much to Pavlo's consternation. "What? What did I say?"

"Pavlo, didn't you notice the way Mikula's ears flicked when I flirted with Alexis a bit there?" Kanu asked his younger brother, who frowned. "Yes..." He replied.

Van Horn joined in. "You also didn't see the way Alexis grabbed Mikula last night when we came through the gates."

"She what?" Pavlo asked, clearly surprised.

"She ran up and grabbed him like he was going to float away." Kanu said with a wide grin on his muzzle. "I'm surprised you haven't heard anyone gossiping about it by now."

"I've been busy." Pavlo said with a shake of his head. "And I'm a bit surprised. I know Mikula mentioned being with Earl when he went racing about, so I guess she thought he was dead like we had thought Earl was dead. But that doesn't explain why she would-" He stopped in mid-sentence, and his ears perked up as high as they could go.

Van Horn chuckled. "I think he has it, Kanu."

"Indeed." Kanu replied with a grin.

Pavlo looked at the other two, his face showing a mix of surprise and disbelief. "I didn't... When did this happen?"

Kanu tried to keep from laughing. "It's not like it happened overnight, but they've been carrying on for some time." He said. "Which is why I'm surprised you hadn't noticed."

"I... Guess I've been busy." Pavlo said, blinking hard. He looked at his brother. "I don't suppose mother knows?"

"I'm sure she does." Kanu replied with a smug look, and he settled back in his bed a bit. "She's always had a nose for finding out information like this."

Pavlo only nodded to this in reply. Then he thought of something and spoke. "Wait, you were taking to Mikula just now about something that he wasn't figuring out. You meant this whole thing?"

"Yes, I did." Kanu replied and closed his eyes. "Mikula's just... I don't know, he's just kind of not realizing it, though some part of him does, otherwise he wouldn't be so irritable when I refused to say it aloud for him."

Pavlo shook his head. "I'm still confused. Why not just say it then, so he can stop pretending?"

Van Horn sighed. "Pavlo, it isn't so easy. Mikula hasn't fully realized his feelings himself because some part of him doesn't want to come to grips with those feelings, or the choices he'll have to make if he acknowledges them."

"What do you mean?" Pavlo asked. But van Horn just shook his head. "You'll see. One way or the other, before this thing is through, you'll see."


	15. Chapter 15

The Kurrnaki warrior sat alone on his bed, which was at the end of one of the upper floors in the hospice. A trio of Hercor guards stood around him, though they were all just beyond arm's reach. The warrior rubbed his side where the crossbow bolt had impaled itself into his skin. The bandage over the area, made from a coarse analog to cotton, chafed his wound as much as being captured chafed his ego. _Bloody creature. Why didn't they tell us that this place was one of theirs?_ He thought, remembering the night before last. An involuntary shudder passed through his body, though it was only temporary as it stopped when the pain from his wound intruded upon his mind. _Or maybe it's one of those others they warned us about?_

The entrance of several new people at the end of the empty ward brought his attention around. He scowled at the entrants, who consisted of two lupar, and an elderly gatón. His scowl, however, died when he saw the person that came in right after them. _It's him!_ He recognized van Horn from the attack, and he felt a tingle of fear crawl into his belly at the sight of the imposing human.

_Stop it! You can't betray the clan!_ He mentally chided himself as the group drew near. One of the lupar drew what the Kurrnaki had determined to be the lead guard away for a quick, quiet chat. The guard then turned and went to his subordinates and, one at a time, whispered into their ears some instructions. The Kurrnaki could still not get a clear listen on what was being said, but the looks on the guards' faces showed that they didn't like what they were told. Nevertheless, they stood aside as the human grabbed a stool and placed it at the foot of the bed and sat down. The other lupar and the single gatón simply moved off a few feet and into the middle of the ward, though two of the guards stood near the human, though still a few paces back.

_What is going on?_ The bandit warrior asked himself. Of course, he would never give these people the satisfaction of talking, and so he simply watched the scene play out. He did feel nervous, however, as the human simply sat, and stared at him. Not wanting to seem defeated or otherwise subordinate to the other people in the room, the bandit stared back.

After about twenty seconds of this eerily quiet scene, the Kurrnaki felt even more nervous. _What is he waiting for? Why doesn't he talk?_ These questions went unanswered, as he kept quiet, and so did the human. The latter just continued to look at the Kurrnaki intently, with the slightest hint of disapproval. Another handful of seconds went by, and the bandit began to wonder just what the other was trying to do? _The way he stares... Even when he blinks his eyes, the intensity doesn't wane._ The bandit found himself blinking more often than the human. He mentally chided himself again and forced his eyes to stop blinking so much.

Another half minute went by, and the human continued to stare. The bandit warrior felt his nerve slipping. _What is going on?! Is he trying to put a spell on me?_ That last thought began to run rampant through his mind. _What kind of spell? One to make me talk? Turn me into a zugart?_ He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear the frightening thoughts. The sudden realization that he had broken eye contact - and therefore seeming to surrender position to the human - brought his head back up, and he stared defiantly back into the human's eyes. He suppressed a shudder at seeing that the human had not responded at all to his break, save that he followed the bandit lupar's eyes as much as possible without moving his own head.

Another minute passed, and the bandit couldn't take it much more. "What are you doing?" he asked of the human. His words, however, seemed to fall on mute ears. He chastised himself for speaking, and again tried to hold out. But before another dozen or so seconds had passed, he spoke again. "I will not tell you anything, you know."

Again, the human simply stared, blinking at a very slow pace. The bandit looked up at the two guards closest to him and the strange creature, but all they did was stare forward, not even deigning to look at the prisoner. He tried looking at the others in the ward, but they had retreated to the farthest part of the room. They all sat on a pair of beds, and seemed to e having a conversation with each other, rather than paying attention to the tableau at the other end of the long room.

The Kurrnaki turned back to the human, who had not changed position or expression as the bandit lupar had turned to look around. He tried to stare back, but found his attention more and more divided, thinking about the human's designs rather than the task of returning the stare. Another few seconds passed, and his resolve again cracked a bit more. "I don't know what you're doing, or what sorcery you are trying to use but it will not work." He said with false bravado, trying to get a reaction out of the human. But again, nothing changed in the creature's face.

The bandit rubbed his hands together nervously as he waited another few minutes. "Damnit, what's going on? What are you doing? Talk!" He said as the time began to weigh on his mind again. But van Horn simply stared more, not saying anything. Again the bandit looked towards the guards, but they still stared straight ahead. _What's going on? What if they can't hear me?! Is that what he's doing, placing me under some curse?_ The Kurrnaki's imagination was going along on its own accord now. He looked down the room, and again, found that the others were ignoring the events near him.

The bandit lupar looked back at the human, and he felt cold inside as those impassive, alien eyes continued to simply watch him, as if he was some predator waiting for the Kurrnaki to show weakness. The cold turned to panic as his imagination imagined the human as not a predator, but a demon, waiting for the others to completely loose interest in the scene, so that he could devour the lupar's soul.

It was another minute of contemplating this thought that finally drove the bandit to speak again. "Damnit, what do you want from me? What do you want me to say?!"

The human just continued to stare at the lupar; his eyes unreadable now, save for their intense interest in the bandit's face. The latter's hands began to shake a bit. _Is it too late? Am I already in his private world and this is how he's torturing me?!_ His thoughts were running rampant now.

It was another few moments of this staring, before the Kurrnaki finally bent his head down and put it in his arms. "Please... Stop..." He took a look up, and still found the human staring at him. Again, he bent his head, trying to hide from the stare. "What do I have to do to make you stop?"

"Tell me everything I want to know." The human's voice, spoken in accented Lupari brought the bandit's head back up. The staring still continued, but the human's eyes seemed to have softened. The bandit felt relief that he wasn't being appraised as some sort of _thing_. Part of his resolve, however, came back with relief. "I- I-" He stammered a bit, his mind warring with itself between doing what the alien wanted and his duty to his clan.

Van Horn, however, changed his stare again, hardening his gaze and bringing back the feelings of fear to the bandit. The latter finally broke. "What... What do you want to know?"

Vilini was amazed as he listened to the Kurrnaki - who had identified himself as Raso - docilely answered every question put to him. All sorts of things the Kurrnaki were renowned for keeping secret, their camping locations, their towns, their tactics, were laid open before him. So much so that the maegister had called for a scribe to take down the information, and now two whole scrolls of paper was covered with information.

Van Horn, meanwhile, had sat quietly, absorbing only the basics of the data. He had let the natives ask their questions first, mainly because he already knew a lot of the answers, given that orbital observation can find settlements and trails pretty easily. Now that the Hercorians were done, however, he began his own line of questioning.

"Tell me, Raso." He began with a neutral voice. "What brought you to attack Hercor last night?"

The bandit squirmed a bit. "We... We wanted to get into the town's trading stores." His stammer and his body language, however, told van Horn that the bandit was resisting again. To that, the human cracked his knuckles. It was a nervous habit that had creeped out the natives when he had first done it near them; their hands apparently didn't have the same physiology to reproduce the effect.

And effective it was, as the cracking noises made the Kurrnaki's ears twitch, and he winced at the noise. "Now, Raso, why would you do that when Hercor locks its gates at night? And don't tell me you were just happening by and managed to see the caravan entering the gates, because you've already told us that your clan's main trails tend to go further north of here."

Raso squirmed a bit more, having lost track of what he had told so far. "Alright, alright... We were... Told to attack Hercor."

Vilini growled and lowered his ears flat against his skull in anger. "And who told you to attack us? Was it those bastards in Etaku?" He asked, indicating a rival town to the north that had skirmished with the Hercorians in the past.

The bandit shook his head. "No, no lupar asked us to attack you..." He trailed off and looked down towards the floor, unsure of how to go forward.

"A gatón had you attack us, then?" Forbasa, the lone gatón in the room, asked.

The bandit just shook his head, and van Horn had a realization that made a ball of ice materialize in his stomach. "It was someone like me, wasn't it?" He asked.

The bandit nodded. "They... They found our home village. They marched in with some sort of... Thing, that rolled on the ground like a wagon, but it moved by itself. They shrugged off our attacks, and then destroyed an entire house and the family inside." The bandit's voice cracked a bit as recounted the tale. "They said that, unless we did what they wanted, they would to that to all of us, women and children as well as the males."

Van Horn felt sympathy for the bandit, but he kept his voice neutral to retain detachment. "What did they want you to do?"

The bandit reached up and wiped his eyes, forestalling the tears that threatened to come at his remembrance of the event at his village. "They told us to move out, like we would do if we were going on a raiding venture. They gave us a strange box, and told us that they would tell us what they wanted us to do through it." He shook his head, wondering just how crazy he sounded. "Two days ago, they called to use on this box... I don't know how, but a voice came through in the accented Lupari that the strange being had used at our village. They told us that a nearby town had angered them, and they wanted us to attack it, to punish them, so they said." Raso again shook his head. "When they described Hercor, our chief tried to tell them that the town was impossibly hard to attack, but they told us to attack, or else." The Kurrnaki fell silent, as did the rest of the room.

After a few moments, van Horn spoke again. "That box, where is it?"

"I don't know. Our chief had it." The bandit cringed a bit, feeling that the human felt this information important.

"Where was your chief during the attack the other night?" Van Horn asked, this time forgoing neutrality for intentness.

"He was moving along our right flank, not too far behind me and my partner that you killed." The bandit said quietly, but without inflection or hate in his voice. _We knew the risk when we attacked._

Van Horn felt a slight pang of guilt as he remembered the two lupar that had been killed, one by him and the other by Vilini, but it soon passed. "Do any of your other compatriots have such a box, as well?"

Raso shook his head again. "No, not that I know of. The invaders only gave us one, and some small things that they said the box needed to work."

"Batteries..." Van Horn mumbled. "I suppose your chief carried those as well?"

The bandit had looked confused a bit at the English word, but he nodded at the question. "Yes, he carried them, as he was the only one the invaders told to use the box."

Van Horn snorted. "Yes, that sounds like them. Little bastards are tech-stingy to the point of inflexibility." He said, mixing English words like 'tech' and 'bastards' with Lupari. He turned around and reached towards a scribe. "Hand me your tools and piece of paper, please."

The scribe looked like he was going to protest, be a look from Varner stifled the words before they got out, and the young lupar handed over his pen, ink, and a scroll of paper without comment.

Van Horn accepted the items, then set them on the bed and drew a symbol with the ink. He held it up to Raso when the ink was dry. "Did the invaders have this symbol on their wagon or clothes?"

Raso's eyes widened at the strange sword design. "Yes, on both."

"Then that's the same people I know. I just had to be sure." He stood, and looked to the maegister. "Where did your people put the bodies from the other night?"

Varner stood as well from the bed next to the bandit's. "They buried them in one of our fields, as is customary for bandits." He didn't bother to look at Raso when he said this, but his voice did take on a slight edge at the word 'bandits.'

"What about their possessions?" Van Horn asked, not caring for anything else but the radio that the lupar had had.

Varner shrugged. "We usually bury their stuff with them, unless we find it particularly useful."

"Then I'd like to see any possessions taken from the dead. I want to see if the radio is there." Van Horn said, using the English word for the communication device. Varner simply nodded and bid over the lead of the guards who had been watching the bandit.

"Why do you want to find this radio, Vanhorn? Wasn't it what drew the Wobbies here in the first place?" Forbasa asked. Van Horn turned and nodded. "Yes, by using it to transmit. However, by setting it on receiving only, I can use it to listen in on enemy communi-" He cut himself off after the natives' faces took on confused looks. _Too many technical terms_. "I can use it to listen in case the Wobbies decide to send another group of bandits here, or if they come here themselves again."

That got through to the group. "Very well. Follow Enar here and he will take you to where we keep such items for storage."

Van Horn walked out of the storage building, mildly disturbed. Around him, night was falling over the courtyard that sat at the base of Hercor's spire, and the gatón and lupar from the caravan were pitching in to help the Hercor lupar carry in their equipment and the spoils of working in the fields all day. Although it had only been a few days since the attacks on and near the town, notes of merriment wafted through the air as stories and jokes were shared. It was enough to rouse the human from his dour mood and make him have the barest smile.

_So much like humans, yet so different, so optimistic,_ he thought. _Add to that their appearance and general size, and it makes it almost impossible to not like them_. Van Horn sighed, and walked towards the ramp that would lead back up towards the town proper. _Of course, that likeability is dangerous... Potentially, it could mean all sorts of nasty things for them, if word of this planet's existence gets out to the Inner Sphere._ He shuddered at the thought. _I've read about the slave raids on Lincoln, and about the general barbarity and unscrupulous nature of people. Creatures like these... My God, rich bastards across the Sphere would try and get one for some spoiled little brat, not knowing nor caring about their lives or culture_._ Corporations and governments will want them to experiment on, maybe find some sort of advantage with their petty wars. The Clans... Good God, those that won't want to eradicate the planet as an affront against Humanity will want to conquer it and try to use them as slave labor_.

Van Horn paused in his dark thoughts to look around, gathering in the scene. _Change their looks a bit, and this could be any planet across hundreds of light years. But it _is _the looks that matter now, isn't it?_ He sighed again, and wondered what the future would bring. _It's too late to just simply pass this whole thing off into the realm of myth for them. There's been too much destruction, too much interaction. Like very planet we visit, Humanity has put in roots, and nothing short of our extinction will eliminate our grip. Humans will be here until this place is no more..._

So deep in thought he was that van Horn didn't hear one native in particular sneak up on him from behind. A tap on his shoulder startled him and the human whirled about, his hand moving towards the recovered pistol he had taken to wearing in an unusual show of paranoia. Fortunately for the sneaker, he checked himself before his hand got close enough to yank the pistol free of its holster.

Alexis took a quick step back. "Oh, I'm sorry Earl." She said, a bit wide-eyed. "I didn't realize I would startle you."

Van Horn shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Alexis. I should know better than to stand in the middle of the courtyard and not have someone come over." He gave her a small smile to show he wasn't offended. "Now, did you want to speak with me?"

Alexis relaxed, though she didn't return the smile. "I didn't want to bother you. I just wanted to see how you were doing. But if you're busy, I can go find somewhere else to be."

Van Horn shook his head. "No, Alexis, you're not interrupting anything save some thinking I was doing..." He trailed off and looked over the courtyard, prompting Alexis to do the same. "I was just thinking on how alike your people, the lupar, and mine are."

"I will have to take your word on your people, seeing as you're the only one whom I've met." She replied to him with a light smile. The smile faded then. "At least, the only one who's actually bothered to talk to us..."

Van Horn grimaced slightly. "Alexis... I am sorry. I know that sounds hollow, but I am truly sorry that these things came to pass."

She shook her head. "It's alright, Earl. Really, you've explained it to us a dozen times by now." She then looked up at van Horn. "No one blames you. Well, at least, no one who bothers to think about all you've done for us, and how it is so different from how the others, the Wobbies have done to us."

Van Horn smiled lightly. "Thank you, Alexis. But now," he turned towards the ramp leading upwards to the town, "I need to talk to that bandit again. Something tells me he wasn't totally honest." He turned his head to look at the gatón. "If you will excuse me?"

"Actually, I was going to head up there myself. I hope you won't mind my following along?" Alexis asked.

Van Horn smiled a bit wider. "It would be a pleasure." He waved towards the ramp and waited for Alexis to move off before walking himself.

They had walked for a while up the ramp, passing some lupar who were a bit slower in their pace. _Working the fields must be tiring_, van Horn thought. They made polite noises as they passed the slower people.

About halfway up, Alexis cleared her throat. "Earl? I was wondering if I might ask a question?"

"You just did, didn't you?" Van Horn asked back with a light chuckle. "But seriously, I thought I told you that you could always ask a question?"

Alexis blushed in the gatón manner. "Yes, you did. But sometimes it's good to be polite, I think, before asking a question."

Van Horn simply nodded as they began the last leg of the ramp. "Some times, yes. But in any case, please go ahead and ask what you will."

"Thank you." Alexis replied. "I was simply wondering if, well, when you are not busy, might you be able to continue teaching me your language?" She looked at the human plaintively. "That is, if you still wouldn't mind."

Van Horn grinned slightly. "No, that's fine. I will be glad to, even tonight, if you want."

"You don't have to rush on my account." Alexis said, to which van Horn replied. "It is no trouble, Alexis. Really, after I talk to this bandit, I may feel the need to do something as simple as speak my own native language."

Alexis chuckled softly at that as they approached the town's upper gates. Two guards were standing by the doors, though they did little more than make chit chat with some of the native lupar that were walking up from the fields, or the few heading down towards the ground. All of them, however, took time to give van Horn and Alexis long looks, given the two's unusual nature.

Van Horn ignored their looks, instead concentrating on the doors, as he still had not had a good chance to look them over. He slowed to wait for the gate area to clear, prompting Alexis to follow suit. When a small group of returning workers had passed through the gates, van Horn walked up, nodded to the guards, and then looked over the door to his right.

"Marvelous," he breathed in English as he traced his hands over the carvings. "Still as nice as the last time I saw it." He said in Lupari for the benefit of Alexis and the guards nearby, who were giving him more strange looks. The compliment seemed to make them stand a bit more erect as their town pride was stroked. Van Horn noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and suppressed a smile. Instead, he looked over the figures more.

Finally, he turned to the nearest guard. "You there. Please, could you tell me about this figure here?" He pointed to a figure on the bottom right of the relief.

The guard looked airily at van Horn, but he approached and looked at the indicated image, which was of a lupar dressed in some sort of finery and carrying a spear. "That is Rekujo, one of the great leaders who led the lupar from Basun after the gatón..." He paused and looked over at Alexis, suddenly conscious of her.

She blushed again in her people's fashion. "It's alright. Please tell the story."

The guard blinked, obviously not expecting the nature of her reply. "Well, then, uh... According to the story, the gatón had murdered the old lupar king of Basun and tried to seize power, so Rekujo was said to have led one of the first packs of lupar away from that city." The guard shifted uncomfortably at the telling, realizing that he may have offended Alexis.

Van Horn decided to keep the silence from growing awkward. "I suppose there's a special reason he's on the gates to the town?" He asked of the guard. The latter nodded. "Yes, the town they settled, called Shanadu, is lost to time, but it is said that one of the packs that left that town settled Hercor- Are you alright?" The guard noticed that the human had stiffened, as if startled.

Alexis noticed it too. "Earl? What is it?"

Van Horn shook his head once to clear his mind a bit. "Nothing, Alexis. I'm fine, just, surprised..." He looked back at the guard. "Tell me, are there any stories about that town? 'Shanadu?'"

The guard blinked again. "I... I think there are. I never listened much when I was a pup, so all I remember is the big stuff, like who Rekujo is, and such." He shrugged. "All I know is that the town was supposed to be far from here."

Van Horn nodded absentmindedly, and then looked over the doors again briefly. He then turned back to face the guard. "Thank you for your time." He said with a small smile. "I think I'll leave so that you can go about your duty unbothered."

The guard nodded, somewhat reluctantly. _Probably liked the break from his routine_, van Horn thought as he and Alexis started off into the town. Around them the place was alive with people moving about, either heading home or going to visit neighbors and other manner of pastimes. Young lupar children ran about, sometimes barely escaping being stepped on and scolded because of that. Everyone, however, took time to watch van Horn and Alexis as they passed.

The looks made van Horn feel uneasy. The thought made him snort at the irony. _Here I am, a scientist who's been studying them for nearly a year, watching them like some voyeur, and now the tables have turned._

"Something funny?" Alexis asked, though in Gatonese so that whatever they said wouldn't be picked up by the Hercorians.

Van Horn smirked a bit and shook his head again. "Sort of. You'll remember how I told you that I was here on your world studying your people?" He waited for her to nod before going on. "Well, now everyone is studying me."

Alexis grinned and suppressed a laugh. "Yes, funny in an ironic way."

"Well, irony, she has a sense of humor she does." Van Horn said in reply, which caused Alexis to lose her grin and look up at the human. "Irony has a sense of humor?"

Van Horn found himself shaking his head again. "Sort of... See, humans like me tend to do something called, 'anthropomorphize,'" he used the English word, "which means we apply characteristics of people onto things that normally don't have them. In this case, some of us like to make it sound as if the concept of Irony is itself a spirit or something that has it's own sense of humor."

Alexis walked quietly alongside van Horn, digesting the information and dodging lupar who couldn't get out of their way, as many did, not wishing to come too close to the newcomers. "That's... An interesting, uh, behavior." She said diplomatically. "But why call it a 'she?'"

Van Horn grinned again. "Because we tend to associate certain behaviors with certain genders. Since irony is a witty kind of an idea, we associate it with a female, who generally tend to be more... Ah... thoughtful." He avoided using the term 'plotting,' because of its negative connotations, and was relieved that Alexis didn't seem to realize the potentially mean-spirited nature of the idea he had just described. _I would have never gotten away with that with a human woman. Thank God for cultural barriers, eh?_ He asked himself mentally. _'Course, most humans know that it's just the old ways of speaking, and we're beyond most of that old crap, so I guess I'm doubly lucky? Meh_.

Van Horn's thoughts were interrupted when a loud noise came from a nearby alley. He and Alexis looked to see one of several brick-carrying carts had toppled over. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and so they continued on. Van Horn did take a look over his shoulder, however, out of curiosity. _Lots of bricks. Must be repairing the damage they took from the Wobbies' attack_, he thought with a sigh. His conscience still weighed heavy on his mind. _Logically, I know there was little I could do, and what I did was beyond anything anyone would expect of me... But it still rankles me, knowing what I know, with all my training. Hell, with some decent weaponry, I could've taken those fucking VTOLs out_...

A little voice in the back of his head, though, countered that line of thought. _Yes, but then the Blakests would have sent a larger force and leveled the town, leaving none alive. You know that._ Van Horn grunted to himself at the thought, knowing it was true.

The grunt drew Alexis' attention up to the human. "Anything the matter?" She asked. Van Horn looked down and shook his head once. "No, just thinking." He replied as they reached the small open area in front of the hospice. "In any case, I might be busy for a while, so if you want some company to the maegister's house, I could walk you there first." He offered politely.

Alexis shook her head. "No, I was heading here. Mikula was supposed to be visiting his older brother tonight, and I wanted to talk to him, hopefully." She looked forward then, her eyes crowing distant. "I want to talk to him about some things."

Van Horn's chuckle brought he attention back to the here-and-now. "Did I say something funny?" She asked.

Van Horn grinned at her. "Nothing, really. You just sound... Well, familiar to someone I know." He said. He then turned and began to walk towards the hospice. Alexis moved after a second's delay, and caught up to him at the door. "And who might I remind you of?" She asked playfully.

_Only like just about every woman I've known decently well_, van Horn thought to himself in wry amusement. Out loud, however, he decided to be more circumspect. "Like a few people I've known, who wanted to... Make plans of a long-ranged nature." He said, not looking at Alexis sidelong as he went through the hospice's door and then nodded to the attendant inside. The middle-aged female lupar nodded back, but she said nothing, still intimidated as she was.

Van Horn mentally shrugged and went for the stairs to the upper level and climbed up them. Alexis was close behind, and she waited until they were on the upper landing before speaking again. "What do you mean by long-ranged plans?"

Van Horn paused at the top landing, waiting for Alexis to catch up and also to compose his reply. "How do I put this delicately...?" He said quietly. Then he turned and faced Alexis. "Alexis, it's been impossible to not notice that... You have, uh, a certain attachment to Mikula." Van Horn said, his face turning red in embarrassment. _Damn kids. Bad enough I had to go through this with my sister, now I got someone else who's clueless and vulnerable_.

Alexis took a step back and lowered her head. "Is it really that obvious to everyone? Even Mrs. Farkas spoke to me, briefly, about... Those feelings that you mentioned."

Van Horn couldn't help but smile. "Alexis, it's hard to not notice when you and Mikula have such a good rapport and spend so much time together."

Alexis curled her tail tightly around her left leg, and her ears went as low as they could. "I guess my little action the night you two came in from the dead was even more obvious, wasn't it?"

Van Horn's smile grew wider. "Indeed it did. It was also quite endearing at the time, and I don't think anyone who knows you two could blame you."

Alexis looked up at that, and she gave a small, nervous smile of her own. "So a lot of people know about this?"

Van Horn tilted his head before replying. "Just about everyone in the caravan, I'd say. Maybe a few Hercorians by now." His smile lessened somewhat. "Though I think Mikula himself doesn't really realize it just yet...."

Alexis' smile vanished, and she nodded her head while replying. "I would not be surprised, since I was not even fully aware myself until I thought... Until I though him lost." Again she looked down, trying to keep herself from revisiting those memories fully. "Seeing that wreck the Wobbies made of your vehicle, no one thought you or him alive, and only then could I realize how much he meant to me. When I saw him return, I felt a joy unlike anything I had ever known..." She looked up at Van Horn again, her face close to tears, but she was keeping control. "I suppose that makes me sound terribly foolish."

Van Horn shook his head. "No, dear Alexis, it doesn't. Believe it or not, a lot of people are like you, and sometimes do not realize something until it's too late..." His voice trailed off, and he stared at the wall for a second. He then shook himself back to the present. "But you have been blessed with a second chance, Alexis. I hope you realize how lucky you are."

"I guess so..." She said and looked away. "I just wish I could know if Mikula thought the same way."

Van Horn made a surprised snort, drawing Alexis' head back around. "What now?" She asked.

"Alexis, one of the ways everyone can tell your feelings for Mikula is because they see them mirrored in him." Van Horn said somewhat incredulously.

Alexis again felt her tail and ears moving in her species' form of blushing. "I... I..." She stammered, unsure of what to say. "And here I was going to talk to him and try to tell him about the way I feel..."

Van Horn shook his head, bringing her attention back to the human. "Alexis... Although it's a good thing you want to talk about these feelings, it's perhaps not the best time to talk to Mikula about them."

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked, confusion on her features.

Van Horn twisted his head a bit, trying to come up with the words. "Well... Alexis, what would you have said if anyone had mentioned to you about what we all saw going on between you and Mikula? Before your little revelation, that is."

Alexis blinked hard. "I- I would have denied it, I suppose..." She nodded absentmindedly. "I see your point, I think."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. He hasn't had the same experience that you've had, and so he is still coming to grips with his feelings on a subconscious level. He will probably need more time, so I wouldn't go confessing to him for now."

Alexis nodded a bit. "Still, I feel like I should say something..."

"Perhaps you should." Van Horn replied. "I just wouldn't start with anything deep... Just talk to him, about things."

Alexis tilted her head quizzically. "What kind of things?"

Van Horn shrugged. "Whatever you find important. Things you think about, how certain things make you feel - though again, stay away from your feelings over him for now." He sighed. "Just, things that you would like to talk about. That's the best way to work these things through."

"Work them through?" Alexis asked, prompting another sigh from van Horn. "Alexis," he said, "it's just that these things... Well, sometimes..." He trailed off, trying to think of some way to put his thoughts and experiences into Gatonese words, and still be gentle. "Sometimes, you may feel something about something - or someone - else, and these may or may not be... Something as deep as you'd want them to be." His face turned red and van Horn had to turn his head and look at the wall of the landing.

Alexis was confused, though she thought that she had an idea of what the human was saying. "You think that I may be... Infatuated because of how he's different?"

Van Horn nodded a bit, but still stared at the wall, red-faced. "Part of it, but the other part is our situation. Let's face it, this is not normal for your people, the lupar, or even my own. These things can... Well, affect a person." _God, I wish I'd had kids, then I'd be used to this shit_. "Just, look," he turned to face the gatón, "all I'm saying, is wait until this is over before you really start talking about anything serious, okay?"

Alexis blinked a few times, and then nodded. "I... I think I see your point. And it makes sense, to wait until things are settled..." Her voice trailed off, and van Horn could tell that she was still wrestling with her inner thoughts and emotions.

Van Horn sighed. "That would be best. Things are tense enough right now, without any... Other complications arising." He said quietly. He then shook his head and turned towards the doorway that led to the empty ward where the prisoner was kept. "In the meantime, I have someone I need to speak with."

Raso felt a sudden chill come over his body, as if a cold wind had blown over him. _Strange, why would I-?_ The sudden appearance of van Horn through the doorway brought his thoughts to a halt. The cold feeling grew into one of dread and fear. _He's figured out that I wasn't telling the whole truth_, the Kurrnaki thought to himself. He unconsciously rubbed the bandage on his side, ignoring the pain as his mind ran over what else he could say to try and hold off on telling the whole truth.

Those thoughts died, however, when he took a look at the human's eyes. Instead of the neutral gaze he had had earlier in the day they now contained a look that seemed to less see the Kurrnaki as than to see him as a piece of flesh to be sliced up for the midday meal. Raso gulped in fear as the tall creature reached his bedside, hardly paying attention to the guards that still stood over the bandit.

Van Horn reached down, and grabbed the bandit by the scruff of his neck, moving so fast that the lupar barely had time to yelp before the human turn and pressed the wolf-man into the wall at a level where Raso's feet could not touch the ground. "Listen, you little toad," van Horn started, using the English word for effect, "I know you lied to me. I checked the belongings, and I questioned the guards. Hell, half the bodies hadn't even been buried yet.

"Now," van Horn said as he continued to press the lupar against the wall, seemingly oblivious to the startled looks of the three Hercor guards, "I want the truth, or I will get extremely angered at you." He pressed a bit harder against he native, using his own body weight to pin the bandit in place. "Was there really a box as you described?"

"Y-yes." Raso strained out between clenched teeth. His wound was aching as the human pressed him into the stone wall.

"So where is it? Either you lied about who had it, or you lied about who we killed the other night." Van Horn said quietly, but with menace. "So, which was it?"

Raso grunted before replying. "The chief did have it, and you did kill him, I did not lie on either part!"

Van Horn twisted his hand a bit, scrunching up more of the loose skin on the back of the lupar. "Oh? Then how come I can't find it? I think you are lying to me..."

The lupar squirmed in his hands. "No! I did not lie, I just..."

"'Just' what?" Van Horn asked, giving the Kurrnaki a shake that made the bandit's body rub against the wall. A detached part of his mind noted that he was probably making the creature's wounds worse, but the rest of him didn't care; he was dealing with the safety of the natives of Hercor and the caravan from Kuamket.

"We... We were told that if the chief ever fell in battle, then we were to return to our village, where the invaders still remain to ensure our cooperation." Raso managed to grunt out. "They were specific on that. They wanted it returned, so every warrior was told to search for the box if its holder was killed."

Van Horn pulled a bit back, relieving the pressure on the bandit, who breathed a bit deeper. "Bring it back to them?" He asked, but he knew the answer already as the lupar nodded, his head pressed sideways against the wall still. "How do I know you're not lying now?" He asked, again pressing the bandit into the stone edifice and raising the pitch of his voice with anger.

Raso grunted. "I am! I didn't lie, I just simply did not tell you the whole truth." He spoke quickly, trying to get the human to let up.

Van Horn noticed that the bandits seemed to be having trouble breathing, so he pulled the lupar back from the wall and slammed him on this bed. Raso yelped in pain again, but he simply lay there catching his breath. "Why did you not volunteer this information before? And do not give me that 'you didn't ask' bullshit, because you knew damned well that I was interested in that box." Van Horn spoke to the injured lupar, mixing in the English 'bullshit' out of habit rather than design.

Raso pushed himself up on his elbows, and then balanced on one arm while he rubbed the back of his neck with the other. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to give my fellows a better head-start." He said unabashedly.

Part of van Horn wanted to smile and pat the native on the back for having loyalty to his comrades. The rest of him, however, remembered the scenes from Kuamket. "Where is your village? Can you show me its position on a map?"

The lupar gave van Horn a foul look, which the latter returned until the former finally spoke. "I am sworn not to reveal that information. Camps and trails I will divulge, but our homes are never to be revealed."

Just then the guard that van Horn knew as Varshi came walking in with one of the three guards that had been watching the prisoner. Van Horn then realized that, while he had been interrogating the kurrnaki, the lead guard had apparently left. "What the Hell is going on here?" Varshi himself asked in a loud voice.

Van Horn simply gave the lupar a venomous look, and then turned back to the bandit. "You realize that you are condemning these people to death? Every single person in this town?" He spoke loudly enough so that the Hercor guards could hear easily, and the kurrnaki fidgeted. "I do not see how-"

"You told me earlier that the invaders threatened to destroy your village. I don't know if you've heard, but they have attacked larger cities. Do you honestly think they will balk at annihilating a small town like this?" Van Horn asked scornfully.

"What do I care?" Raso asked, his temper slipping just a bit. "My village will be safe, that's all that matters."

"Yes, safe, and still under the thumb of the invaders." Van Horn replied coldly. He paused and let that sink in. "What sort of life is that, slaves to the invaders? To people who throw away your life as casually as most would throw away a broken bowl?" He made himself more erect before adding one more comment. "Where's your honor?"

That_ stung him_, van Horn thought as he saw the hackles on the bandit lupar's back raise up. "My people have never sacrificed honor. It is one of the reasons I cannot reveal my village's location, as well as the threat of the invaders." He shifted on the bed. "At no time has any Kurrnaki ever abandoned that principle."

Van Horn continued to stare at the bandit, but this time, the native was defiant. Suddenly, an idea hit van Horn. "Tell me, you cannot reveal the location... But can you take someone to it?"

The bandit blinked. "Well, yes but..." He looked up sharply. "You want me to take you there?" He asked and waited until van Horn nodded. "Out of the question! The invaders themselves said that no one is to know where they're at, especially at our village."

"Tell me," interjected Varshi from his position behind van Horn. "You say you cannot reveal this location, and yet it seems that someone has found it. What honor is there in protecting a location that has been discovered?"

Van Horn turned and nodded at the guard, and mentally he regretted his earlier look. For now, however, he turned back to the bandit. "He makes a good point." _One I would have thought of if I weren't so angry. Damnit, Earl, you've got to stop letting your adrenal glands do your thinking!_

The kurrnaki fidgeted again. "I... It's still a manner of honor-"

"Bullshit." Van Horn cursed in English, but knowing that the outrage in his voice would carry the meaning well enough. "As I understand it, you have no honor anyway, given that you've been captured, your fellow warriors killed or running back with their tails between their legs, and your village impotent against an enemy invader." Van Horn noticed that every point seemed to sting the bandit more and more. "And you sit here, telling me you can't take me to this place so that I can take that box and kill those invaders, so that they won't threaten this town?"

Raso blinked hard for a moment. "What? You want to remove the invaders?" Van Horn just nodded, his face still stern, but no longer angry. "But... you are the same race as them." The bandit couldn't help but be confused.

"You are of the same race as these town natives here, and yet you seemed to have no problem attacking them the other night." Van Horn replied. "And the invaders have done far worse to you and to my own people than what you've done to these townsfolk. Now," he leaned forward, "can you take me to this village and maybe, just maybe, have a chance to let them escape? Or do you want to sit here and wait for the fires of war to consume your soul?"

Raso bent his head down, and thought long and hard. He then looked up at the human after several minutes. "Very well."

"Out of the question." Varner said to van Horn as they all sat, again, in his reception room. "Our danier are terribly expensive, as we have to buy them from the gatón villages to the west. I can't justify letting you borrow one."

"But maegister," van Horn said, leaning forward in the under-sized chair, "I need to be able to move fast if I can achieve my goals. I cannot catch up to the bandits on foot if I am to stop them from communicating with the Wobbies."

"Yes, so you've explained," Varner said with a sigh. "But I've told you, the council is getting extremely restive. If I start letting out some of our best riding mounts to chase down some bandits, then they will remove me and kick out everyone who isn't from Hercor." He looked over to where the gatón shamans sat, and then over to where Tiana Farkas stood. Varner then turned back to face the human. "I want to help, I do, but we cannot burn the roof of the house just to keep us warm."

Van Horn blinked at the familiar euphemism. _More fucking commonalities? Damnit! I don't have time for mind games now_. "But maegister, it doesn't matter if the roof is in one piece when a forest fire comes along and burns the entire house down." The human said. "You saw what those bastards did to your town only a few days ago. They will do twenty times worse if they decide to come back because of what the bandits may tell them."

Varner shook his head slowly. "That is the operative word here, 'may.

"He held up a hand before van Horn could speak. "Please, I am on your side, but the council... I have dealt with them, and 'may' is not a word that they are moved with."

Van Horn tilted his head down a bit in frustration. "But can't they see the attack for what it is? Two aircraft do not pop out of the blue and attack buildings. They did it because someone doesn't like you." He looked back up at the middle-aged lupar. "They can't just sit back and wait it out, on the idea that the attack was just a fluke."

Varner shook his head again. "They can, and they will. They have fought me every step of the way as I've tried to open up our town to trade, and they were terribly angered over my letting in the caravan." He sighed. "This may be too much for them, and they will demand a replacement, which will divide the town at a time when we cannot afford to be divided."

Van Horn closed his eyes and took a few breaths to calm himself down. _Fucking politics. Always, politics._ He then opened his eyes and looked at the lupar. "And you can't do anything then?"

Varner sat back and lightly shook his head. "Not officially, no..." His voice trailed off, leaving van Horn to figure out the hidden meaning. When he did, the human smiled slightly before replying. "I see. Thank you for your time then." He stood, then, and bowed slightly to the lupar. The maegister mirrored van Horn, and then offered his hand - a gesture he had taken a liking to. "Let me know if you need anything else." He said.

Van Horn nodded. "I will, thank you." he turned and left the room, and then waited in foyer of the house for the gatón to come out, for he knew that Forbasa, at least, would like to speak with him.

Sure enough, the aged gatón came walking out on his cane, followed by Shaman Jukas. Van Horn gave them a friendly smile. "Hello to you both."

"Hello to you, Earl." Forbasa said with a nod. "I don't suppose you'd like to go on a walk, would you?"

Van horn nodded back. "Sounds like a good idea. Since you have been here longer than I, perhaps you could lead off?"

Forbasa grinned slightly, and motioned with his hand for van Horn and Jukas to follow. They went out of the maegister's house, and headed towards the town's gate. The night air was thick with the sound of a community settling down for the night, as people moved to and from various houses, finishing up their nightly activities, whatever they might be. The gatón and van Horn walked down the main street, in the middle to avoid running into anyone - literally.

They were a bit away from the house when van Horn cleared his throat. "I take it that you could not get Varner to change his mind?"

Forbasa shook his head. "No, I am afraid not. The thing of it is, I went to one of these council meetings." He harrumphed. "They were as old as I am, but didn't seem to have a care for anything other than their own hides."

"Yes, I gathered that from hearing about them..." van Horn said, trailing his voice off.

"Do you really believe that these 'Wobbies' will attack again if you cannot stop the kurrnaki from getting back to their home?" Jukas asked as they approached the town gates.

Van Horn nodded, waiting for them to pass through the ornately carved doors and escape the earshot of the guards. "I do, and again it is my fault." He sighed. "The bandits must've seen me, as Mikula said that they were yelling about a 'demon' of some sort. Given my unusual appearance, and the way that the Wobbies must've treated them, it's not hard to make a connection to me." He took a minute to collect his thoughts. "The Wobbies will want to make sure that I'm dead, and if I'm helping this town, then they will want this town dead. End of story."

Both of the natives shuddered a bit, Jukas because she was shocked at the idea, and Forbasa because he was all too familiar with it. "I don't see how you can get to the bandits in time, anyway. Surely the kurrnaki didn't tell you the location of his village?"

Van Horn shook his head. "No, he didn't. Although I think that he would show me if I could take him with me when I leave."

The white-furred northerner tilted her head quizzically. "You will leave anyway? Even though you cannot catch them?"

"Oh, I'll catch them." Van Horn said assuredly.

"I don't see how, given that you don't have your fancy wagon thing anymore, if you'll pardon my bluntness." She added in the last part after realizing that she could've sounded patronizing. Van Horn, however, simply took it in stride. "No I don't have that vehicle. However, one of those, 'daniers' I think you call them, can catch up just in time."

Jukas frowned. "But the maegister said that he cannot help you with that."

"He said he cannot officially help me,' van Horn said with a smirk. "There are... Other methods that one may use."

Jukas blinked hard, but Forbasa simply returned the human's smirk. "I suppose you would like some help?"

Van Horn smiled more broadly now. "I thought you'd never ask."

Raso sat on his bed; still mulling over the things he had to tell the furless creature earlier in the day. He felt disgusted and disappointed with himself at how relatively easily he had broken, al because the creature had simply stared at him. _Us kurrnaki are supposed to withstand _torture_, and he didn't even touch me! _The bandit thought this to himself. _Well, he did grab me later... But that's to be expected when I lie_. Raso had only realized after the locals had begun to question him that he could try lying, in order to give his fellows time to escape. _I was too late in my thoughts before, and now we've lost many secrets. _He sighed. _Still, I can at least hope that my fellow warriors will make it home_. He wondered whether he would ever see his home village again. He had not tried to kill himself like he was supposed to due to his captor's cautiousness, and now by a sense of duty. _I have to try and let my people know about what I've done. After that, I can kill myself over my heinous actions..._

A noise from the doorway brought the bandit lupar's head around, as it did to the two other guards in the room. The third had been away to see about getting their replacements up from their slumber, and so the other two had been a bit more nervous than usual, hoping that the prisoner wouldn't try anything. Raso had wanted to laugh at them for their trepid nature, but his shame had kept him quiet. With these thoughts in mind, he watched the third guard walk into the ward, followed by two more lupar wearing the same guards' uniforms, though these two had armored helmets with their eye-guards down across their faces. "These two were all I could find in their homes," the returning guard in the lead spoke, "so you two go head off for the night, and I'll wait until my replacement comes."

"Are you sure, Gar?" Asked one of the guards who had stayed with the kurrnaki. "You've been up as long as we have."

The one named Gar waved the question off. "Nah, go on ahead. I'll just take a nap, or something. Not like this guy is going anywhere?" He said and indicated the kurrnaki. The other guards nodded, and they filed past, biding goodnight to the three other lupar. Raso sighed again, wondering if these guards would keep the oil lamps lit all night long like the others the night before had done. _I'd rather be tied down than have to sleep with those lamps on full wick again_.

What happened next surprised the bandit, as the guard left from the previous shift slowly raised his hands. "Alright, they're gone, like you wanted." He said with hostility in his voice. It was then that the bandit noticed that the two other 'guards' had kept the other in front of them at all times, even when the other two had left the ward. Now they took a step back away from the speaker, and took off their helmets.

"Good. Now behave or I may have to do something that we'll both regret." Mikula said to the guard, and then he turned to his accomplice. "Pavlo, make sure he doesn't try anything."

"I will, you just take care of the bandit there." The younger Farkas replied.

Raso felt a surge of adrenalin in his system, wondering if this wasn't some sort of revenge. _It must be, for I recognize these two from the night I was captured. They were outside the gates... They must want to kill me, for sure._ The kurrnaki tensed his muscles, waiting for a chance to defend himself.

It was then that he got his second big surprise of the night. "You feel like going on a trip?" Mikula asked as he faced the bandit. Raso blinked at the seemingly random question, but he stayed quiet.

Mikula sighed quickly. "Listen, we're not going to kill you. We need you to take our friend to your village, like you said you could."

At this, Raso's eyes widened and his ears perked up. "What? But, how?"

"No time to explain, are you going to come willingly, or will we have to tie you up?" Mikula asked, any hint of friendliness evaporating from his voice. The bandit lupar, took a second to think, and then nodded, prompting a small smile from Mikula. "Good, now do as we say, and we may all get out of this alive."

Alexis walked along the inside of the courtyard's wall, doing her best to approach the gatehouse without drawing the attention of the guards posted there. She was fortunate that usually, only two pairs of guards were posted, with the night watch at the time she arrived at Hercor being unusually large and alert due to the day's earlier attacks. Now, however, she approached only a pair that stood watch at the door to the outside. She knew that there were two more in the small watchtower that formed the upper part of the gatehouse, but she was unconcerned with them. _Well, as unconcerned as I can be_, she thought to herself. _I just hope these clothes keep me hidden than usual_. Alexis had dressed in the darkest set of shirt and pants she could trade for amongst the gatón from Kuamket, the better to avoid being seen at night.

Her mission was simple, in theory, as she was supposed to sneak up on the guards and wait for them to look at a planned distraction, and then take them prisoner from behind with the pair of daggers she had been given.

Alexis nervously fingered the two small daggers, which were, in actuality, hunting knives borrowed from the gatón hunters. It was an unusual position for a female, she knew, to be involved with something like this. The hunters were one thing, going after unintelligent beasts and such. But males were supposed to take care of raiding and fighting other villages, towns, or the lupar.

Alexis briefly reflected on the meeting that Forbasa had called her to after van Horn had met with the bandit a second time, and then had seen the maegister. Van Horn and Forbasa had explained the situation, and then asked her if she knew of anyone who would be trustworthy and dedicated enough to help out with the task she was now performing. _The two Shamans were very surprised that I volunteered myself_, she remembered. _Even _I _was a bit surprised... But this is to prevent more attacks from the Wobbies against our hosts and us. I vowed to prevent those attacks, and this is the best way I can help_. Her volunteering might've been blocked, had it not been for van Horn's interceding on her behalf. He had expressed confidence in Alexis, and even asked that she be allowed to help as a personal favor when Forbasa looked to deny it anyway.

_In any case, I'm here now and I had better focus_, she chided herself mentally as she came up upon the guards. They were both chatting, and generally relaxed, seeing how they were inside the walls and mainly there to prevent people from going outside, which nobody usually wanted to, anyway. Thus Alexis had little difficulty in sneaking upon them, especially as the base for the gatehouse bulged out away from the smooth line of the wall, making a blind spot close to the guard post. It had not been deemed a problem, since any serious threat had been expected from outside the walls.

So now Alexis could use it to sneak up as van Horn had suggested, slowly and quietly, and using the base to shield her the last few paces. She pressed herself against the base of the gatehouse, slowly inching along the wall until she could just barely make out half of the outline of one of the guards. _I hope the wind stays calm, or otherwise they'll pick up my scent_.

Soon enough, however, the distraction came; an empty handcart, pulled near the storehouses earlier, now tipped over, despite having nothing inside. The light racket it made would hardly disturb anyone's sleep, but it made the two guards twist about and look toward the noise. "What the Hell?" One of them said.

Alexis, however, hadn't waited for them to speak before moving. Her nervousness was subsumed under her sense of purpose, and she was behind the guards in a second. Quickly she took out the dagger-knives and reached up to poke them into the back of the two guards' necks, just hard enough to get their attention. "You two, don't move or you die." She said in Lupari, as deeply and as menacingly as she could.

Both guards froze at that, feeling the knives pressed against them. "What the? Who?" One of them asked, while the other one just stood mutely still.

"Don't move," Alexis said again. _Please hurry up, Earl. I don't know how long these two will go before figuring out how small I am from my voice and scent._ She was worried over this part of the plan, for she really had no intention of killing the two guards, and van Horn had said that it wouldn't be necessary to even hurt them, if everything went right. _And yet he's the one that is always saying things don't always go right..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as the human came running from the barracks area, reaching the guard post in a few seconds. "Good work, Alexis" He said in Gatonese, and then turned to the guards. Switching languages, he spoke to them. "You two, I am afraid that I will have to ask you to take a small break tonight."

Mikula was surprised at the ease at which they had been able to sneak up on the guards at the town's upper gate. _Such lax discipline. Hercor had better count itself lucky that no determined, professional military force has tried to conquer it yet_, he thought to himself as he lowered the now-unconscious guard to the ground. _These guards didn't even hear or smell us coming up from behind_. He and Pavlo had knocked the guards out while the kurrnaki looked on, still unsure of whether this was a trick or not. Mikula turned and beckoned the kurrnaki forward, and the bandit did so slowly.

Mikula waited until the bandit got close, and then spoke quietly. "Alright, you will go down the ramp first, and we will follow." He waited until the kurrnaki nodded, and then waved him forward.

It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the bottom, moving as fast as they could and still staying relatively silent. Mikula, however, was still nervous that they were behind on their timetable. _Or even worse, we may be ahead. The last thing we need is to alert the guards at the gatehouse before they can be surprised_. Mikula hadn't been told who would be doing that part, but he had been assured that van Horn himself would be helping.

Then they reached the base of the ramp, and Mikula pushed these thoughts into the back of his mind. _Time to focus_. He gestured for the bandit to head towards the two large barns, following the kurrnaki after the latter began moving. Pavlo trailed behind him, but he was playing the role of lookout, keeping watch on the barracks near the gatehouse. Fortunately for the three lupar, nothing out of the ordinary happened, and soon they were at the barn that the Hercorians used to keep their own, limited pool of beast of burden. One of the main doors was already open a slight bit, allowing for a good-sized animal to pass through. _Like a danier_, the bandit Raso couldn't help but think. At a prod from Mikula, the bandit went inside, where he saw a small lantern had been lit near a stall that contained a pair of danier. In the light of the dim flame the bandit could see the tall furless being standing there with a gatón, and they were both busy with something.

Mikula coughed slightly, and then spoke. "Rrred Oktoober," he said, using a phrase that he and van Horn had settled on. The fact that it was part of the name to one of the human's songs had helped Mikula remember it, though he of course had a slight impediment resulting from his lack of English education.

Van Horn had turned, tensing up for an attack at the cough, but with the phrase he relaxed and even smiled a bit. With a quick wave, he indicated the three lupar to cross the barn and approach. "How did it go?" He asked when they got close.

"Fine, though I wonder how Hercor has gotten by with such inattentive guards." Mikula said, voicing his earlier observation.

"Indeed. Well then, we should hurry." Van Horn replied. "Pavlo, go and watch out the door. Mikula, keep this guy busy." He indicated the bandit. "Me and Alexis will get the danier ready in another minute or two."

"Alexis?" Mikula asked in surprise and then looked at the gatón. He had been so keyed up that he had failed to notice who was with van Horn. _That and with those unusually dark clothes and her hair tied up behind her, I didn't recognize her._ "What are you doing here, Alexis?"

The female gatón curled her tail up a bit, and went back to work on harnessing the danier before replying. "I wanted to help, in any way that I could. This is the least I can do to repay Earl for his help."

The human turned red at that, which caused Raso to wonder how his species managed to change color. His thoughts were halted, however, when van Horn spoke again. "Look, this isn't the time for unnecessary talk. We need to move quickly before the Shaman can warn the maegister."

Raso couldn't help but speak up at this. "But... If you know he's going to warn someone, why not stop him?"

The human turned and gave a smile that made part of Raso's skin crawl. "Simple. We _want_ him to do that."

The knocking at the door woke Vilini with a start. His head still ringing a bit from when he had been hit, he grumbled at the annoying noise. Nevertheless, he got up from where he had laid down to sleep, too tired to even change out of the red undershirt and brown pants that were standard guards' uniforms with or without armor. _At least I don't have to spend time and get dressed_, he thought groggily as he approached the main door to the maegister's house. The servants had gone home long before, and so Vilini was stuck with the task of seeing just who wanted to wake everyone up at night. _They had better have a good reason_.

He reached the door and pulled it open with a long pull. To his surprise, he saw the elder gatón shaman standing there. "Mr. Forbasa, what is this? I thought you were inside?" Vilini asked, too tired and confused to remember Forbasa's title.

Forbasa, however, didn't much care. "Vilini, good. Go wake up the maegister, for I need speak with him immediately." He said, looking agitated.

Vilini blinked hard. "The maegister? Why? What's wrong?" He asked in confusion, though fatigue drained from his body as adrenalin coursed into his blood. _What else can go wrong _now

Alexis stayed with them until they reached the gate. Nearby, she knew, four guards - the two she had surprised and the two van Horn had managed to knock out in the watchtower - lay tied up and pointed away from the gatehouse. _The better to not see who is with van Horn_. She knew that part of the plan was to leave her here, which is why she had to stay hidden when van Horn had tied up the guards. _Still, they had to have gotten a good smell of my scent. I wonder if Earl realizes just how well they can smell?_ She wondered to herself, having the natural doubts that people would get in such a situation.

She had to push these thoughts into the back of her mind, however, as van Horn and her led the two danier towards the gatehouse. They were fortunate, Alexis knew, in that the side door for personnel was built large enough to let the danier through, though without any of the equipment tied to them, save their harnesses. _This is the most dangerous time, however_, she thought to herself, _since we'll need time to get them ready on the other side._ She prayed that the guards in the barracks would remain asleep and unawares for long enough.

Reaching the gatehouse, van Horn and Alexis took time to carefully lead the skittish veriform-horses through the narrow confines of the passageway to the outside. Mikula kept watch on the Kurrnaki, and Pavlo followed behind the human and gatón, carrying some of the supplies they would need. After getting the danier and supplies through, Mikula escorted the bandit outside, eventually bringing them all together.

"Well, Raso, was it?" Van Horn asked of the bandit, who nodded. "Let me lay down this basic rule: You do anything to hurt me or the others with us, and you will die, slowly, and painfully. You got me?" Van Horn asked, inflecting coldness into his voice. _I need to make sure he knows the consequences_.

Raso felt some of the fur on the back of his neck and shoulders raise in fear, but again nodded. "I understand." Was all that he said.

Alexis too felt her fur rise along the back of her neck. _I don't think I've ever seen Vanhorn so... So... Ruthless_, she thought.

A sudden noise of alarm came from the open door to the courtyard, drawing everyone's attention to it. Through the passageway, they could see lights from lanterns being lit appearing in the windows of the barracks, and guards began to rush outside.

"Oh shit!" Van Horn cursed in his native tongue, as he noticed that several guards were rushing towards the gatehouse, apparently having seen the door open. The human than sprang into action and ran to the door, slamming it shut. He then placed his shoulder against it and held it shut as several thumps from guards running into the heavy wood threatened to open it again."The shaman's timing was a bit off, I'd say." Pavlo noted as he too went to the door and helped to hold it shut, as now the guards on the other side were trying to push it open with coordinated actions.

"No shit," Mikula said, and then he turned to Alexis. "Alexis, get the danier ready." He then turned to the bandit. "You, help them hold that shut." he indicated the door where van Horn and Pavlo strained against the guards. Raso nodded and quickly went and joined the other two as the guards on the other side again pushed hard.

The next few minutes were hectic, as Alexis and Mikula struggled to get the two riding animals loaded, and as van Horn, Pavlo and Raso did their best to keep the guards from shoving the door open.

After a time that seemed to stretch for hours, Alexis looked up from the last strap she had tightened. "Done!" She called to the others.

"Same here!" Mikula said as he appeared on the opposite side of the other danier. This prompted van Horn to raise his head at the door. "You have everything on them?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes. Now how are we supposed to leave with you three holding the door?"

"Simple," van Horn said as he took off the strap that kept his M3000 pistol in its holster and then turned to the two lupar helping him hold the door shut, "on my mark, you two jump to the side." He waited for them to nod, and then took a breath. "Now!" He yelled after the door had been shoved a bit from the other side. Pushing off from the door, he got a meter away from is as Pavlo and the kurrnaki leapt to the side.

As van Horn had predicted, another shove was coming, and this time, with no one to hold the door shut, the group of five guards came through and promptly lost their balance, having expected to meet resistance. Now, they sprawled forth and lay on the cobblestone apron and in the doorway itself.

Van Horn pulled out his pistol and leveled it at the guards. "Don't move!" He yelled, aiming the weapon carefully in the middle of the group. _Where the bullet won't do any harm, but they don't know that_. "Any of you move and you all go boom!" He said, exaggerating somewhat. The guards bought it, however, and they all stayed still as Pavlo and the bandit scrambled up and went to the danier, where Alexis and Mikula waited.

"Good, now, we're leaving, and if you don't want to be hurt, then you will stay right where you are until we leave." Van Horn said, and then took a step back. "Alexis, Mikula, get on the horses and make sure that Pavlo and the bandit follow you." He called over his shoulder in Gatonese to confound the guards.

It only took a moment before Mikula called back. "Ready! We're all set."

Van Horn grinned and nodded to the guards. "Thank you fellows, for being a part of this old-fashioned horse heist." He couldn't help but say, trying to inflict as much of a westerner accent into his Lupari. The human then turned quickly on one foot, holstering his pistol as he did so. He then quickly ran to the danier, and climbed on the one that only held Alexis, the two Farkas brothers apparently not trusting the bandit to only one of them. "Go!" He said as he heard the guards beginning to get up behind them.

And they were off...


	16. Chapter 16

They rode on for hours, traveling well into the woods to the northeast and skirting the edge of foothills to the northern mountain chain. They pushed on hard, knowing that safety lay in distance from Hercor, and time was important as ever. Although the night's activities had drained them, and their bodies craved rest, the small group pushed their danier through trails that Raso pointed out, riding until well past sunrise.

Van Horn had finally called for them to rest, and Raso led them to a kurrnaki campsite. It was located at the end of a ravine carved by a spring that ran hard following the summer rains, but it now was a mere brook flowing through the center of the ravine. The area where the spring poured from the hillside was a flat pan, carved from sedimentary rock by the flowing water and gouged out by the summer torrents, making the area larger than the ravine itself and setting up a clear place to camp.

Van Horn mused about the place as he finished tying up the second danier, the first already having been taken care of. The stand of trees that the animals were tied to had grown on what had once been a kind of sandbar and that was now an island of thick vegetation on the rock shelf. _There, finished_, he thought to himself as he finished the last knot. "You're not going anywhere tonight, laddie." He spoke to the danier softly, in English. _After all, doesn't matter what you say, so long as it's soft and helps your body language towards them_. Van Horn had known a little about riding horses, one of his friends belonging to a better-off family on his homeworld.

Van Horn turned around and looked over the encampment, noting that Pavlo, Alexis and Raso the bandit were already laying down on blankets that they had brought in their supplies, and were fast asleep, though Mikula was rummaging in a pack. Briefly, the thoughts of those long-ago summers on Desmonde made van Horn wonder just where his friend was now. _Joey always wanted to be a pilot of some kind, but I didn't hear from him after I left for the M.I. training camp on Logan's Reach._ The human smiled widely as he walked to where he had set down a pair of blankets for himself. _Man, if he could see me now! He'd probably think that I was nuts... And he'd be right_. Van Horn sighed and sat down heavily. _Damn, I should get in contact with him when I get out of this_.

Van Horn's sigh and somewhat loud landing made Mikula look up from his search. "Is everything alright Earl?" He asked of the human.

Van Horn looked over and smiled again as he noticed that the lupar had a piece of jerky sticking out of the side of his muzzle. "Yeah, just remembering." He said. "But what I want to know, is what are you doing there?" He pointed to the slice of cured meat that was lodged in the other's mouth.

Mikula blinked, and then gave his usual grin as he pulled the snack from his mouth. "I was a bit hungry." He replied and then took a bite from the jerky. "I was looking for more when you sat down." He managed to get out between swallows.

Van Horn grinned at the lupar. "Well, don't eat all of it, since we may need it in the future."

Mikula nodded as he finished his snack. "Oh, I know. I was just making sure I knew which pack had all of the pieces." He said with a tired grin. He and van Horn shared a soft chuckle at that, and then both fell quiet.

For van Horn, it was a nice period of silence to reflect more on his situation and the events of his life. _So many things led me here, to this place, this time. My enlistment, my choice of careers, my desire to learn about a totally new and unknown culture... And not to mention all I've done since the damned Wobbies arrived._ The thought of the Blakests gave van Horn pause enough to take a quick look around. He noticed that Mikula was gazing over the others in the miniature camp, as he sat furthest out, even further than van Horn. And, of course, the human couldn't help notice that the lupar's gaze lingered over one individual in particular.

"Something on your mind?" Van Horn asked the young lupar. _I seem to be stuck with this melodrama, so I might as well jump into this thing with both feet_.

Mikula started a bit, apparently forgetting that van Horn was there. He faced the human, a slight look of embarrassment evident in the way his ears were positioned. "Oh, I was... Well, frankly, I'm worried..." His voice trailed off and he looked back at the subject of his previous interest. "Alexis wasn't supposed to come with us... Well, I'd assume so, since you told me and Pavlo that it would only be us and the bandit with you." He turned to the human for confirmation.

Van Horn nodded. "That was the idea, yes, but we couldn't leave her behind to be arrested, now could we?"

"I know, but," Mikula paused for a deep breath, "this is a dangerous mission, and I worry for her safety."

"I understand." Van Horn replied. "But, again, we couldn't leave her behind. Besides," he stretched his arms, working some kinks out, "Alexis can take care of herself. We've seen that."

Mikula tilted his head and turned back towards the human. "Yes, well, she can take care of herself in some situations, but we may be going to fight some Kurrnaki bandits, or even the invading Wobbies. Females aren't as tough as males, especially in combat, and-" he cut himself off at van Horn's motions; the human had stuffed a knuckle in his mouth and began to make choking sounds. Mikula didn't recognize the gesture, but he knew it when someone was trying not to laugh. "What? What did I say?"

"Mikula," van Horn said after taking a second to control his tired emotional state, "I think you are a bit mistaken in this. My people have let females participate in combat for centuries now, and I can say from experience that they are some of the toughest, nastiest warriors you'll ever see on the battlefield."

The lupar's face went blank, and he blinked heavily. "But... What...?" He stammered after am moment of silence. "They are weaker, more fragile in mind and body. Surely you can't mean that you don't protect them from the ravages of combat?"

Van Horn's amusement died a violent death as embarrassment crept into his mind, for both Mikula and himself, and he turned his head to stare at the rocky wall of the ravine to collect his thoughts. Sighing, he replied. "Mikula... It's not that we don't want to protect females," he turned back to face the lupar, "but it's that we've realized that women are people, too. Our entire society is based around the idea that everyone is created equal, and that we all have the freedom to do what we want to do with our lives." He paused to let Mikula absorb the information. "A female, a woman, has as much right to decide for herself as any male does, and they can make these decisions as well as any male. If they decide to fight, and we stop them, then we are just as bad as slave owners telling the slaves what they can or cannot do."

The reference to slaves made Mikula cringe, as van Horn knew it would. _Their society is so relatively advanced in many ways - as a whole, at least, if not every single person - that this stupid gender-based modal thought is like a cold bucket of water in the face._

Mikula stared at the ground for a minute, and then looked up at van Horn, the conflict in his mind clearly on his face. "I... I never thought of it that way..." He said quietly. "It's just... Just..."

"Just the way things have always been?" Van Horn asked, causing Mikula's eyes to grow slightly wider. The lupar nodded and van Horn sighed. "It was that way for many, many centuries with my people. It took a lot, and it wasn't easy, but we changed, and we've never had cause to regret it."

Mikula looked down again, and he nervously played with the flap to the bag he had been rummaging through earlier. Again, he looked back up after a minute and faced van Horn. "What you say, about females... Before, I would have disagreed with you, but I've seen too many things change recently to doubt your words." He looked over at Alexis as she slept soundly, prompting van Horn to look at the gatón as well. "And, thinking of this in the light you present it... It makes sense... And yet, some part of me disagrees still."

_Your libido?_ Came the dark thought in van Horn's mind, and he mentally chastised his subconscious for slipping in the unworthy, visceral thought. "Mikula, it's not easy, leaving old ways of thinking behind. I had to do it when I learned how to be a soldier, and I think you did to." He paused as Mikula nodded. "Then you know that what you once assumed could be terribly wrong?"

Mikula turned to the human and nodded. "Oh, yes." He responded quietly, remembering a time in training when his instructor had beaten him soundly after he had the arrogance to relax his guard and taunt the elder lupar. _I thought him weak simply because he was old and had his tail cut off in a battle. He taught me that an opponent could always beat you, no matter what his apparent disabilities, especially if you thought them frail and weak-_ Mikula's mind clicked as the memory opened up a new avenue of thought. He then turned to look over Alexis yet again. _Is van Horn right? Have we all been underestimating women for so very long because they _appear_ weak? Might they have their own hidden strengths?_ The thoughts were dizzying in his tired mind, and Mikula shook his head as the discord between old and new gave rise to physical discomfort. "I have a headache now."

Van Horn chuckled very slightly. "I'll bet. We're tired and this is very new stuff to you. I think we should get some rest." He yawned as his words reminded him of his own exhaustion. "I think you'll have a better idea of what I'm saying when you wake up."

Mikula nodded absentmindedly. "Perhaps..." Despite van Horn's suggestion, the lupar sat up for much longer, even after the human himself had fallen asleep.

Van Horn awoke to the sounds of alien birds singing the sirens' call of their kind. He opened his eyes and was momentarily confused about where he was, as many people are when awakening in a new place. Quickly though, memory returned and he blinked his eyes clear of sleep's affects. He propped himself up on his right elbow and looked over the small camp.

Everyone was sleeping still, which was hardly surprising given the previous night. _I'd be sleeping myself yet if the army hadn't taught me how to set my internal alarm clock_, van Horn thought as he yawned and stood up slowly. Although the group had stopped to rest for good reason, van Horn had planned to move again after sleeping into the mid afternoon. _The better to realign our clocks with the day/night cycle_, he thought as he quietly stretched his muscles. Taking another look over the group, he decided to let them sleep a bit more, and so he began to quietly move about, first to the danier to take care of their needs, such as food and water, and then to pick up packs that needed to be refastened to the beasts of burden.

Though he moved quietly, van Horn's movements did disturb on individual after a while. Alexis, a habitual light sleeper, soon found herself opening her eyes to a pale blue sky framed by the trees that grew on the hillsides above the camp. _Beautiful. But what woke me?_ She asked herself. The question was easily answered as an indecipherable word came from the direction of the danier, and she turned to see who was up already.

She saw van Horn standing next to one danier, working on some strap to attach a bag to the riding harness of one of the horse analogs. As Alexis watched, the human again let out with a small utterance that she didn't understand. The trouble he seemed to be having with the knot he was trying to make, however, gave her a clue as to the word's general meaning. _Strange word, 'fuhk.' I wonder what it means?_ She had enough tact to not give voice to that question, however, and instead she simply stood up and moved towards where van Horn stood.

The latter noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to face Alexis, his face breaking into a warm smile. "Hello, Alexis. I hope I didn't wake you?"

Alexis returned his smile. "You did, but it's no matter; I've always awakened at the least sound or movement."

"Ah. My people call it, 'being a light sleeper.'" He replied as he tightened the knot that had been giving him trouble.

Alexis found the phrase curious, but decided to let it rest for the moment. "Do you want some help with getting the danier ready?"

Van Horn smiled sheepishly. "It would be most appreciated. It's been a while since I've had to do something like this."

Alexis shrugged and went back to pick up her blanket and those that van Horn had used. Coming back, she placed them on the backs of the danier, as the gatón and lupar rode without saddles in the fashion of the North American aboriginals. "I guess you don't have to do this sort of thing often, when you have all of those fancy machines to carry you around?" Alexis asked, breaking the quiet that had taken root.

Van horn lifted one of the last bags up and settled it onto the rump of the danier he was tending. "No, not really. Though it really depends on where you live." He paused to fiddle with a strap. "On some planets, those that are just recently settled, machines are in scarce supply, and so people usually go back to using animals for a while." He grinned a bit. "Hell, on many planets, we still keep animals like these, not to do work, but for recreation."

Alexis paused at that and turned to look at van Horn. "Recreation? As in, to have fun?" She asked, clearly puzzled.

"Yes. Some people actually find it enjoyable to ride animals like these danier," he patted one to emphasize, "so those kinds of animals are still around, though it is expensive to keep them, so usually only the wealthy have them."

Alexis blinked and tilted her head quizzically. "So you are rich then, since you mentioned having to do this before?" She asked naturally, and was confused when van horn grimaced in a fashion that she had come to know as surprise and an attempt to keep from laughing. "I'm sorry, is it rude to ask?"

Van Horn shook his head. "In some places, some times, yes. But now? Not hardly." He replied as he fastened one last strap on a bag. "It's a natural question. I just was surprised because I've never had anyone ask me that before." He smiled at Alexis as he said this, causing her to blush slightly. "But no, I'm not rich. I had a friend whose family was better off, however, and he was a good guy, let me come over all the time, so I got the hang of these things a bit." Van horn then took a step back to give a once over o his work so far. "Now my turn. Where'd you learn how to do this?"

Alexis gave another little shrug. "Before the Shaman picked me as one of his apprentices, I had to help out on the farm like any other child, so I learned how to harness the few work animals we had." Although her face revealed nothing unusual, van Horn could her a tiny, nearly imperceptible crack in her voice at the mentioning of her past. He decided to move the conversation along to a topic he wanted to broach. "So, Alexis, are women usually picked for apprenticeships?"

She paused a second, apparently caught off guard by the question. "Well, it's not all too common, but you've seen that it happens often enough. You've seen that with shamans Jukas and Garona, they even become shamans. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was curious, since you brought it up. It was my job you know, to study your people." He replied.

Alexis blushed a bit at this reminder. "Yes, so you've said before. Though I still cannot see why you would want to do so. But then, I cannot see building machines that carry us to places, so I guess I'm just not that smart."

The look on van Horn's face gave Alexis pause. Seldom she had seen him angry, and she didn't know what she had said to anger him. "Did I say something wrong?"

Van Horn frowned and got himself under control. "In a way. But this brings up a subject I wanted to talk to you about anyway." He waved towards the mouth of the ravine with his hand. "I also think we shouldn't be talking about this where we could wake the others."

Alexis frowned, unsure of what van Horn was speaking about, but she nodded her head. Alright, please lead on." She replied. Van Horn then nodded his head and turned to walk down the ravine, stepping carefully to avoid the small stream that was the outflow of the spring. Alexis followed closely, and soon they were around a small bend that partially hid them from view of their sleeping friends.

Van Horn stopped then, and turned to face Alexis, leaning on the log of a fallen tree as he did so. Alexis took his cue and she leaned back against the vegetation-covered wall of the ravine. "Now, what is this you want to talk about that you didn't want the others to overhear?" She asked.

"It's about you, Alexis." Van Horn said quietly. "You know that you weren't supposed to come with us, so that has changed our plans. Before we can go on, we need to decide what we need to do about this situation."

Alexis felt her ears go down in embarrassment. "I know, I only came along because of the guards being alerted too soon." She replied with a sigh. "So I suppose you want to tell me what you decided?"

The shake of van Horn's head caught her by surprise. "No, Alexis. I haven't decided a thing, yet." He crossed his arms and leaned a bit further back. "Despite what you said back there, I know you're not a stupid person. I haven't known you as long as Forbasa, or even Mikula, but I've known you enough to tell that you are an intelligent, cleaver, and caring young woman." He paused to catch his breath a bit, and then carried on. "Which brings me to my point. I can't make a decision, Alexis, until you've made yours."

"Mine? My decision?" Alexis asked, her ears twitching in confusion. "I don't see what you're talking about."

Van Horn sighed before he spoke again. "Alexis, as I've said, you are a smart person, and clearly smart enough to make decisions about all sorts of things. Why else did shaman Forbasa have you take care of the wounded, even without his supervision? Why else did so many agree with you and stay behind with me when the main caravan went to Hercor?" He paused to let her remember, and then moved on. "And how else could you have volunteered to help out in stealing the danier, if you were not smart enough to see that you could help?"

Alexis shook her head. "I... I felt like I had to do something to help. Your plan needed someone with stealth to move and surprise the guards at the gate, and since you didn't want to let more than a few people know about the theft, it made sense that I would be the best to help, given my size and the fact I knew already. "She hung her head down... "It was obvious, not smart."

Van Horn's quiet laughter brought her head back up to see a wry smile on the human's face. "Alexis, it's only obvious to you _because_ you're smart. Why did you think I supported you volunteering, even when Forbasa turned it down?"

Alexis frowned. "I honestly don't know. Why did you?"

"Alexis, I supported you because I saw the very same reasons you did. More importantly, I knew that you had the inner strength to carry the plan out, despite any misgivings you'd have." Van Horn said sagely. "That inner strength let you make the decision to volunteer, and now you need to let it help you make another decision now."

Alexis nervously rubbed her left arm with her right, and her tail curled around her ankles. "What decision is that?"

Van Horn took a deep breath and paused to collect his thoughts before replying. "The decision you have to make, Alexis, is whether or not to go with us." He paused as she looked back up, surprise on her face. "Before you say anything, let me inform you of what the consequences are.

"You've seen some terrible things lately, yes? The attack on Mikula's army unit, the terrible attack on your own village..." His voice trailed off as Alexis shuddered with the pain of those memories. "I am not going to lie to you now. You may very well see things as bad, or even worse, if you want to go with us. You may even see one of us die, or die yourself." He paused to let this sink in. "On the other hand, if you want to go back, we will either need to go with you, and lose time, perhaps giving the kurrnaki the chance to relay to the Wobbies what happened, thus threatening the lives of the people of Hercor. Or, we can just send you back with one danier, and rely on the other to carry the four of us." Van Horn paused, and stood from his leaning position, feeling that the subject warranted a more serious stance. "That would tire it out much faster, and again, slow us."

"Not to mention, I'd be arrested as soon as I got back to Hercor." Alexis said quietly, hanging her head down as her emotions warred in her head.

"There's that, yes," van Horn replied, "but you'd be a lot safer. I don't think the Hercorians would even arrest you, if you made up a story that you were kidnapped, yet managed to escape with the danier while we were sleeping." He said with a melancholy tone.

"Safe, unless my leaving slows you like it you said it would, and the Wobbies come after being warned." Alexis said, still quietly rubbing her arm.

"Alexis, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be scared." Van Horn said, concern bleeding into his voice. "I just wanted you to have all the facts. I promise you, that I will do my utmost to keep that from happening, even if it means carrying Mikula, Pavlo and Raso myself." He finished with a weak smile.

Alexis looked up and returned the smile, hers as weak as van Horn's. "An amusing image, but hardly convenient." The smile died and she turned to look back towards the camp. "Why are you even giving me this decision anyway?" She asked after a moment, clearly temporizing as she wrestled with the thoughts in her head. "Why don't you make this decision for me, like most males do when something of this nature comes up?"

"Because you're a free woman, with your own mind, and your own thoughts." The iron tone of van Horn's voice cut through Alexis' thoughts like a scythe cutting hay, and she brought her head around to face the human again. "My people cherish personal freedom above all. We feel that the greatest gift of life is to be able to make your own decisions." He paused to take a breath. "I can't make this decision for you, because I believe it's wrong to take such an important, potentially life-altering decision away from you." He took a step forward, and reached out to grab Alexis by her shoulders. "This is a decision that only you can make, because you are the only one qualified to make it."

Alexis hung her head again, obviously in thought, and van Horn stepped back to his previous position. He stayed quiet as Alexis took a long time to think the decision over. "Either go with you, and perhaps see people die, or go back, and making it more likely that I will see the same thing, writ large." She said quietly. "Doesn't seem like much of a choice."

"But it is, Alexis." Van Horn replied quietly. "There's one thing I neglected to mention, and I am sorry for not bringing it up before." He paused as Alexis brought her head up to face him again. The fur around her eyes was wet, and she clearly fought back her emotions, making van Horn feel torn apart inside for what he had to say next. "If you do decide to come with us... It's not just risking your life. You will have to work hard, fight if needed, and even..." His voice trailed off as he suddenly lost the courage to say the words he wanted to speak.

"You mean, I may have to kill someone?" Alexis asked with a surprising calm in her voice. Van Horn nodded, and she closed her eyes before continuing. "I told you, in the hospice, about how I felt that day when I thought Mikula was dead. What I didn't tell you, was then and there, I swore that I would do whatever it would take to prevent anyone else form ever again feeling what I felt that day." She spoke quietly, yet with a strength that matched the iron of van Horn's voice. Alexis opened her eyes and looked into van Horn's. "I didn't quite understand what I could do then, but when you came to Forbasa with your plan to steal the danier, I felt it was an omen that I could make good on my vow after all." She took a breath before continuing. "And now you ask me to make this decision, whether to fight and kill or be killed, or flee to Hercor... And perhaps risk death anyway." She shook her head. "You said this was a decision, but it's really not. I couldn't live with myself if I ran away now, against my vow, against my judgment and knowledge." Alexis paused, her gaze having shifted down as she talked, but again she brought herself to face the human again. "No matter what, I feel that my only choice is to go with you and the others, so that I might make a difference for the better."

Van Horn smiled softly. "You are wise beyond your years, Alexis." He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "No matter what happened to bring me here, no matter what may happen in the future, I am proud to know you."

Alexis blushed at that, and van Horn dropped his hand from her shoulder. "Now, let's get going."

Eluso Grono dropped his pack heavily on the ground as the exhaustion of the day's hike wore upon his psyche. Around him, the Kurrnaki raiding party that had attacked Hercor set their packs down as well, having reached their campsite for the night. _About time, too_, Grono thought. Their trek from the disastrous raid had been haggard compared to their usual movements; a result of their low morale.

Grono sat heavily with a sigh on the grass that covered the ground of the forest glade in which they had set up camp many a times on their treks out form and back to their village. The others in the party were beginning to set up their lean-to shelters and collect wood for a fire, but Grono took advantage of his new status as the group's war leader to rest quietly instead of working. _As if that's any compensation for the defeat we have suffered_. His thoughts turned dark, and his ears lay back unconsciously. _I had never imagined that I would see such a day, or that I would become leader after the chief and his brother were cut down_. The lupar sighed again. He was still young by most standards, being only about twenty-six years old, and so the role of leading the raiding party had never occurred to him before that fateful night. _We lost many good men on that attack, and for what? Because those accursed Invaders told us to! Damn cowards._ He growled softly as he reminisced. _Hiding in their metal wagon, killing a defenseless family, and having us attack one of the best-defended towns in existence. Now we run home, because that's what they wanted us to do if our chief ever died._ He turned and reached into his pack, eventually pulling out the strange black box that he had to risk his life to retrieve after he had ordered the others to fall back. _I knew that if the others retreated, the Hercorians would lower their guard enough so that I could get to the chief's body._ He hefted the relatively light box in his hand, careful of the long protrusion that came from one end. _They used this, somehow, to speak to us. They only told Chief Rom're how to use it, and wanted us to keep it at all costs_. His curiosity over how the black box worked warred with his disgust of the raiders and everything that was associated with them.

As night fell, though, Grono's thoughts turned more to the demon that had come to the Hercorians' aid. _I never would have guessed that the Hercorians would know how to conjure one up._ He hadn't gotten any good look at the creature, save when it attacked Raso and Felar at the gate. Even then, all he saw was a tall shape that moved quickly, killing them both. Or so the lupar assumed, seeing as demons were supposed to be bloodthirsty creatures. _I hope Felar and Raso weren't caught up in what the elders tell us is the demon's personal realm._ Grono shuddered at the memory of the tales that his grandmother had told him when she was alive. Tales of black magic, of demons, and of the brave heroes who slaughtered them.

Grono then pressed the thoughts from his mind as the smell of food wafted into his nose. Automatically, his began salivating, as his body, at least, remembered that he was starved. He looked up from his little place to see that the fire had been built in the customary place, and that the group had largely settled in around the fire and the spitted shumaa that roasted above it. Some of the group stole glances over to him, and he realized that they were waiting for him to begin eating first, as was the custom of their tribe.

_I don't feel like eating_, Grono thought to himself. _Yet, the others do, and I should keep my strength up for the good of the pack._ At this last thought, he pushed himself up, leaving the strange black box on the ground next to his pack and walked the short distance to the fire. One spot was open for him, and he recognized the rock that was the traditional right of the pack leader to use, thus propping above the others in the group; they sat on the bare ground.

It was with a heavy heart that he sat on the stone and took an offered piece of meat. He took a big bite, chewed it, and swallowed it down. This was the signal for the others to begin eating, and they attacked their meals with a gusto that Grono lacked. The latter merely ate mechanically, his thoughts drifting back to the Invaders. _What will they do when they find out we failed? Will they kill another family? _He swallowed hard a piece of his food as the next thought came to him. _Will they kill _my_ family?_ He had no idea, no previous experience to tell him what to do. He was cut off from any advice that his elders could give him, and he couldn't even speak with his friends about it, for they now had to treat him with the distance that decorum required when dealing with the pack leader.

_What do I do?_

Higher up on the mountain that the Kurrnaki camped upon, several pairs of eyes watched the glow of the fire from a kilometer away. Van Horn levered himself up from his belly-down position to face Raso. "That would be them, correct?"

The bandit lupar nodded his head slowly. "Yes. That is the preferred campsite we use when returning from raiding to the southwest." He pointed across the valley they faced that ran from southeast to northwest. "I am not sure if you can see it, but our village is on the mountainside of the big one in the middle." They all looked and indeed, saw the faint glow of light from the area the Kurrnaki pointed at. "We like to camp here because we can see our village, and they can see us. It gives the raiding party a good feeling, to know that only a day's walk is left, and it lets the village know that someone is coming. Usually friend, but perhaps foe."

"A strange custom." Mikula commented. "But it makes sense, if you're paranoid."

Raso gave the lupar from Tanzano a sour look. "When your people are hunted upon, maybe you would be paranoid yourself."

"You wouldn't be hunted if you didn't raid villages and traders." Pavlo retorted for his brother.

"Enough!" Van Horn's voice, low though it was, carried the kind of iron that Alexis had heard in it several days before. Its presence now quieted the quibbling youths. "We can't be bickering now. Raso," he looked at the bandit again, "in all seriousness, just how paranoid are your friends there? Will they have sentries out now that they're so close to home?"

Raso frowned as he thought about it. "I don't think so. At least, it's not normal to bother, since they, like us, have been following a trail that's only known to Kurrnaki. Well, until recently." He turned and gave another, brief sour look at the Farkas brothers before turning back to the human. "But thing aren't normal. We had a shock when the invaders arrived, and the results of the raid on Hercor will have them on edge bit." Raso then paused a second, and stroked his chin in a fashion that van Horn found to be eerily like a human's. "On the other hand, whoever is leader now may be wanting to calm them, and setting up sentries at a time and place that normally wouldn't require them could spook the pack further." He shrugged ineloquently, given his prone position. "I would have to guess that there probably aren't any tonight, though I wouldn't rule them out entirely."

Van Horn nodded, his eyes distant. "Then we'll have to be cautious, and move in at just the right time."

Grono was still awake late that night, trying to make sense of things and to decipher what it is he would have to say to the Invaders, and what he would have to appease them. _If I even can_. All the others in the party had fallen asleep, and the fire was now mainly coals that gave off little light, though they had plenty of warmth to give yet.

Grono looked up, through the break in the trees, and stared at the stars above. _It's almost like old times, before the Invaders,_ he mused to himself. _I always liked looking up at the stars before. Now, I can't bring myself to look up, so worried that I'll be distracted and fail in my task, whatever it might be._ He had spent many nights like this, back at his village when he was young, or on sentry duty when his raiding party would camp someplace that wasn't trusted fully. _I wonder what the stars think of all this? Of these Invaders, of our lives before they came, and of our lives now... Do they even think at all? Or are they merely pinpricks in the cloth that covers the sun so that we can sleep, as my mother always said when I was a child?_

Grono sighed and tilted his head back down to look at the coals that were still at his feet. _Such stupid thoughts. They can't help me with my problems._ He felt a bit of shame at his flight of fancy. _What do they matter, those stars? How important can they really be?_

Alexis crept slowly into the clearing, walking near van Horn as they moved towards the Kurrnaki camp, approaching from behind the one that was still awake. _It is fortunate that these clothes serve me as well here as they did in Hercor_, she thought to herself, trying to keep her nervousness at bay. Van Horn's plan was so simple in design that Mikula had wondered aloud as to whether it was a real plan at all. The idea was to have Alexis and van Horn sneak up and into the clearing and quietly and sneak up on each of the lupar individually, and then put their head into a sleeper hold that van Horn knew from his M.I. training while Pavlo guarded Raso and the danier. Meanwhile, Mikula would wait in the trees in case things 'went south,' as van Horn put it. Once the bandits were not only asleep, but knocked out completely, they would be tied up and the group would wait until morning and confront the hapless band.

Of course, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. The lone Kurrnaki that was up yet had to be taken out first, and being awake still, he could make enough noise to alert the others. Van Horn, however, decided to go ahead anyway, trusting his luck and to the fact that his opponent would be too tired to put up a real struggle.

Alexis resisted the urge to finger the two hunting knives she still had from Hercor. She instead used her arms to keep herself perfectly balanced, thus avoiding tripping on anything in the darkness and making deadly noise. _I can't let the others down now by being clumsy!_ Her new job was to stand by in case the bandit got clear of van Horn in his struggle, and quiet him. _'By any means necessary,'_ Alexis remembered the human telling her. The nervous strain of the night was unlike anything she could imagine, and yet she felt a core of stability beneath the tumultuous waves of uncertainty that ran about her mind. _I will do what I need to do to protect my friends._

Thus, Alexis crept forward and to the side of van Horn, angling out as he had told her in whispers just seconds before they entered the clearing. She stopped at a distance that she felt was appropriate, being close enough to the bandit that she could move in on him quickly, yet far enough away that she wouldn't by in the way of van Horn's actions. She slowly dropped her hands to the hilts of the knives where they stuck above her belt. _Great Creator, I will do what is necessary, but I ask of you to not make it necessary that I kill anyone._

Van Horn was deep into his own world now. _Amazing how it all comes back, even after years_, was his brief thought as he drew his M3000 pistol and aimed it at the back of the lupar's head. He clicked the hammer back slowly enough that it wouldn't wake the other lupar in the camp.

As van Horn intended, however, the Kurrnaki sitting at the fire tensed and turned around, his hand reaching for the knife that was still fastened to his side. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he saw the human pointing the deadly weapon at his head from a distance of mere inches.

A moment of confusion on the bandit's face was expected to van Horn, but he was surprised when the lupar's expression changed to one of sadness, even despair. "I guess you know." Came his quiet words.

Van Horn's thoughts raced, though his face showed none of his sudden confusion. _Play along_. "Yes, I do."

The lupar sighed quietly. "Then, if you want retribution, kill me, I am in charge now. But please, let the others and our families be. They surely don't deserve to die for our failings."

_He thinks I'm one of the Wobbies!_ Van Horn's realization came through his mind like a thunderbolt. _What the Hell do I do?_

The time seemed to stretch as van Horn struggled to end the situation. The lupar at his feet, however, couldn't take the silence too long. "Please," he said, his voice beginning to crack, "I beg of you, don't kill our families because we weren't strong enough."

It was too much for van Horn. He pulled the gun away, pointing it up into the air and away from the lupar. "None of you need die." It was all he could think of saying at the moment.

The lupar blinked, obviously fighting tears. _Dear God, what did those assholes do to these people?_ Van Horn felt revulsion that another sentient creature was brought to the point where it would beg for death. "You, you won't kill anyone?" The lupar asked, hope filling his voice.

A seed of a plan sprouted in van Horn's mind. "No, none of you or your people, so long as you co-operate with me."

This caught the lupar off guard. "What? But, we're already doing what you told us to do. We attacked Hercor, just like you-"

"I am not one of _them_." Van Horn spat out the last word, infusing it with venom. "I am not one of those worthless sacks of danier manure that kill innocents."

A light of understanding showed in the kurrnaki's eyes then. "You're one of the others that they warned us about..." His hand inched closer to the hilt of his knife. Van Horn noticed this, of course, and brought his pistol back down to point at the lupar. The latter froze, and van Horn spoke again. "'Warned?' Just what did those bastards 'warn' you about?"

Grono gulped, panic in his mind. "They told us that there were others like them, who might come. They said that the others would kill all the men, and rape all our women before killing them as well."

The look on the creature's face changed, and though Grono didn't have much knowledge to judge the new expression, even he could tell that it wasn't pleasant. Then the furless creature spoke, focusing the lupar's attention on it.

"I can see that they would tell you such things." He said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Those that attacked your village, that hold your families hostage, are outcasts. They are the lowest, most vile persons ever to be born. They will not hesitate to lie about me or anyone else who wished to stop their wicked activities."

The revelation that the creature, though not of the Invaders, knew about his village shocked Grono. He recovered quickly, however. "How am I to know that they lie and you tell the truth?" Although he had meant his words to be neutral, anger bled into his voice, anger at the Invaders, anger at the deaths of his comrades, and now anger at this perplexing creature that confused him. "You could very well be lying yourself."

Grono half expected to be killed right there, and part of him almost welcomed the release. However, he received another surprise when the furless creature brought his weapon out of line with his head again, pointing it down. "Those who invaded your village, they killed a family, correct?" He asked. Grono frowned in confusion, but nodded. He was then again surprised when the creature tossed his weapon aside.

Van Horn felt nervous as he had when he had arrived at Kuamket. _I hope this works, because I don't want to kill this one_. "You want to see proof of my claims? My proof is that I could have killed you when I had the chance, and your only warning would have been my hands around your neck." Van Horn held them up and flexed them, showing the lupar that it was no idle threat. "I could have killed you just now, choosing to avoid any further discussion with you, since you seem so suspicious, and yet I throw down my weapon." He moved his arms to his sides and splayed out his hands in the gesture that even the natives recognized as showing disarmament. "I can be like the invaders, and take hostages, and kill innocents to terrorize you into doing my bidding.

"I could do any, or all of those things," van Horn continued, and he again put the iron into his voice, "but I haven't, and I won't." He paused to let the lupar think of his words for a second. "I didn't want to kill your people at Hercor, and I don't want to now."

The lupar's eyes grew as wide as saucers, or so van Horn thought. "You were-? You're the demon that helped them?" He asked and accused, all in the same breath.

Van Horn frowned. "I am hardly a demon. I don't kill for pleasure, and I don't torture for fun."

The bandit blinked his eyes a few times. "No... No you're not." He paused, and then shook his head and continued. "And you're obviously not what the invaders described you as, otherwise you'd have done the things you said you could have. I believe that now, knowing that you were the one that tore apart our attack." He bent his head down, and looked at the ground. Silence reigned for a moment, and then the lupar leader spoke again. "What do you want of me? Of us?"

Van Horn felt a pang of guilt at the lupar's tone. _He sounds so defeated!_ "I want to help." He said quietly, almost so low that the other couldn't hear him. "I want to help you, your village, this entire world against those who have invaded your homes, and killed your loved ones." He said, much stronger this time. "But I can't do it alone."

The lupar looked back up, again his face a model of confusion. "Help? You want to help?" He asked plaintively.

Alexis had stood quietly by until now, her own emotions rising and falling with every word the lupar and van Horn spoke. Now she could stay quiet no longer. "We all want to help." She said, startling the lupar, who whirled about to face her. He didn't reach for his knife, though, which showed just how distraught he had become. "We?" He asked.

"Yes, we." Alexis replied, and she took a slow step forward. The lupar's face lit up with recognition. "You're a gatón." He muttered.

Alexis nodded. "I am, and like my friend here," she turned and gestured to van Horn and then turned back, "I want to help. And there's a few more of us, as well, in the woods, and back at Hercor, even."

"But, why us?" The confused lupar asked. "Why do you care? Why would you want to care, after we attacked Hercor? After all the things we've done that causes everyone to hate us?"

"Because it's right." Van Horn spoke again, bringing the lupar's attention back to him. "What's happened in the past cannot be changed, but what's happening now can be." He took a breath. "Your people, the Kurrnaki, are not free from transgressions. But one thing my people have been taught is to forgive, and to help out those less fortunate than us, even our enemies." Van Horn then looked the lupar eye to eye. "We may have fought, but I am willing to move past that, because you were forced into doing it by others who are my enemy as well.

"The question is, do you want our help?" Van Horn asked this of the lupar. "As much as it took for I and my friends to overcome our... Displeasure over your attack," van Horn said diplomatically, "it may take you and your comrades even more. We want to help, but not if you don't want it. After all, we don't wish to wake up with daggers in our throats."

The lupar blinked hard, trying to absorb the massive paradigm shift that had been forced upon him. "I... We..." He sputtered for a moment, and then fell silent as his gaze focused out in what van Horn recognized as being the 'thousand-yard stare' of someone who has had too much happen to him in too short a time. _Oh God, I think we broke him_, came the human's half-panicked thought. He waited though, staying silent, but making eye contact with Alexis. He gave her a nod and a faint smile, which she returned. _You did good here, girl. Let's hope it didn't go to waste_.

Meanwhile, Grono was deep in thought. _They are outsiders; they can't want to help us!_ One voice said in his mind, but another thought drowned it out. _Outsiders usually kill us when they have a chance! Even the Invaders killed us, and that was to get us to help them! How then can you explain that these creatures appear, silent as the night, armed with the Invaders' deadly weapons, and _don't_ take advantage of the situation to kill everyone?_

_They are trying to lull us into surrendering the location of our village!_ The strain of paranoia screamed out again, only to be silenced in the reply. _Fool! They crept upon an encampment that supposedly only Kurrnaki know about! They can fucking SEE the village from here! They don't need us at all!_

_But we need _them. Grono looked up at the furless creature. "You really wish to help?" He asked, getting a nod in return. "Then please, help."


	17. Chapter 17

Dawn began to break over the Kurrnaki village of Anqua, and the village began to rustle as the locals roused from their sleep. However, a certain group was already up, and in fact, didn't leave less than one person awake at all times.

Initiate II Felix Marakov was one of those people, and stood at his usual post next the wheeled APC that he and his squad had rolled in on when they had come to the natives' village. He was equipped lightly, compared to normal infantrymen of the Word of Blake Militia, carrying only a Blazer Carbine and wearing a simple uniform with a flak vest and helmet. That is, he would have been lightly equipped, before the arrival of the Republic. Now, the remnants of the WoBM barely had enough advanced weaponry to distinguish themselves from bandit forces, let alone having the terrifying technological advantage they had had against the Inner Sphere.

Marakov's face twisted as he once again went over the events that had led him to the place he now occupied. _Damned heathen invaders, how _dare_ they invade Terra and take it away from its true guardians!_ He thought; the knowledge that they had failed in their sacred task to safeguard the homeworld of humanity from infidels rankled the Blakests that had fled the destruction of their budding dominion. Marakov himself felt an impotent rage at the fact that they had to flee farther than any force in history, save that of General Kerensky and the SLDF. _And _they_ at least did it voluntarily!_

_So now I'm stuck here, watching these abominations just so that we can make their warriors do what we want. Which wouldn't be so bad, normally, but in the name of Blake, why _me Marakov didn't like the defeat, didn't like the retreat, and he didn't like the planet. It would then be no surprise to students of human behavior to find that Marakov treated the natives with a distinct lack of respect.

Thus it was with distaste that Marakov greeted the day, watching over the village commons as the locals began their morning routines. Several always went out into the fields, to tend the small crops that barely sustained the village in the best of times. Marakov watched them go, glad that today he hadn't drawn the even more monotonous duty of sitting in the blind the detachment had set up to guard the field workers. _Only had to kill one of them trying to escape before they got the idea_. He looked over to a pike in the center of the commons, where the head of the failed escapee was mounted on a pike to ward off further thoughts of rebellion against the Word of Blake.

Marakov almost smiled, amused that the locals ignored the pike and its macabre reminder as much as possible. But then some of the pitiful creatures started to head in the direction of the APC, and he tensed slightly and glanced around, watching for an ambush of some sort.

His paranoia soon relaxed, however, as he recognized the middle-aged wolf-thing that the natives apparently had chosen to be their representative. With him were two other of his kind, both young females. Marakov sneered as they approached, but he turned and thumped his gloved hand against the side door to the 10-ton vehicle.

It only took a few seconds for the door to open, and an infantryman dressed only in a uniform and carrying a pistol came out. "What the Hell is it Marakov?" Asked Adept IV Daniken, Marakov's immediate commander.

"Looks like stinky and his two bitches want to talk Adept." Marakov responded using the derogatory nickname that one of the wobbies had coined for the wolf creature. He didn't really stink all that bad, but it had stuck, as such names will amongst hateful people.

Daniken grunted and walked out of the APC and faced the three natives as they approached. "What is it?" He asked the male.

"Aaadept. Warrriorrs back ssoon." The lupar managed to get out in imperfect English. Daniken - although being a master with languages and having managed to learn the rudiments of Lupari in only two days of patrols in a captured city - had made the local denizen learn enough English so that he could 'speak properly' to the human. Now, however, Daniken was a bit confused. "Your warriors are back? How do you know?"

The lupar turned and pointed in the direction of the large valley that separated two mountain chains. "Firre. Ac- Across-" The lupar frowned as he couldn't remember the word, finally resorting to the Lupari one. "Barlo. Night past."

Marakov turned his head slightly to look at Daniken. The latter shifted his eyes to the former and nodded slightly. Marakov then turned and reached out, slapping the wolf-creature across his snout, turning his head around.

"Valley. The word is Valley." Daniken said with a harsh tone. The lupar turned his head back to face Daniken, fire in his eyes. But it only burned for a moment, as the two humans' stares caused the native to nod dejectedly. "Vaaal-lee."

Daniken nodded to the creature. "Good. Where will they come from?" He said, speaking slowly, since he wanted to be understood.

The lupar turned and pointed along a path at the edge of the forest. "That. Come sssoon."

Daniken frowned a bit, which caused the three lupar to cringe a bit, expecting another blow. Marakov even raised his weapon slightly to deliver a smack with the butt of the weapon, but Daniken spoke. "No Marakov, not now." The guard looked back at Daniken and nodded, and then turned to face the three locals as the Adept spoke again. "Very well. Go now." He waved a hand to illustrate.

The lupar bowed and then turned and walked back towards the large cabin-type building that seemed to be the center of the village's economy and society. One of the younger females turned her head around periodically, watching the humans for a few seconds, apparently watching for any moves that would indicate an attack on them.

Daniken, however, was lost in thought. "Why didn't they call? We gave those barbarians a bloody radio for a reason, after all."

Marakov shrugged. "Well, they are primitives, sir. Perhaps they got beaten so bad that they lost the radio." He said. Inside, a kind of dark glee kindled. _I heard what Daniken promised if they ever lost that squawk box_. He thought with a barely suppressed smile. _Maybe we can make another 'example' out of some of them_.

Daniken shrugged at the suggestion. "Perhaps. We'll see when they get here." He turned from looking towards the departing lupar towards Marakov. "Get Anderson and Li up and have them man the turret. I want to be fully ready when these 'warriors' return."

It was another four hours before the band of Kurrnaki warriors returned. Marakov, however, wasn't paying much attention to them, but rather, to whom they had in tow. "Well, I'll be a son of a Davion," he uttered, unconsciously slipping back into his old speech patterns.

A dirty look from Daniken was enough to rebuke the soldier. _Good that it would, too_, Daniken thought. _It doesn't pay to chew out your troops in front of a prisoner_. He then turned back and looked over the approaching party, a mask of superior airs replacing his brief spell of anger. The source of his brightening mood was located amidst the group of natives, who had two prisoners. One was a creature that Daniken knew to be of the more second, more primitive sentient species on the planet. The other was a human. _And only one human on this planet could have _that_ insignia_, the Adept thought, seeing the Republic logo on the arm of the prisoner's jacket.

"Well, if it isn't the infidel." Daniken said with an arrogant smirk as the lupar pulled forward van Horn, whose wrists were bound together in front and to the rope that let the natives direct their capture. "I see you were lucky enough to escape our VTOLs, yet managed to get caught by these filthy creatures."

Van Horn glared at the Blakest. "I thought it better to be captured by these creatures than to see another one of _your_ kind again. Little did I know you had them working for you."

Daniken's smirk grew into a savage grin. "Really, now, that's no way to be speaking to an Enlightened one."

"Enlightened?" Pah!" Van Horn spit at the Adept's feet. "You're no more 'Enlightened' than a blind Omniss member!"

Daniken frowned a bit at the other's display. He stepped forward and backhanded the prisoner across the face, twisting his head around. "You'll speak to me with a civil tongue, or I'll cut it out of your head."

Van Horn brought his head back around to face the Adept. "Big man, aren't you? After all, you have a pack of these dogs to do your bidding, on top of what? That stooge over there," he waved his bound hands at Marakov, "and a couple more to man the APC." He snorted then and waved his arms to the left, towards the village and away from the APC. "Not to mention, a pack of these dogs doing your bidding. I'm sure that it takes a real man to be a prick of a boss that sits on his ass and lets others protect him." Van Horn finished his words sarcastically.

Daniken felt his face grow hot with anger. "You insolent bastard!" He snarled and kicked van Horn in the stomach. The latter bent over, apparently in pain. "I'll teach you to insult me!" Daniken said and drew his combat knife from a boot sheath.

Mikula walked slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion by moving too quickly. Still, urgency propelled him, as Alexis and van Horn were right in the middle of what appeared to be a nasty confrontation.

_Not that I know what's being said_, he thought briefly as he approached the back end of the metal wagon that vaguely resembled the one van Horn had had. Mikula mentally chastised himself over the brief wandering of his mind. _Stick with the plan, no matter how insane it is_.

When van Horn had called in Mikula into the clearing and introduced him to the Kurrnaki known as Grono, he had been shocked that the human had managed to avoid a fight. He was even more shocked when van Horn had explained his daring plan to his friends, and the newly awakened raiders. _Even _they_ were surprised at the sheer audacity_. Mikula couldn't help but admire the human even as he worried over the plan.

_Need to concentrate!_ He rebuffed himself mentally as he reached the area that van Horn had told him to get near. _Now what did he say to do? Oh, yes._ Mikula looked around as nonchalantly as he could, checking to see that the Wobbies would be as distracted as van Horn had said they would be, and to see if the Kurrnaki were doing what they had said they would do.

He looked just in time to see van Horn spitting at the other human in front of him. Mikula had picked up some English, as van Horn had still taught some to Alexis during their travel and he couldn't help but listen. Now, however, the words raced by and he only caught one or two. The tone, though, was enough to convince him that it was time to fulfill his part of the plan.

The lupar looked back at the rear of the APC, and he searched for the place that van Horn had told him to put the special item he carried. _There!_ He spotted the place described, which was the grille for the engine exhaust. Mikula quickly reached into the bag he carried, and pulled out a bottle that contained a powdery mixture that van Horn had made our of various chemicals taken from a Hercor storehouse. Out of the stopper came a rolled up piece of paper that had been soaked in lantern oil, and Mikula placed the bottle into a crack that van Horn had told him would be there. _He called it a 'design flaw.'_ The lupar then reached into his bag again and quickly took out a match that van Horn had salvaged from his _Darter_.

A yell came from the area where van Horn stood before the Wobbies, and Mikula turned to see the former bent over, and the apparent leader of the invaders reaching down for something. _Hurry!_ The lupar reminded himself, and he turned, striking the match as van Horn had told him to do - and had showed him when he had started campfires - and the chemicals on the head of the wooden stick came to life, combusting into flame. Mikula quickly brought it to the makeshift fuse, and lit it before shoving the bottle deep into the hot grate. He then stepped back, and turned to walk to rejoin the Kurrnaki warriors who had stood quietly, waiting for the signal.

Alexis watched with fear as the Wobbie pulled out a wicked-looking knife of the kind that van Horn carried. _And if it's anything like Earl's, then it can cut flesh as if it wasn't there!_ She nervously picked at her bindings, which were not as confining as they seemed. The knots were actually tied into the ropes that their 'captors' held. _One tug and we're free._ She turned, sparing a look from where van Horn now brought himself slowly erect in the face of an obviously angry Wobbie to see if Mikula was still unnoticed. Alexis felt a thrill seeing Mikula spark the strange wooden stick, using the flame to ignite the 'little surprise,' as van Horn called it.

"Teach me? I doubt if you have even had enough education to fill a pamphlet!" Van Horn's words brought Alexis' attention back to the tableau, the red-faced Wobbie holding his knife menacingly. Van Horn, however, seemed unafraid and even mocked the armed man. "I've seen bigger pig-stickers than yours in Capellan pornographies. And feel free to take that both ways." Alexis couldn't understand some of the words, especially the ones that were obviously culturally related. The Wobbie, however, could, and his face turned from bright to dark red. The one behind him seemed somewhat amused, and even had lowered his rifle a bit, apparently enjoying the spectacle.

Then the Blakest reached out and grabbed van Horn by the hair, and then yanked him to the ground. Van Horn yelled in pain briefly, which gave his red-faced tormentor a brief smile of amusement. "You want to fucking compare dicks, asshole?" He pushed van Horn, laying the latter on his back on the ground. "How about I cut yours off and mount it above the barracks door back at our base?"

Alexis couldn't help but have one panicked thought. _Where's the signal?_

Van Horn lay on his back, watching a very angry Blakest infantryman brandishing a knife. _Pushed me down? My luck, and his funeral_. Van Horn had seen Mikula light the IED, and so had deliberately inflamed the Blakest as much as possible, thus keeping attention on him and not where it should be; looking for dangers like Mikula.

"Well?! What do you have to say now infidel?!" The Wobbie yelled at van Horn as he leaned over. _Daniken?_ Van horn thought briefly as he read the soldier's name. _Stupid name for a stupid person._ Aloud, however, he yelled one word. "Krakatoa!"

The Blakest blinked. "What?" Then the area filled with light and noise.

Alexis had dodged to the ground when she had heard van Horn's signal, and she had felt the Kurrnaki that had been her 'guard' pull the rope that released her hands as he, too, dropped to the ground, along with everyone else in the group. _Now what?_

She had barely thought the question to herself when the Improvised Explosive Device that van Horn had made went off. The mix of gunpowder, lantern oil, and propellant from several bullets was just powerful enough to rip into the engine that powered the Militia APC. Additionally, the fuel lines were ruptured along with the engine's vital components, so that as the searing hot metal flew everywhere, it mixed with the hydrocarbon fuel. The flames reached out and hit the fuel tank about a full second later, and the entire rear end of the vehicle blew up, sending chunks of metal and globs of burning fuel flying in every direction. Alexis winced against the painful sound of the double explosions. But she pushed herself up and raced towards where the Blakest guards had fallen and van Horn lay.

Or had lain, as he had rolled over onto his belly and scythed his legs, catching the downed Daniken in the face with a kick that crunched the Wobbie's nose, sending a spray of blood out. Daniken, however, had reacted better than van Horn had given him credit for, and had yanked his knife to a haphazard attack position. Although not in position to hit anything vital, he blindly stabbed out and managed to catch van Horn in the ankle.

Alexis heard the yells of pain coming from the two as she closed. Feeling that her friend was in danger, she reached into the loose arms of her oversized shirt that had served her since Hercor and pulled out the two hunting knives. Even as van Horn yanked back his legs, the Blakest pushed himself up, ignoring the broken nose and pulling his knife back to make another, better-aimed stab at the injured van Horn.

_No! No more of my friends die!_ Working on adrenalin, she reached the Blakest, who only noticed her at the last second, so blinded he was in rage. She thrust with both arms, and sent the knives plunging into the chest of the invader. Her momentum not fully used, she plowed into the larger human, sending the blades deeper and toppling them both.

Blood gushed from the Wobbie's chest wounds, and Alexis felt the warm stickiness soak into her shirt. A brief moment of panic at the thought that she had been wounded caused her to push back and off of the Blakest. She rolled to the side and came up in a crouch, lacking her knives but brandishing the small but sharp claws at the end of her fingers.

The display wasn't necessary as van Horn, recovered from his precarious position, lunged forward and completed the job done by Alexis, stabbing between her knives with his own and into the beating heart of the Wobbie. Without a thought, he twisted the knife and yanked it free and moved to the side, avoiding the small fountain of blood that briefly erupted from the shredded flesh of the enemy human.

Alexis turned to look over at the other Blakest, and she unsurprised to see two daggers in his own chest, and several bite marks from lupar jaws in his neck and on his face. He was clearly dead, which caused her to relax a bit. But only for a bit, as a new, urgent thought caused her to tense up again. _Where's Mikula?_ She turned to where she had last seen him, near one of the Kurrnaki.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Mikula crouching, his sword out and himself scanning the area for any threats. Alexis then turned to van Horn and went over to where he stood slowly up, favoring his wounded ankle. "You're hurt! Do you need help?" Excitement bled into her voice as her adrenalin began to lower a bit, now that the area was somewhat quiet.

Van Horn shook his head. "No." He, unlike Alexis, knew that the situation wasn't secure. He turned around and looked for Pavlo, who had been given the two firearms that the human had with him. Van Horn then spotted him helping up a Kurrnaki who had been hit by a piece of flying debris. A brief pang of guilt was overcome with the feeling of duty. "Pavlo! Get your ass over here!" Van Horn called to the lupar in the latter's native tongue.

The young lupar looked up to the human, and nodded. He then turned and beckoned a local to help the injured warrior. Once free of the wounded person, he turned and ran to where the human stood. "I suppose you want your equipment?" He asked.

"Yes. Hand over the bag." Van Horn said through clenched teeth, the pain from his wound beginning to cut through his adrenalin buzz. He pushed the pain down, however, and took the bag as Pavlo unlimbered it from his shoulder, reaching inside for his pistol and another surprise that he had made.

The door to the APC flung open, and one of the crewmen inside stumbled out, his face and arms covered with burns and soot. His service pistol was out, but he wavered in his aim. Apparently still in shock from the explosions.

Van Horn had no compunctions about taking the hapless man out, and he pulled his M3000 out and fired it straight into the chest of the smoke-blinded Blakest. The loud retort startled the natives around him, but he didn't pay them any attention as he moved over to the APC's door. Mindful of his wounded left ankle, he leaned out, using the door as leverage to spare his injured foot from too much weight, and pivoted around, his .45 pistol leading the way.

Inside, however, all he saw was smoke, and the dim outline of a body slumped in the gunner's seat of the turret. Van Horn pulled his pistol up, and turned to face Mikula, Pavlo and Alexis, who had all gathered near him. "The other one is dead already." He was about to ask about how his friends were doing, but Grono ran up, another, middle-aged kurrnaki lupar in tow.

"Vanhorn!" The former said as they reached the small group. "The village is being evacuated, but Fastuolono here says that there were at least four more of the Invaders, and they usually guard the farm fields."

"Shit!" Van Horn cursed in his native tongue. "Tell your people to hurry. Take only food and water. Weapons and money are third priority."

The elder lupar blinked. "Third? What's the first?" Van Horn looked back with a blank look of his own. "Why, women and children of course." He replied. "Now, get going! I need to get ready to fight those other invaders off." He waved at the two Kurrnaki, who got the idea and ran off.

The one introduced as Fastuolono turned and spared Grono a look. "I never thought I'd say this, but I like that one."

"I thought you would, dad."

Mikula was a bit in shock, partially at the explosions, partially at how successful the plan had been, and partially at Alexis. _She actually killed someone._ The thought contrasted with his normal mental image of the young gatón. _She always seemed so delicate and sensitive_.

His train of thought was interrupted when van Horn hobbled to one of the dead Blakests and took a large weapon off of the one that had been killed by the Kurrnaki. He then turned and waved to Mikula. "Come here."

Mikula blinked a couple of times in confusion, and then walked over. As soon he got there, van Horn pressed the Blazer Carbine into the lupar's hands. "Take that, and cover the front of the APC." The human said in his clipped tone. Mikula's ears went down as he became more confused. He looked over the unfamiliar weapon for a second, and then back at van Horn. "I... I do not know how to use this."

Van Horn sighed and took the weapon back, flipping it over to show Mikula the side. "When you want to kill something, flip this lever from this position," he tapped the safety switch, which was in the 'safe' position, "to this." He pushed the small lever to the 'armed' position, and then held the carbine up to his shoulder. "You aim like this at whatever you want dead," he then bought the weapon back down and again held it side up, "and then press these levers back." He tapped the carbine trigger housing, careful to not touch the triggers themselves. Van Horn then looked Mikula in the eye. "And, under any circumstances, do _not_ point it at anything - anything at _all _- that you don't want dead."

Mikula absorbed the instructions and the warning. The latter made his ears flop down even more, but he nodded and took the weapon when van Horn safed it and handed it to him. The lupar then jogged the few steps to the front of the APC, got into a crouch and scanned the panicked village. After assuring himself that the immediate second was clear, he took a moment to check over his new weapon. _What the Hell have I gotten myself into?_

Van Horn repeated his instructions twice more, after giving his pistol to Pavlo and the Blakest's service automatic to Alexis. The former he sent off to find Grono and basically act as the protector of the evacuating Kurrnaki. The latter stayed with van Horn and Mikula, near the APC.

_Our time's running out_, he thought as he bandaged himself with a first ad kit that he had plundered off of the dead adept. _Those other assholes will be here soon, and_-

His train of thought was interrupted as his rescue radio began to beep. Van Horn stared mutely for a second, trying to clear his head of the pain and adrenalin, before he realized what the beeping meant. _Woo hoo!_

He quickly reached around and into his back pocket and triggered the speaker button, only to hear a transmission coming over the established Republic frequency. "-Ung. Do you copy? Repeat, Dr. Earl Tancred van Horn, this is the USS _Rodger Young_, can you hear us?"

Van Horn pressed so hard on the transmit button that he half wondered if he would break it. "_Rodger Young!_ Goddamn it's good to hear your voice! Where the fuck are you?"

"Dr. van Horn, please authenticate." The voice asked, somewhat dispassionately. Van Horn could only stare at the box for a second, before his anger bubbled over and his again slammed the transmit button. "You goddamned twisted bitch-" the speaker was female "-I'm down here, getting my ass shot up by fucking Wobbies from half the mother fucking Inner Sphere, trying to keep people from dying, and you want my _fucking authorization codes_?! Just get your overpaid, navy asses down here before I go up there and cut off you fucking head and shit down your neck you godless _whore_!"

Silence reigned for a second, and van Horn heard the unmistakable noise of rifles. Before he could call to Mikula to be careful, the radio again came on, but this voice was a deeper female's. "We'll consider that an authentication, van Horn. Only an M.I. trooper could have a mouth that dirty to the people that are coming to save his ass." The voice said in an amused tone. "Can you give us a location and a general sitrep?"

More rifle noises erupted, adding a tense feeling to the air. Van Horn paused a moment to calm himself a bit and remember his general location. "I'm on the northern continent, central area, north, on the northeast side of a valley that cuts the northern mountain chains in half." He paused for another moment to catch his breath. "Sitrep is as follows. I an some indigs have engaged a small Blakest patrol, approximately four to six more of them approaching from the-" He paused to get his bearings straight, then continued. "Approaching from the northeast. Terrain is forested mountainside; local indigs are friendly and evacuating. I have several helping me to establish a position from which to repeal the attackers."

"Indigs? I thought that they were primitives?" The voice asked incredulously.

Van Horn frowned, but he decided that he'd blown up enough for today. "They're full of surprises."

"I'll bet. All right, M.I. Platoon inbound, gunship insertion. Switch your rescue radio to active beacon and hold tight. ETA is about twenty minutes."

More gunshots erupted, much closer this time, and Mikula dodged around the front of the APC, several bullets whizzing past. Van Horn saw this, and grimaced as he clicked the transmit button. "Better tell the pilot to cut that in half, 'cuz we're about to be royally fucked. Switching to beacon now, so don't expect to hear from me."

"Good luck, jarhead." The voice replied, using the traditional insult that the navies had used against their marine troopers for hundreds of years.

Van Horn smiled a bit and replied one last time with the usual retort. "Thanks, Squid."

Pavlo waded through the crowd of fleeing kurrnaki as they streamed down a path that led deeper into the forest. He looked around; scared from the shots he had heard coming from the northeast, and worried that he might miss an attacker.

A grip on his shoulder caused him to spin around, and he pointed his pistol halfway before he recognized Raso. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Pavlo said, relief and adrenalin-laced fear mixed into his voice.

Raso held up his hands. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to let you know that we're almost fully evacuated." He pointed to where the lupar were disappearing around a bend. "Grono and the village elders are already ahead of the group, and only this last group and the field workers have yet to leave."

Pavlo nodded. "Good, because we have at least four more invaders to go through." He turned to peer around the corner of the building against which the two had taken shelter to get out of the now-thinning crowd.

"That, uh, is the other reason I came back." Raso's unsteady voice caused Pavlo's hackles to rise, and he turned to face the kurrnaki as he continued. "One of the elders mentioned that another group of Invaders had come after our raiding part y had left. They were in the fields as well, which is why most of our workers there are running for the forest instead of coming back here."

Pavlo stared at the other lupar. "What? How many more? Did they have another metal wagon?" He asked heatedly.

Raso held up his arms again. "I don't know! All he said was that another group had arrived before he was swept away. I came back so that I could warn you and-" A loud crashing came from the direction where van Horn and the others crouched near the disabled APC, interrupting Raso and causing both lupar to spin to face the noise.

Halfway between where they stood and where the other riders from Hercor crouched, another APC - this one a tracked version - crunched over two abandoned hovels, its turreted Machine Guns sweeping back and forth.

Pavlo's ears laid back and his tail found its way between his legs. "Oh, shit."

"Oh shit!" Van Horn fairly yelled to no one in particular. He stood up, using the bulk of the ruined APC for leverage, and leveled his Intek Laser Rifle. Taking careful aim, he waited for the inevitable infantry. "Alexis, get back." He called to the gatón as a Wobbie trooper poked his head around one of the ruined walls of a hovel. Van Horn wasted no time, and he sent a laser bolt into the face of the hapless trooper, killing him instantly.

Unfortunately, the shot attracted the attention of the turret gunner, who swiveled the dual Machine Guns around, prompting van Horn to duck and drag Alexis further behind the wrecked APC. He was just in time, as the gunner opened up, sending a hail of bullets at them. Tracers lit up the air and the sounds of the bullets hitting the armor of the ruined APC contesting with the yelps of fear from Alexis and Mikula.

"Fuck!" Van Horn couldn't help but curse. _Gonna need to mess with his aim_, he thought and turned to look towards where Mikula had pulled himself behind the wrecked APC, instinctively seeking cover. "Mikula! Do you still have those matches I gave to you?"

"Yes," Mikula called, and he came over in a walk-crouch. "You need them?"

More bullets impacted into the vehicle at their backs. "Would I ask if I didn't? Now hand them over."

Mikula reached into the large over tunic that he wore above his normal clothes to ward off the mountain chill. He quickly found the matchbox and tossed it to van Horn, who held it carefully as he picked up the sneaky surprise that he had grabbed a few minutes ago. "Mikula, cover me when I go to throw this."

Mikula's ears laid back. "How do I do that?" He was understandably terrified, having been wounded by a similar weapon not too long ago. _That, and he's totally out of his element_, van Horn thought. _But now is no time for softness!_ "Get your ass over by the front and peer around it. When I say 'go' you fire your weapon in their general direction. You don't have to aim perfectly, just shoot so that they will get down and not shoot at me."

Mikula gulped, but nodded. He crept around Alexis, who was crouching near the APC's tire, and he then looked around the edge of the ruined vehicle. _Oh shit, this isn't good_, he thought to himself.

"Now!" Van Horn yelled, and Mikula leaned out further and brought up the weapon as van Horn had told him how to. The safety already off, he aimed at the vaguely moving shape of an invader and fired, using both triggers.

The effect was astounding to him, even though he had seen its like before. Twinned beams of searing energy leapt from the barrels of the blazer carbine and reached out, barely missing the targeted figure and burning two streaks of scarred material in the wall of a hovel. The figure and two more that Mikula could see dove for cover, even as the enemy gun turret swept to aim at him. _I'm gonna die_, the lupar thought.

But death wasn't in the cards. Van Horn had lit the Molotov cocktail that he had made from lamp oil and a bottle, and using the wrecked vehicle as support, threw it at the enemy APC. His aim was good, as was his strength, and so the burning bottle flew through the air and landed right on the enemy turret. The bottle broke and the flames spread with the oil as it splattered over the entire front top half of the Blakest APC.

Yells of alarm came from the enemy, and the machine guns stopped firing. Mikula wasted no time, sighting the carbine at another shape, this time aiming carefully. He then triggered the dual-lasers again and was rewarded with the sight of the beams impacting the shoulder of the Wobbie, who collapsed.

Bullets began to land around Mikula then as the downed trooper's fellows sighted the source of the beams. Before any could connect, however, Mikula felt a pair of hands grab his legs and yank him behind cover. He twisted on the ground to see that it was Alexis. "Thank you."

"It was nothing." She said, and then turned so she could look at both van Horn and Mikula. "What do we do now?" She asked the former.

Van Horn grunted. "We hold, or as long as possible." He then reached for his radio again, and flipped it back to transmit. "Anyone listening?" He called out.

A moment of static came on, and then another voice came from the radio. "Van Horn, this is Boat Alpha-2 inbound. You were supposed to keep you beacon on."

Van Horn nodded unconsciously. "I understand, but the situation has worsened significantly. Enemy strength is much larger, at least twice as large, and they have a-" Sounds of rifle fire interrupted van Horn, and he turned to see Pavlo running towards them on all fours, his pistol between his teeth.

"Oh, fuck me!" Van Horn yelled, forgetting that he left the button pressed. He quickly let go and stood, putting weight on his bad leg temporarily so that he could level his rifle quicker. He aimed carefully and fired, hitting one Blakest attacker with a glancing shot to his arm. The infantryman ducked down, as did several of his fellows, and van Horn wondered if perhaps they could survive intact.

Then the machine gun turret, apparently blinded, started to fire randomly, sending a hail of bullets in multiple directions. Van Horn ducked and then collapsed as his bad ankle gave way. Before he could let out a yelp of pain, however, another came from van Horn's right. He turned and saw Pavlo sprawled out, just coming to rest after falling, the cause of which was apparent, as he had been hit in the arm with one of the bullets coming from the enemy machine.

"Pavlo!" Mikula yelled, and he leapt out to get his brother.

"Goddamnit!" Van Horn yelled. "Alexis, cover them!" He then pulled himself up, again using the ruined vehicle as leverage as he aimed his rifle haphazardly, letting off a pair of shots at the enemy infantry. Alexis, too, leapt out at van Horn's words, and she brought the pistol up as van Horn had showed her and the others during their trip. She pointed at the large, still burning machine and fired.

The shot was wide, as she had held on too tight to her grip but the noise was enough to get the enemy to stay down. Meanwhile, Mikula had reached his brother and helped Pavlo stand, and then they both ran back.

Alexis stood still, and let off another shot. _Cover them, keep the enemy at bay!_ She wasn't aiming too well, but she didn't care, so long as Mikula and Pavlo made it out all right. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two reach safe cover, and van Horn fired another shot. _Time to get back_, she thought, and she turned and began to move towards the safe area behind the damaged APC.

But she had barely began moving when the enemy turret opened up again, sighting better this time thanks to the fact that the flames on the tracked APC were dying as the lamp oil was consumed. A burst tracked Alexis, sending fountains up at her feet before the stream adjusted upward. Several bullets then crashed into the young gatón, just below her ribcage, and then left, leaving gaping holes in her front and back. Staggered by the impacts, Alexis collapsed forward, landing on the ground next to the APC.

Mikula stared wide-eyed at her fallen form. "NO!" He yelled and reached out, dragging her in despite a new hail of bullets coming from the enemy gunners. Ignoring them, Mikula turned Alexis over and held her by the shoulders. "Alexis? Can you hear me?" He asked loudly after seeing her eyes shut. They opened briefly, and she coughed. "Ow." She said quietly.

"Alexis!" Mikula yelled, his spirits buoyed by her return to consciousness. It was short-lived, however, as he finally noticed the blood pumping out from her wounds. "Van Horn, help her!"

"Shit," the human said as he kneeled down next to where Mikula held Alexis in his arms, "shit shit shit shit shit." He couldn't help but mutter. "Put her down on the ground and cover us."

Mikula looked up at van Horn. "What?" He asked in a daze. Van Horn responded by grabbing his shoulder. "I can't defend us and take care of her at the same time! Get off your ass and shoot some of those cocksuckers!" He yelled, using the English insult.

It got through, and Mikula nodded shakily. "Y-y-yes." He reluctantly let go of Alexis, and van Horn laid her down carefully on the ground. Not trusting himself to look at her anymore, Mikula turned and reached for the weapon he had dropped when he had ran to grab his brother. Quickly finding it, he edged around the front of the APC and fired blindly at the enemy. _You will pay if she dies!_ He railed mentally at the Wobbies.

More gunshots erupted from a hovel to the enemy's right, and Mikula realized that they enemy must have sent out flankers. _A crossfire that will decimate us!_ Even as Pavlo grabbed van Horn's laser rifle and snapped off a shot towards the new threat, hope waned in Mikula's heart. _What are we to do now?_

Van Horn worked feverishly, using bandages from his emergency first aid kit and gatón bandages to try and staunch the flow of blood from Alexis' midsection. _Oh God, looks like an organ got hit! Maybe even intestines. Jesus Fucking H. Christ, what a mess!_ He poured a bottle of antiseptic into the wound, hoping to stave off any infection before lifting up Alexis' shirt to get at the wound better. Working quickly, he managed to weapon the area with gauze and native bandages, but the blood flow, though stymied, still leaked around and through the bandages.

"How is she?" Mikula asked after he dived back from where he had been covering the group. Pavlo, too, moved back, trying to minimize his profile to the enemy flankers.

Van Horn shook his head. "Not good at all. If she doesn't receive top-notch medical care soon, she'll die." He said, and almost instantly regretted it, as the lupar's eyes seemed to drain of life. "Don't go to pieces on me now, Mikula." He said vehemently. "I need you, _she_ needs you to keep it together and fight the enemy off."

Mikula looked plaintively at the human. "But, for what?! They have us flanked, and soon they will kill us all..." The lupar's voice trailed off, even as the trilling of Pavlo's firing continued amidst the background of machine gun rounds landing nearby.

Van Horn reached out with bloodstained hands and grabbed Mikula by his shoulders. "For what? For what?!" He yanked the lupar so that he faced Alexis' prone form. "Because that's exactly what she would do if it was you lying there. Now do your duty, soldier!"

The rough treatment and harsh voice seemed to break through the wall of despair that Mikula had started to grow. He blinked, and looked up from Alexis to the human." Yes... You're right." He said and nodded. Van Horn let him go and Mikula grabbed the carbine again. "What should I do?"

Before van Horn could answer, a new, screaming noise came from above, and a shadow eclipsed the sunlight pouring into the kurrnaki village. Everyone looked up at the vague shape. "What is that?" Pavlo asked panicked.

But van Horn's grin and sure voice broke through the brothers' confusion. "That is a set of Hellion-Lifter VTOL jets! I'd know those anywhere!" He said, remembering the distinct noise of the Republic Assault Transport's engines.

Van Horn's confidence was well grounded, as the hovering shape let loose with a deadly barrage from its LRM-20 rack, sending a score of missiles to impact the enemy APC. A double burst from the Ultra autocannon and searing bolts of pulse lasers finished the vehicle off, slagging through the rents in the armor created by the high-explosive weapons, and destroying the components inside. A great fireball erupted from the vehicle as the ammunition cooked off, and the turret flew off its mount to crash to the ground.

Screams of alarm and pain came from the enemy positions, and their fire was refocused from van Horn's group to the hovering transport. It was short-lived, however, as the doors on the side of the 185-ton shuttlecraft opened and large, legged shapes dropped out. Riding down on ion jets, the platoon of battle armor began to fire on the Blakests even before they landed, sending laser beams, streams of machine gun bullets and even a couple of Inferno SRMs streaking into the places where the Blakests had found purchase.

In seconds, it was over, as the fifty plus men and women pressed forward and finished off the enemy to a man. The Farkas brothers just stared in mute astonishment and terror at the display of sheer violence.

Van Horn, however, knew better than to stare. "MEDIC!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. "I need a medic here!"

Before van Horn could even catch his breath, a trooper in scout armor bounded over on his jump jets. The Lupar cringed back, pressing against the APC out of fright, but van Horn knew better, having seen the medikits the scout trooper carried. "'Bout fucking time! She's been hit bad!"

"Alright, get aside." The imposing bulk of the trooper blocked out much of the light from the sun, but his helmet-mounted light flared on and gave him the grim picture. "Sweet Jesus." He took out a kit and began to do his work, but he paused to turn his helmeted head to van Horn. "I'm gonna do my best, but she needs to be taken to the _Young_."

Van Horn nodded, and then turned to Mikula and Pavlo, who had stopped cringing, but still was weary of the trooper. However, at van Horn's look, Mikula came over. "Will she be alright?" He asked van Horn.

"Hopefully, she will. But we'll have to take her to our ship." Van Horn replied, and then shifted his gaze to the other lupar. "Pavlo probably should come too. That is," he looked back at Mikula, "unless you'd rather wait here."

Mikula shook his head. "No, I will go with her." He indicated Alexis as he spoke. He then turned to his brother. "Pavlo..."

"I heard, Mikula." Pavlo said. "I'll go with."

Van Horn nodded, and then turned to face the Scout Trooper, switching to English as he did so. "They're all going to come along."

The trooper just nodded and turned back to working on Alexis. "Fine, now let's go before she gets any worse."


	18. Chapter 18

Van Horn grunted as he pulled himself into the transport, using the handrails mounted next to the side door. Once inside, he quickly and automatically moved to one of the benches that lined the inner walls of the shuttlecraft's main cargo bay. _You never really forget your training_, he mused as he realized that he had basically done what had been drilled into him in A-School years ago.

However, that training was now a bit unneeded, as the medic trooper and another scout suited soldier carried in Alexis, followed by Pavlo and Mikula. Then another trooper in a Kage suit climbed in from the other door. As he turned towards van Horn, the latter saw that the suit had a Lieutenant's bars painted on the shoulders. "Sorry, doc, but you gotta ride in the back with the other civvies." The officer spoke through his helmet speakers and waved to the back with his right arm.

Van Horn nodded, and stood up. "Right, sorry." He replied and began to hobble to the back, where there was an open space. "Old habits die hard."

"I'll bet." The officer said, amusement tingeing his voice. After van Horn had moved back a bit, the compartment began to fill with more battle armored individuals, who filed aboard quickly and efficiently.

Van Horn, however, ignored them as he came to stop where the natives had been put at the back end of the compartment, which was historically the safest part of any major aerodynamically shaped craft. He took a seat on the bench that sat opposite of the Farkas brothers as the medic trooper kneeled by Alexis. She was on the floor, and the soldier had taken his helmet off to look over he better. As the assault transport filled, he worked on the native.

"How is she?" Van Horn asked as he sat on one of the back seats. The trooper spared a glance up and then back down to his work before responding. "She was hit bad. At least, I think so." He frowned and applied a drug-patch to Alexis' neck, pressing it in to make sure that it would stick its micro-needles all the way through her fur and into her skin. "I've had no training in this physiology, so I'm just guessing." He reached into another medikit and pulled out a pair of scissors to cut the old, soiled bandages from the gatón's wound.

"They're a lot like us, from what we've learned. Same kind of body structure, with the obvious additions, and the same organ structure." Van Horn said as he buckled his safety belt. He took time to make eye contact with the two lupar, and motioned to his belts. Mikula, having ridden in the old _Darter_ previously, understood easily and quickly showed Pavlo how to buckle himself in, despite his bandaged arm.

"So their biochemistry should be the same?" The trooper's question brought van Horn's attention back to the urgent matter at hand. "Yes. They can eat the same things, breath the same air, and I know from personal experience that the same medicines work with them as well." He replied as the doors up front shut and the rumbling of the jets started.

"Good to know." The trooper said as he shifted his position to better acclimate to the increase in gravity that accompanied the craft's takeoff. "Hopefully, Medi-Jel won't hurt them then." He said and applied one of the auto-morphic bandages to Alexis' wound.

"Grra'n nikru cho?" The Lupari words startled the medic briefly, and he turned to Mikula out of caution and training. "What the Hell?"

"It's all right, trooper. He just asked what was happening." Van Horn spoke, to the startled soldier, before turning back to the natives. "Kar'r vikunig tula chalardano. Ragatu cha harraki." He said, speaking back to Mikula in his own language.

The trooper turned back to van Horn and gave him a look. "What the Hell did _you_ say?"

"I said that we're leaving his world, so stay calm and hang on." Van Horn replied. "Shouldn't you be holding her down?" He asked the trooper, indicating Alexis with an arm.

"Oh, right. Shit." The trooper had been so distracted that he had forgotten about securing the patient. _Gotta keep your head clear Danny, even if these are aliens._ He quickly grabbed some straps from a storage locker buried in the floor and used them to secure the strange being at his feet, laying the straps over her neck, midsection, and legs, buckling them into rings in the floor. He finished just in time, as the craft pitched back and accelerated forward as the pilot transitioned from vertical to horizontal flight.

Mikula felt sick to his stomach. The reasons were numerous, from the mental drain from a fading adrenalin high to the physical discomfort of being moved around inside a box that he couldn't see out of.

But by far, the worst nausea was from the emotional stress of seeing Alexis gravely wounded. I _wasn't even hit so badly when they found me, after the Wobbies attacked_. He thought, remembering the terrible night that now seemed to pale in comparison to the idea that Alexis might die. _I... I don't know what to do... I don't know _what_ I'd do if she..._ Mikula felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, and he closed them. _No, not now! I must be strong, for Pavlo, and for Alexis. I can't indulge in my emotional whims until I know we're all safe._

He opened his eyes, and realized that some of the physical discomfort, at least, had abated when he had his eyes closed. Some of that returned now, but not nearly in the amount it had been at before. He briefly wondered why, until the craft jolted a bit. He grabbed the edge of the bench seat he was strapped too, and then turned to van Horn. "What was that?"

Van Horn shifted his gaze from where Alexis lay to Mikula. "That was something called 'turbulence.' It sometimes happens when you fly through the air."

Beside Mikula, his brother's jaw dropped open. "You mean we're _flying_?" He asked, which prompted a look from Mikula. "Yes, Pavlo. Didn't you notice that this thing flew through the air?"

Pavlo turned to his brother and gave him a nasty look. "If you hadn't noticed, I haven't exactly had anything to think about." He said, holding up his bandaged arm. He instantly regretted it, however, and he lowered it back, a look of pain across his face.

Mikula, however, glared back at Pavlo. "How _dare_ you!" He snarled. "Alexis lies there, dying, and you hold up your arm like it's a badge to act like an idiot?!"

Pavlo blinked hard at his brother's temper. "Mikula... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." His ears laid back against his skull out of embarrassment and not a little fear at Mikula's sudden outburst.

Mikula, for his credit, realized just what he did, and he sat back into the bench seat and closed his eyes. "No, I'm sorry Pavlo. I'm just... Worried." He sighed, and was surprised when a hand landed itself on his shoulder. Mikula then opened his eyes again, and he saw Pavlo looking back at him with a sad look on his face. "I know, brother, I know."

"What the fuck was that?" The medic asked van Horn in alarm at Mikula's outburst. The latter frowned a bit before replying. "A brother's tiff." He said quietly, hoping that the trooper would follow suit. "Don't worry, it's over now." He continued as Pavlo put his hand on Mikula's shoulder.

The medic shook his head and went back to monitoring Alexis' life signs. "They really shouldn't be doing that, especially with the way they look. Somebody might think them some sort of mad dog."

Van Horn shook his head back at the trooper. "It's their nature to display emotions like that. And besides," he lowered his voice a bit more to where it was just above the noise of the main thrusters. "He's... Attracted to the one lying at your feet."

"Ohhhh..." The trooper said aloud. _Figures, what with hormones and all_. "Well, if you want to calm him, you can tell him that she's stabilized a bit, so her chances of living are going up." He frowned. "At least, I think those readings are stable for her species."

"What do you got?" Van Horn asked, and the medic reeled off a short list of blood pressure and heartbeat counts, amongst other things. Van Horn nodded once he was done. "Well, it's not healthy, but it's not too far from their norm, anyway."

"Good," the trooper replied with a sigh of relief and turned towards the lupar sitting to his left. "Can't say I've known them, but if he cares about her enough to yell at his brother, then I guess they can't be all bad."

"Heh. Well, they're good-" His words were cut off by another jolt. This time, however, it was a large one that pushed from the craft's aft. "What the fuck?" He asked automatically.

"Oh shit!" The trooper exclaimed. "That's weapon fire!"

"This is Gunboat Alpha-2, we are under attack by Blakest aerospace fighters! Need assistance now!" The urgent, excited call came in over the radio frequency. "Anyone here me?"

Commander Rick Parker triggered the transmit key on his radio by using the simple eye command software and hardware that was built into every Republic neurohelmet. "This is Hammer One, Alpha Two. I hear ya and I'm moving inbound." Even as he spoke, he triggered the thrust controls on the _Jagatai Prime_ omnifighter that he flew, accelerating along his orbit. Alongside him the other three fighters from his flight boosted to match their leader.

"Hammer One, I read three bandits. Two _Thrush_es and a _Stingray_. Warbook says the lights are standard, but the _Stingray_ is an F-92 version." The transmission broke for a second. "Damn fuckers have a good bead on us, and I can't maneuver too well 'cuz I'm full up and got wounded."

"Copy that, Alpha Two. Hammer flight's inbound, so hold on." He switched frequencies to his squadron's own. "Everyone copy that?" A chorus of affirmatives was his reply. "Alrighty then people, time to kill us some Wobbies." With that, he hit the overthrusters, and settled into his seat as four-and-a-half gees pressed him back.

Parker's HUD then lit up with four new icons as his unit closed with the source of the transmission; one friendly, and four enemy. Angling down a bit, he began to skirt the planet's atmosphere even as the enemy and their target left it. _Just a little closer... A little closer... THERE!_ Having waited for the opportune moment, he yanked back on his stick and throttle, cutting thrust and bringing his weapons into line with the enemy.

"I'm on the _Stingray_." Parker called to his squad mates, clearly intending on taking the hardest target for himself. _Let's see how you like being fucked in the ass, Wobbie_. With that vulgar thought, he triggered his active radar and got a hard lock on the enemy's tail in mere seconds. Before the Blakest pilot could maneuver from his own chasing position on the M.I. Transport, Parker fired his Extended-Range Particle Projection Cannons and his LRM-20 rack.

The effects of his volley were astounding, as all three weapons hit. _Fortune favors the bold_, Parker thought as he saw both particle beams impact the enemy's rear fuselage, shearing off nearly three tons of armor and stripping all but the last amount of protection from the enemy's internal structure. Then the LRMs flew in, though only about ten of them hit, their damage spreading to both wings, but missing the severely weakened area.

"Damnit!" Parker yelled to himself, though without the radio keyed, his voice was lost in the padding of his neurohelmet. He didn't bother to think much of this, however, as the enemy ship broke off and arced up and left, trying to complete an Immalman loop. Parker responded by cutting his thrust entirely, slewing his fighter on a tangent to his previous course before slamming at maximum thrust again.

_Where are you bastard?_ Parker mentally cursed his enemy as he swung the 70-ton craft onto a heading that he thought would intersect with the enemy craft. _There!_ He sighted the _Stingray_ making a run for the planet below. "Not so fast asshole." He said and triggered his Large Pulse Lasers, trading off the power of the PPCs for the lasers' accuracy.

It proved decisive, as the twinned stuttering beams of coherent light stitched holes into the left wing armor of the enemy fighter. Parker again cursed aloud as the beams did little more than slag pristine armor, and he prepared to follow the enemy's next moves.

He needn't have bothered, however, as his wingman in another _Jagatai_ fired his own pulse lasers and LRMs, having gotten a good position. One laser missed, as did the LRMs, but the other laser bored into the weakened rear armor and tore into the fighter's internal structure. A flash brighter than that of the laser's erupted from the stricken ship, and Parker's Battle Computer signified that it was due to the _Stingray_ loss of engine shielding.

Parker grinned savagely in his helmet. _Got you now, cocksucker_, he thought as he twisted his craft around as the Blakest struggled to get out of the sights of the other _Jagatai_. In his haste, however, he had forgotten about Parker, who was now bringing his ship into line with the enemy. Almost as soon as his HUD screamed a target lock, he triggered his ER PPC and LRMs again.

This time, his aim wasn't as good, as the LRM-20 missed, sending a score of missiles into deep space. His PPCs, however, scored a direct hit against the enemy's left-rear flank. One tore into the already weakened armor of the left wing, slagging more armor off, while the other did far worse as it blasted the internal structure and equipment of the 60-ton Blakest fighter. Bereft of its internal support, the fighter collapsed under the weight of its own thrust, and soon the fighter imploded upon itself.

Parker winced at the brilliance of the fusion reactor rupturing, despite the fact that his helmet's visor protected his eyes from permanent damage. "Thanks for the assist, Drunkard." He called to his wing mate.

"No problem, skipper." 'Drunkard' replied. "Go Too and Peggy got the _Thrush_es already, so I just waited until the guy had you outmaneuvered."

Parker snorted over the open frequency. "Ahh, what do you know, you drunk?" He replied jovially, referring to the incident that gained 'Drunkard' his callsign. "Anyway, hold on." He said and switched channels. "Romeo Base, this is Hammer One, I read the immediate area as clear and Alpha Two is moving on." Parker called to the mothership after scanning the sensor data displayed on his holographic HUD. "Do you want us to clean up any more garbage?"

Static filled the line for a brief second before the Air Boss responded. "Negative, Hammer One. The board reads clear; I guess we caught the Wobbies napping." The male voice on the radio responded. "Return to Romeo Base ASAP. We're getting out of here."

"Roger that, Romeo Base. Hammer One out."

Van Horn felt the usual queasiness that accompanied the return to microgravity. Although for a former M.I. like him, the feeling passed quickly, he worried about the two natives who were now the first of their kind to leave their world.

As he looked over the two, however, van Horn felt somewhat contented that they seemed to not suffering too badly. _At least they haven't vomited yet_. "Mikula, Pavlo, are you two okay? This is not the most pleasant of experiences for everyone."

Pavlo nodded, and then brought his hand to his mouth and strained to clamp it shut. "Don't move your heads so fast! It will make it worse." Van Horn said before Mikula could follow his brother. He then reached underneath the bench seat and grabbed the barf kit that he knew was always carried there for just such a circumstance. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he flung the kit over to Mikula, sending it flying slowly over where the medic trooper monitored Alexis.

Mikula, for his part, was amazed, even despite the nauseating experience that was his life for the moment. He quickly got his wits about him, though, and grabbed the package that van Horn had sent over to him. "What do I do with this?" He asked the human, moving his head slowly as van Horn had told him.

"You open up the flap on the end towards your left, and take out two of the paper sacks." Van Horn replied. "Give one to Pavlo, and keep one for yourself. If you feel like something wants to come back up, and you can't stop it, do it in those bags." van Horn struggled to speak both politely and concisely. "Trust me when I say, that seeing vomit float around is even less enjoyable than vomiting yourself."

Mikula gulped, partially to keep his own nausea under control, partially in automatic response to van Horn's warning. He did as he was instructed, and took out the two paper bags from the larger, plastic one that they sat in. _Imagine, bags out of something as valuable as_ paper. Mikula continued to be amazed as he slowly moved his arms in the strange environment, not trusting himself to move any part of his body too fast. He carefully handed one to Pavlo, whose face bespoke the degree of discomfort he was in. Pavlo just grinned slightly, and held the bag flatly over the end of his muzzle.

"Uhm, Pavlo, you have to fold it out if you need to use it." Van Horn said, trying not to smile. "Like this." He reached underneath for another barf kit, and pulled out a bag and showed the young lupar how to properly open the bag. Pavlo watched and mimicked van Horn, and held the opening of the bag over the end of his muzzle.

_He must be really not feeling well if he's not talking_, Mikula thought, worried for his brother. He then turned to face van Horn. "Earl, how much longer will we be like this?"

Van Horn's frown gave the lupar little comfort. "I can't say. Probably for a while, if we're going to be in orbit. But I'll see about getting you two onto the grav deck." Then he tilted his head as if a new thought came into it. "Hang on." Van Horn then turned to face the medic trooper and switched to English. "Corporal, do those new corvette transports have grav decks?"

"They do," the trooper replied, though he watched a biomonitor he had on Alexis instead of turning to face van Horn. "But you don't have to worry about that. The Lieutenant said we'd be boosting out right after we picked you up."

"What?!" Van Horn exclaimed. "What the Hell? We're just going to leave that planet in the hands of the Wobbies?"

The trooper winced a bit, but he continued his watch. "I don't know, since the brass didn't ask me." He replied gruffly. "But I'd say that one corvette and a platoon of Mobile Infantry isn't enough to take out an entire invasion force."

Van Horn just stared. "They sent, one, single, ship?"

"I certainly didn't see any more out the portholes on the way here." The medic replied, still keeping an eagle eye on the biomonitor's readout. "If you got a problem, take it up with the cap'n."

"I certainly will."

The remainder of the ride was thankfully uneventful, despite van Horn's fuming and the two lupars' adjustment to microgravity. Mikula, especially, hadn't felt much like talking, as the novelty of the trip wore off, he found his thoughts drifting more and more to Alexis. Her prone, unconscious form looked nearly dead, all strapped down and unmoving as she was. Only the telltale rise and fall of her chest and the constant, worried attention from the man in the armor let Mikula know that she was still alive.

His thoughts were interrupted by speech that came from a grilled speaker that was mounted on the ceiling of the compartment he was in. Mikula didn't understand the words, being in the humans' language, but van Horn quickly translated. "That was the pilot," he used the English word, not knowing any Lupari that would do it justice, "she says to hang on, because we're about to dock."

"Docking? With what?" Although confused, Mikula managed to grab onto the bench seat's edge as he asked his questions.

"With a ship. One of the ones I told you about, that travel between the stars." Van Horn replied, and his voice took on a quality that was unreadable to the lupar. Any human, however, could tell that van Horn was pissed off, but controlling his rage through sheer force of will.

Mikula seldom had time to think about van Horn's more pensive speech before he felt the craft jerk forward. The feeling of nausea returned full force, and Mikula briefly wondered if he was going to vomit after all. Fortunately, however, the deceleration stopped, and soon the shuttle reverberated with the distinctive ringing thud of metal contacting metal.

Everyone in the transport waited quietly; the humans because they knew what was coming next, and the lupar because they didn't. Soon enough, however, the rushing of air was heard through the armored walls of the shuttle, and the troopers standing up front began to shuffle their feet in anticipation of leaving the cramped confines.

Mikula, however, was terribly unsure of everything, but like his brother, he kept his muzzle shut and waited to see what came next. When the side and front doors opened with a hiss, the troopers filed out slowly, using their suits' arms and claws to casually fling themselves out into the shuttlebay. It was a dance of huge, massive bodies that Mikula couldn't help but find fascinating, even with all that had happened.

Speech from the man kneeling by Alexis brought Mikula's attention back to the tableau, and he waited until van Horn had finished conversing with the other human before speaking up. "Earl, what did he say? Is Alexis all right?" The worry in the lupar's voice was almost tangible.

Van Horn looked began to unbuckle his restraining belts as he replied. "He said that he's going to take her to sickbay so that the ship's doctor can look at her."

Mikula frowned in puzzlement, his ears matching his face. "I don't understand. Why does he want to take her to a bay of disease?"

Van Horn blinked, and tried not to smile. "No, Mikula. A 'sickbay' is what we call a doctor's... Place of business on a ship." As he spoke, van Horn released the last straps and floated out of his seat, pushing himself to slowly move to where the medical trooper was unstrapping Alexis from the floor. "Don't ask why, because it's a long story and we don't have time for it now." Then the medic picked Alexis up slowly, grabbing her by the shoulders and deftly pulling her along as he pushed himself off the floor, angling towards one of the open doors.

Mikula finally realized that he should be getting out of his restraints, and he began to unbuckle them. However, the microgravity made things unfamiliar all over again, and he fumbled with the buckles.

Van Horn sighed and pushed off the floor lightly to come to a rest 'above' Mikula and Pavlo's seats, so that he could face the lupar. "Here, let me help." Of course, the fact that he was upside down caused the two natives to stare in amazement. "How are you doing that?" Pavlo asked.

Van Horn worked on Mikula's buckles before responding. "It's complicated. Let's just say, that there's nothing pulling me down at the moment." _Which is a lie_, the human thought to himself. _But I don't think they can really absorb the concept of microgravity yet_. "In any case, you're free now Mikula," he said as the last buckle flew free. Van Horn then turned to Pavlo. "Now, let's work on yours."

Even as van Horn worked with Pavlo, Mikula felt the need to test this new environment. He pushed himself off from the bench as if to get up... And he found himself tumbling end over end until he hit the opposite wall. "Yipe!"

Van Horn saw Mikula fly off, and he tried not to laugh. "You used too much strength when you pushed off." He finished unlatching Pavlo's belts as he talked, and then he pushed himself off and grabbed Mikula by the ankle, eventually bringing both to rest on the wall. "There. Are you all right?"

Mikula blinked a few times, still unsure of his orientation. "I'm... I'm fine." He replied.

"Good. Now," van Horn turned to the other lupar. "Pavlo, you try now, and remember, use only just enough to get yourself moving."

"Okay." Pavlo said unsurely. He nevertheless did as he was asked and, having seen his brother fly about, used only a tiny amount of force. With a small push from his hands, he floated from his seat. Although he moved at a more controlled pace than Mikula, he nevertheless had the same spin. "How do I stop?" He asked.

Van Horn sighed. "You know what? Both of you just hang on." He grabbed Mikula by his shirt collar, and he pushed off, towing the lupar as they headed for Pavlo. Another grab and some twisting of bodies, and van Horn had propelled them forward through the compartment and out the bow door of the shuttle.

Outside, the room they were in was brightly lit, and it was filled with sights and sounds and smells that startled the two natives. Van Horn realized long ago, however, that they'd be scared, and so he did his best to explain calmly as he pulled them along in his trajectory. "This is a recovery deck, where small craft like the one we rode in on can land and hitch a ride." He spoke to the stunned natives, bouncing off the shuttlebay wall as he did so.

Mikula was barely listening. The room was so full of wonders that he was trying to absorb them all. In one corner, a human wore some large, massive suit that resembled the strange armor that their rescuers had worn. As Mikula watched, this man slowly walked on the floor, pulling behind him a large box with multiple dart-like shapes in a rack. Then his view changed as van Horn pushed off the wall and dragged his two friends along, and Mikula now saw a pair of people attaching something that looked to him like a large, snake-like rope to the side of the craft that dominated the space. Then the lupar blinked and he realized that there were _two_ such craft in the massive room, the other sitting further away.

Before Mikula could see any more, however, the view shrunk as van Horn dragged him into a hallway. "Better turn around, Mikula, so that you can avoid hitting your head." Van Horn's words prompted Mikula to do just that, and he spun around. _Well, at least that's not too hard_, he thought.

He then looked ahead, and down the wide corridor, every few meters there was a slight constricting. As he watched, the trio came to one, and van Horn twisted his body to come to a rest on the lip of such a protrusion. "There, we're in a smaller place now, so you two might be able to move yourselves along." The human said.

Then they felt a muted thump come through the doorframe, which caused both lupar to try and crouch instinctively. However, microgravity conspired against them and instead of crouching, they just pulled their legs up and sent themselves into a slow spin... Again.

"This... isn't very nice." Pavlo muttered, some of his space sickness coming back.

Van Horn sighed. "Well, first, reach out with an arm and try to grab the door frame." He waved his own hand towards the protrusion he stood on.

Mikula frowned, but said nothing as he concentrated. _Wait for it, and then reach._ He thought. Waiting a second, he reached out and managed to grab the frame and held on. His grip was strained a bit as he fought his own inertia, but soon he stopped spinning. _It's like everything I do is magnified_.

Even as Mikula turned to see that Pavlo, too, had managed to grab on - despite his wounded arm - two tones played over the ship's intercom, and a voice rang out. "Earl? What was that?" Mikula asked skittishly.

"That means hold on, and put your feet on the floor." Van Horn said, and he aligned himself so that his feet were facing the brown-painted floor. Mikula and Pavlo saw him do this, and they too, used their arms to twist themselves in the right direction. _I think I'm getting used to this_.

Then, all of a sudden, a rumbling sound started deep below their feet, and they drifted to the floor. In seconds, the sensation of gravity returned, and the three of them stood together in the corridor. "What the Hell?" Mikula asked aloud.

"The ship is moving, which gives us back a kind of gravity." Van Horn explained. "In any case, you two shouldn't have any problems moving around for a while, so we should get Pavlo to sickbay so that the doc can look at his arm after he's done with Alexis." With that, he turned and walked in the direction they had been moving prior to their stop.

Mikula and Pavlo shared a look at each other, and then followed. _What a strange place, where you feel like you're falling, and then you're not._ Mikula thought to himself. _And what is wrong with Earl? He seems so... Distant_. But soon, these thoughts faded as his primary worry came back.

_Please Gods, let Alexis be all right_.

The trip to sickbay was uneventful, although as soon as they got there, van Horn had been called in to consult with the ship's doctor about native physiology. Afterwards, the doctor took a look at Pavlo's arm and van Horn's ankle briefly, and pronounced that they could wait until he was done with Alexis. With that, he shooed them out of the cramped bay, and told them to wait at the nearby observation blister.

_And so, we sit and wait_. Van Horn thought bitterly to himself. _No explanations, no reason why we're not clearing the planet, nor even a fuckin' meal_. Van Horn had insisted that their group eat a small breakfast that morning, and now they had gone hours without food. _Though, with Alexis hurt that bad, I'll admit that I have little appetite_.

The room they waited in was a special observation room that was built with the idea of allowing the ship's crew a chance to see that their world wasn't just a metal box. _An important psychological facet of space operations_, van Horn remembered from his university days. The room itself was little more than a blister on the surface of the ship, just on the other side of the armor belts. When in combat, the room would be vacated and locked away from the rest of the ship so that if its delicate, thin skin of metal and ferroglass was hit, the main integrity of the ship wouldn't be harmed a whit. _The fact that we're here and not in a recreation room, or even in the galley speaks well of how we're running away_. Van Horn was understandably upset, having promised help to the natives, only to have his government seemingly abandon the planet and its inhabitants to the predations of the zealous Wobbies.

Van Horn sighed, and stared out the window that faced aft, which was 'down' as the quarter-million ton vessel accelerated at one gravity. Below, van Horn could make out the glowing orb of white, blue and green that was Bowman's Planet. _Every planet, no matter how vibrant in life, or how harsh it's environment, they all look like fragile glass orbs from this distance_.

He felt movement at his side, and he turned to see Pavlo walk trepidly up to where van Horn stood. "I hope you would not mind some company?" The lupar asked.

Van Horn gave him a small smile. "No, that would be fine. Besides," he spared a look to where Mikula sat on the floor, staring at the same. "Your brother doesn't seem to be too talkative lately."

Pavlo nodded. "He is worried about Alexis." He said with a sigh. "As am I, but..." He trailed off.

"I know," van Horn replied with a nod. "It's harder on him."

They stood there a moment, and then van Horn turned to look back out the window at the planet they were leaving, prompting Pavlo to follow suit. "You said that we were leaving our world. Is that it?" He asked the human.

Van Horn nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, it is."

A thousand questions and statements ran through Pavlo's mind, but he could only settle on one. "It's beautiful."

Van Horn grinned a bit. "Every world is beautiful at this distance. But, there _is_ something inherently special about the world one was born on." He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, remembering. "I know the scientific reason is that it's the first world we see from such a distance, and so it makes a first impression that no other world can compete with." He paused and took a breath. "But my gut tells me that there's just something special about a man's homeworld. We can _feel_ it just by looking at it, that it's home."

Pavlo stood quietly, thinking about what had been said. Then he looked up at van Horn, despite the fact that the latter still had his eyes closed. "I think you might be right." He said quietly. "Although I can't say much about whole worlds, I felt the same way leaving Tanzano." He sighed. "Despite all the problems we had, despite the fighting... It was still home."

Van Horn opened his eyes and tuned his head to Pavlo, giving him a smile. "That's exactly right, Pavlo." The smile then died and he turned back to face the planet again. "So what do you feel, looking at your home now?"

Pavlo turned and faced the world again and thought a bit before speaking. "Well... It's still beautiful. But also... I feel sad that I'm leaving..." He then shook his head. "And now that I think about it, I realize that we're leaving everyone behind." He then turned to van Horn. "I guess we won't be helping anyone back there, will we?" He asked, mostly sad, but with a hint of anger buried in his tone.

Van Horn winced visibly, and then closed his eyes and tilted his head to rest it on his chest. "Pavlo... I really didn't want it this way." He then opened his eyes and looked the lupar in the eyes. "But I gave my word that I'd help, and I intend to follow up on it. We may be leaving now, but that doesn't mean we won't come back and finish this."

Pavlo nodded his head, his anger gone. _He was genuinely pained that we weren't going back._ The lupar thought. He then turned his head to look at the world that was all he had knew until a few weeks ago. _It looks so small, so fragile. It's as if I could reach out and squish it with my fingers_.

The silence stretched, and van Horn turned to look with Pavlo at the planet, the image of which had shrunk even as they had been speaking. _We must be moving at some fantastic speed, if a whole world grows that distant that fast!_ Pavlo's thoughts again turned to amazement as he realized the strangeness of his situation. _In fact, it's only been a few hours, and yet we can see the whole world... Or, just this one_. The idea of worlds other than his own still was something that was hard for the young lupar to grasp. This in turn sparked a question. "Earl?"

"Mmm?" Van Horn replied nonverbally.

"If we're leaving my world, then where are we going?" Pavlo asked, his ears pitched down in confusion.

Van Horn blinked in confusion himself. "I... I honestly don't know." He said. "I was so angry when I was told that we're not staying to fight the Wobbies, that I forgot to ask."

Pavlo's ears twitched. "I am not sure I like the idea of not knowing where we are going."

Van Horn shook his head in reply. "Neither do I." He stood there thinking for a minute. "Well, if I had to venture a guess, we'll probably be heading to the outpost on Hetverreland. Or _maybe_ the new colony on Idaho." He frowned. _Unfortunately, neither have very good medical facilities._ Van Horn thought to himself._ Hetverreland is a supply depot and staging base for anti-pirate sweeps, and Idaho is too new to have anything but basic support facilities._

While he was pondering these equally unsavory alternatives, another person walked into the room. Van Horn looked up and recognized the red-haired trooper that had attended Alexis on the trip up from the planet. "Oh, hi."

The soldier smiled politely back. "Hi. The Cap'n wants to see you, so Lieutenant Vickers sent me to escort you to the bridge."

Van Horn blinked in surprise. "The captain himself wants to speak to me?"

The trooper's smile broadened a bit. "Actually, our captain is a she. Captain Mary Ladavic to be exact." His smile then disappeared. "And She doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Most captains don't." Van Horn admitted with a sigh. "All right, but these two have to come with me." He indicated the two lupar with a wave of his hand.

The trooper blinked. "Uhm... The lieutenant didn't say anything about them."

Van Horn grinned. "Of course your lieutenant didn't."

"What do you mean, sir?" The soldier asked. Van Horn shrugged before replying. "Well, I'm sure everyone on the transport knew that there were natives with me. I don't think the lieutenant wouldn't forget so easily. Since your orders were undoubtedly to extract my ass out from the fire, they probably didn't say anything about natives." He turned to take in Pavlo and Mikula, the latter finally raising his head in curiosity. "So you lieutenant didn't say anything because, officially, he has no orders about them. Which means we have some leeway in how they can move about, since their official status isn't defined." He turned back to the soldier. "So therefore, they can come with me."

The trooper just stood there and thought it over for a minute. Then he looked at van Horn and smiled. "I didn't think that they sent lawyers to study other cultures."

Van Horn chuckled. "No, I'm no lawyer, thank God. I just was in the service for a couple of years, so I know how M.I. troopers squeeze the rules so they can piss off the squids."

Now the guard grinned broadly. "Damn straight, sir. Well, I guess they can come along then." He turned and started for the door. "If you'll follow me."

Mikula wasn't feeling up to going anywhere, but he also wasn't up to being alone on some strange craft that was alternately loud and smelly, or quiet as a tomb... And still smelled strange. So when van Horn and Pavlo went to follow the other human, he had tiredly stood and followed.

Soon enough, however, his natural curiosity started to override some of his gloomy thoughts. _Where are we going?_ He asked himself as the group walked down another corridor, occasionally passing other people from van Horn's race. Although they tended to stare at the two brothers, Mikula didn't care because he was staring right back. _All this time with Earl, and still I haven't had any idea on just how different his people are_. He was amazed at the differing skin and hair colors, some of which seemed unnatural. _Purple hair? I must ask Earl if that's normal._ He mused as a woman with such hair walked by.

Before long, they stopped before a closed door. With a quick press of some buttons by the human leading them and the door split down the middle to open, both halves sliding to the sides. Mikula looked on with wide eyes, but he couldn't stop to ask as van Horn and the other human got inside the small room on the other side of the strange door. Mikula and Pavlo followed after van Horn beckoned them, and they stood facing the two humans as the door closed behind them.

_What's going on?!_ Mikula had a brief moment of claustrophobia, which was made only worse when he started to feel like he was moving up. "Earl, what's happening?" Pavlo asked before his brother could.

"We're in a device called an 'elevator." Van Horn replied, using the English word again. "It moves us up or down, so that we don't have to climb a lot of stairs or ladders."

"So we're moving up?" Mikula asked, even as he started to understand. _Ah, so that's why I feel like we're moving. It's because we _are.

Van Horn's nod confirmed it. "Yes. We're heading towards the... The Bridge." He used the Lupari word for the same structures that crossed rivers. _After all, it's the same word in English_. He rationalized. "I know what you're going to ask, and o, it's not a real bridge. We just call it a Bridge out of tradition."

"What are you telling them?" The trooper asked out of curiosity.

Van horn turned to face him. "I'm just explaining where we're going, and why they feel like we're moving, even though they don't see it."

Then Mikula spoke. "Tull herro klaa stulu farrangas."

Van Horn laughed aloud, which startled the other human. "Sorry. I told him about how we call the command center of as hip our 'bridge' and he said that we have some strange traditions."

The Trooper smiled. "Well, it is _naval_ tradition after all." This prompted a chuckle from van Horn, which the soldier joined in on. "Too true, too true Mr.-" Van Horn blinked. "You know, I don't believe that we've been introduced properly."

"Ah. Well, I'm Dan." The trooper said and held out his hand. "Dan Castellano."

Van Horn reached out and shook his hand. "Earl van Horn, though you probably already knew that."

The elevator then stopped, and the doors opened. Van Horn pushed lightly on the two lupars' backs, and they walked out ahead of the humans. Castellano followed. "Yeah, I knew that. Have to know who you're saving, yanno." He replied with a casual smile as he retook the lead.

"Indeed. Anyway, if you don't mind my saying so, you don't look like a Castellano." Van Horn observed, pointing to the soldier's red hair and fair skin.

The trooper chuckled. "My paternal grandfather was Hispanic, but the rest of my family is mainly Irish. So I get the easily-sunburned skin, and the lady magnet of a Latino name."

Van Horn laughed as they came up to a door that had a keypad and a hand scanner. "Spoken like a true M.I." He said as Castellano went up and punched a code into the pad. Before either could speak again, the door opened to the side, revealing the command bridge.

Castellano walked in as the door opened, and van Horn and the lupar followed. On the other side, however, even van Horn had to pause to gain a sense of direction in the large room. _Not to mention admire the place_. Few people got to see - in person, anyway - the command center of a WarShip, and van Horn realized that of the two such ships he had served on, neither of which had he gotten a chance to visit their respective control rooms.

Before him was a display of modern wonder. The front of the room held two rows of consoles, the one next to the bulkhead a solid bank, while the next row out was split to allow access to the first row. Various operators either stood or sat at these stations, and a large display panel that Van Horn realized was an expensive dual-use screen that could display two- or three-dimensional images, depending on the sensor video feed and the necessity, dominated their part of the room.

Behind that area was a large, circular construct, and van Horn realized that it must be the ship's command holotank. _From there, any commander can have any kind of view he or she could want, from single fighters to the entire battlespace._ On the walls to either side of the holotank were various control stations, at one of which a crewmen sat, taking in data and keeping the tank primed for use.

Between the holotank area and its controls and the main ship controls at the front of the room was a figure sitting in a chair that sat on a portion of the deck that was slightly raised above the rest of the room's. The person in the chair turned around, and van Horn realized that it could only be the captain.

"It's about time. What you'd take the-" She halted her words when she saw the two natives standing next to van Horn, their attention grabbed to her by the sound of her voice. The captain's eyes widened, and then narrowed to a look that made van Horn want to be wearing his old battle armor. _This is where we see just how good an officer she is_, he thought to himself.

He needn't have waited long. "Van Horn, my ready room, now." She said and pointed to a door that was embedded in one of the walls next to the holotank consoles. Although her pitch was normal, her tone left little leeway in interpreting her emotions. _She's a wee bit ticked._ He thought._ But she at least has the discretion to not blow up in front of her command crew_. Externally, he just nodded, and gathered up Mikula and Pavlo by eye and then walked to the door, his friends in tow.

Reaching the door, it opened easily, and the trio went inside as the captain spoke behind them. "You are dismissed, Corporal. Mr. Mannerheim, you have the conn." In the few seconds before she arrived, van Horn looked over the small room that was typically the captain's prerogative on larger ships. _A couple of decorations... Isn't that the Blood Star?_ He asked himself in amazement._ There've only been twelve of them awarded in the last two centuries!_

Then the captain walked in and closed the door behind her, making sure that it was locked. Then she walked to a chair that was behind the desk that dominated the room and sat down. "Now, Mr. van Horn, perhaps you could explain to me why I have three aliens in my ship, and how you got into a firefight with a Blakest patrol when you were explicitly told to avoid engagement? And, pray tell, why are those two here, now?"

Her frosty tone chilled van Horn as he unconsciously stood at a relaxed state of attention. "Captain Ladavic, I'd say the more important question is 'why is there no counter invasion to kill the Wobbies off once and for all?'" He replied testily.

"Don't you get all prissy with me, boy." Ladavic retorted, her voice somehow becoming even frostier. "You may be some big shot in your professors' quilting bees, or whatever eggheads like you do, but here I ask the questions. Now, why the Hell were you engaged with the enemy?"

Van Horn felt his face flush with the captain's admonishment, but he decided that it was best to start from the beginning. "You have a recorder handy, captain?"

Ladavic simply reached out and pressed a button on the keyboard built into the desk. "It's recording now."

With that, van Horn took a breath and began.

Mikula was tired from standing, having been in the room with the angry lady for some time now. He knew that it was important, however, given how van Horn reacted around the other person, and from what little English he could understand. _This must be an example of the women that Earl said were fighters_, he thought in his boredom. _I know I sure don't want to make her mad_. The middle-aged captain of the ship was a stern woman, and the occasional looks she gave Mikula and Pavlo made the former want to shiver. _Those eyes, blue like Alexis,' but without the warmth_. That, again, brought his thoughts back to the wounded gatón. Mikula's emotions continued to run strong, but they were muddled. _I don't want her to die... Why wasn't it me? I don't know what I'd do if she died._

"Mikula." Van Horn's voice brought the lupar back to the situation around him, and he found Pavlo and the two humans looking at him. "Are you all right? You look like you're in pain."

Mikula shook his head a bit. _You have no idea_. "I'm fine. I am just... Thinking, about what has happened."

Van Horn nodded. _You are in pain, all right, my friend. But you still need some time to work through its meaning_. "Okay then. In any case, we're going to find a lace where we can get some rest and food, so I need you two to pay attention." He widened his view to include Pavlo at the last part.

The two lupar nodded at van Horn, and the latter turned to the captain and switched back to English. "We'll be going then, captain, if you don't mind."

"By all means, get some dinner." She said. Her voice, while not exactly friendly, was softer than before. _Takes guts to go and save some people that ain't even your own species_. "I'll have my first officer look into getting you three some place to sleep tonight."

"Thank you captain." Van Horn tuned a bit, intending to head for the door. Then he remembered a question he had. "Captain Ladavic, if I might ask a question?"

Ladavic, having turned her head down to look at some report on her noteputer, looked back up. "You may ask, but I can't promise an answer."

Van Horn nodded and then spoke. "Can't you tell me _why_ there are no ships here to kick the Wobbies' ass straight to Hell?"

Ladavic leaned back in her chair at that and thought for a second. "I guess nobody could have told you, but the Snow Ravens began moving their assets into the Outworlds Alliance two weeks ago."

Van Horn blinked. "Already? I thought that they only opened negotiations a few years ago?"

Ladavic nodded. "Yes, but apparently, the Alliance citizenry and leaders are impressed that the Ravens took care of Dante so efficiently."

"I thought _we_ were the ones who even gave the information to the Ravens to begin with?" Van Horn asked, frowning.

"We were," Ladavic responded with a sigh. "But the Ravens didn't mention that... And besides, at the time our forces were stretched too thin, and we made that deal in the wake of the star Adder Invasion to keep the bastards off of our backs." She stood before continuing. "So we're at this junction, where the entire fleet is aligned to watch for enemy incursions, and the army can't spare any of their transports, lest they need to redeploy to some godforsaken rock." Ladavic snorted as a new thought entered her head. "Hell, van Horn, you should consider yourself lucky that we were conducting our initial operational tour spinward, otherwise you'd be dead, or captured from that little stunt you pulled."

Van Horn nodded. "I suppose so. Thank you for your time, captain."

It was later that night that van Horn was again called to confer with the ship's doctor. Walking into the small but well-equipped sickbay, he wondered what Doctor Jennings needed to know now?

"Dr. van Horn, good for you to come down." Jennings said from the small desk that sat in the cubical just off the main bay that served as his office. The brown-haired, slightly rotund man stood for a second in greeting as he waved van Horn over. "I need to speak to you about your friend."

Van Horn took a seat that Jennings indicated with a hand as he spoke. "How is she doing?" He asked.

"She's doing as well as I can figure out. My exobiology classes never taught me how to deal with sentiments that weren't human." Jennings replied wit ha shrug. "Still, we have her stabilized, and she'll be fine until we can get her to a sufficient medical facility."

Van Horn frowned. "Sufficient for what?"

Jennings grunted and scratched the small beard he wore. "Well, I'm not going to lie to ya. She took some nasty hits. The Wobbies are using hollow-tipped fragmentary rounds in their guns, as near as I could tell from the shrapnel."

Van Horn's face changed to one of anger. "Those bastards! That's a violation of the Geneva and Ares Conventions!"

Jennings shrugged. "Since when have those godless freaks cared for the Conventions?" He then shook his head before continuing. "But I digress. The point is that she lost her left kidney and her liver, not to mention she has severe damage to her spleen and intestinal track." Jennings paused as van Horn's face sagged like a man being hit below the belt. "I'm afraid she'll need to have full replacements if she's to live outside of a hospital."

Van Horn blinked. "But, where? Surely you don't have that kind of equipment here on the ship?"

"No, we don't." Jennings replied with a sigh. "But I know for a fact that where we're going has some of the best hospitals in the Republic."

Van Horn frowned again. "Where are we going then? No one's told me yet."

Jennings blinked. "Kinda surprised no one's mentioned it, since half the crew is hyped up over it. Anyway, our next destination is New Honshu."

"New Honshu... A Fleet Base?" Van Horn asked incredulously.

Jennings nodded. "More than that, there's the Katsuhiro Otomo Memorial Hospital complex. I know people there, and they're all good." He then leaned forward. "Now, the rub is that this friend of yours isn't exactly human, so we're gonna need to send them a DNA sample, and as you know, the Right to Privacy Acts say that we can't take a sample without someone granting us the ability to do so."

Van Horn nodded. "I am aware of that. I am also aware that the acts have clauses in them that allow sampling if a patient's life is in danger and him or her is either too hurt to be conscious, or has no family available to grant release in such a circumstance."

Jennings nodded. "That's right, and normally, I would have started already, but I am unclear about the exact legal standing that these people have in our government."

Van Horn nodded. "And you asked me here because I'd know, being involved with the study program?" He paused got a nod from Jennings in reply. "Well, the idea is that they have full representation under our laws as 'legal immigrants.' Even though, of course, we extended our dominion over their world, rather than them traveling in."

Jennings nodded again, and he gave a small smile. "Gotta love legal crap for its ability to confuse the hell outta ya." He said, and then shared a short-lived chuckle with van Horn. "Well, that would explain why y'all have been there for years and still haven't gotten a DNA sample yet."

"Yeah," van Horn replied. "They get the same protection, 'cuz otherwise some asshole corporation would come in and start sampling their DNA for some weird ass reason." He shook his head. "Probably for gene-engineering some new species, or something."

Jennings grunted. "Yes. Well, now that I know where we stand, I can take a sample of her stem cell DNA and have the analyzers break it up and send it to the K.O.C. by HPG." He stood up, prompting van Horn to do likewise. "Thanks for your help, Doctor."

"No, thank you for your help." Van Horn replied and held out his arm. He continued as Jennings shook it. "You probably saved the life of someone who's a good friend to me."

Jennings waved him off. "It's all part of the job, and this medical equipment is just sitting here anyway."

"Thanks anyway."


	19. Chapter 19

The days went by, and the _Rodger Young_ continued on her ballistic path to the system's jump point. Van Horn spent the time telling Mikula and Pavlo about how things worked, and also began to teach them English, since they were heading to a place where no one would know their native tongue, save van Horn.

The two lupar had also gotten another taste of microgravity at turnaround, where the ship, having accelerated continuously for days, had cut thrust and began the deceleration that was necessary if they didn't want to fly into deep space. Predictably, they hadn't liked it much, but it was only a taste of the wait they would endure later.

_I am getting tired of this_. Mikula thought to himself as the _Young_ again stopped boosting and microgravity returned. Van Horn had warned them, of course, about their return to the strange state. _It still doesn't make it any less disorienting._

Mikula sat in another observation lounge, though this one had been built into the skin, rather than above it, so that people could have a safe place to be during jumps. Pavlo and van Horn were, of course, with him in the lounge, the trio having become practically inseparable as van Horn struggled to teach them the things they'd know if he couldn't there to help.

Now, the group sat in a group of chairs arranged so that they could be used while the ship was underway. But they had also been equipped with belts, which van Horn had insisted they fasten for the jump.

He had, of course, spent some time explaining to the idea of faster-than-light travel, but he couldn't tell them much, since they didn't know English well enough yet, and Lupari, of course, lacked even words for 'hyperspatial physics.'

Three tones sounded over the ship's intercom and a male voice rang out. "All hands, secure stations for jump. We jump in five minutes." Mikula had learned enough from van Horn to understand the message, for which he was grateful. _It's much nicer to be able to know things for myself, rather than have Earl repeat everything for Pavlo and me. Not that I didn't appreciate his efforts, but I don't like being helpless._

"I hope you both could understand that?" Van Horn asked the two lupar, who nodded in return. "Good. Now, I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again; what we're about to go through is very, very intense." He took a breath and closed his eyes as if to remember. "You will see things, and hear things, and know things that will boggle your mind and overwhelm your senses. However, don't' panic, because it will be over in seconds and everything will be fine."

Pavlo grunted. "But you said that we may feel queasy afterwards?" He asked, understandably worried since he seemed to have a weaker stomach than his brother.

Van Horn nodded in reply. "Yes. Everyone, and I mean everyone is always nauseated for a bit afterwards. This usually lasts about a minute or two." He then cleared his throat a bit before going on. "However, there are some cases where certain people can be sick for hours after a jump. It's not all that common, but it can happen. So if you're sick longer than me - since I've been through a jump and don't suffer that problem - then tell me, because then we can help you with some medicine that will make it less... Aggravating."

Mikula sighed. "You mean less painful."

Van Horn turned to him and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I just hope that you two don't suffer from TDS as some people do."

Pavlo frowned. "Tee dee ess? What is that?"

"Oh, that's the acronym for 'transit disorientation syndrome.' Which is the fancy way of saying 'chronic jumpsickness.'" Although they had been speaking Lupari - the more to comfort the two lupar as they ventured into an unfamiliar experience - van Horn had to constantly add English words and phrases. _It helps that I taught them what an acronym means_, he thought to himself. _Lord knows they need to know it, since the military has a fetish for them_.

Before anyone could say anything more, a series of five tones played. "Here we go." Van Horn said, beating the jump by a second.

Mikula wasn't sure of what to expect, but what happened was beyond anything he could have imagined. As he looked out at the stars, as van Horn had suggested, they seemed to expand from dots of light to a million shimmering globes of blindingly bright light that then morphed into vague shapes that were filled with colors without name. Their light and a sound not felt nor heard, but experienced nonetheless assailed his senses. For an instant, the assault cleared and Mikula felt as if he could see everything, know everything, as his consciousness seemed to expand painfully to accept all the knowledge of the universe. Then, just when it seemed that he would be driven mad form the lights, sounds and knowing, the hyperspace gate snapped closed, and the _Rodger Young_ materialized at the nadir jump point of her destination.

Mikula felt the sickness one usually associates with being thrown about in a paint shaker, and like all rational beings, he felt a strange sense of loss after having touched something far larger than himself.

But he didn't really care at that moment, as his stomach did flip-flops that made adjusting to microgravity seem tame in comparison. Like his brother, he panted to try and keep his breathing under control. "What... How... What...?" Was all he could say between breaths.

Van Horn gave a weak grin, though he himself didn't feel much better. "I told you." It was all he could say before he gulped to keep his lunch down. The three sat there for a couple of minutes, until the last effects wore off.

_It _is_ as Earl said it would be_, Mikula realized as the nausea drained away. "That was... I really don't have any words for it." He said aloud.

"No one really does." Van Horn agreed. "People have tried, many times, to describe the sensation of a jump. But no words, written or spoken, can truly convey the feeling."

"Do you ever get used to it?" Pavlo asked curiously. Van Horn shook his head. "No, you never do. No matter how many times you go through one, each jump is different." He shrugged. "No one knows why."

"Strange..."

Several decks above, the command crew was already moving.

"Navigator, confirm our location." Captain Ladavic demanded.

"Sir, star charts match up. We have arrived at the nadir jump point of the SLGC-349877 system." The male navigator responded, rattling off the old Star League Galactic Chart number.

"Good. Engineering, status of the jump drive?"

"Jump core reads green, sir. Initiator coil is operational, and our sensors show that the gate has closed completely."

Ladavic nodded, clearly pleased. "Very well. Sensors, read me your contacts."

"Sir, I show nothing in the immediate vicinity. I am, however, picking up transponder signals from in-system. It'll take time to confirm, but they appear to be from the zenith jump point and from the Idaho colony."

_Just as we expected_, Ladavic thought. "Excellent. Now," she turned her chair to face towards one of the rear consoles, where a young woman sat. "Mr. Havre," the naval tradition was to use the 'Mr.' title for either sex, "charge the HPG and send a message once you are ready."

"Aye aye, sir."

"So, Earl, how long are we to stay like this?" Mikula asked as they walked down a corridor. Although still in microgravity, they had been given magnetic 'slippers' that adhered to the decks of the ship, which allowed them some semblance of normality. Mikula was grateful, as it indeed helped him adjust, though it was disconcerting seeing the occasional passerby walking on what his eyes told him to be the ceiling.

Van Horn shrugged. "I don't know. The crew has to recharge the jump core, since they used the charge from the lithium-fusion battery to get us here." He said, referring to the system that allowed JumpShips and WarShips to store an additional jump charge.

"I... Think I see." Mikula responded as they approached the galley. Van Horn had insisted that they avoid eating before the jump, the better to get used to it without having a stomach full of food churning. After going through that experience, Mikula found it sage advice.

His attention was brought back to the present when van Horn grunted. "Yes, well, in any case, it will take at least four, five, maybe six days to charge the drive again. And that's if the captain doesn't feel like charging the battery, as well. If she does, we could be here for up to twelve days."

Pavlo groaned at that. "I'm not sure if I like the sound of that."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Well, in all fairness, you just need some time to get used to it. Soon enough, you'll be vaulting across empty spaces like I can."

Pavlo sighed. "I guess you're right..."

Just then, the group entered the mess hall and paused. Van Horn did mainly to look for a nice, vacant table, while Mikula and Pavlo did so because they never got tired of the smell. _Mmm, I smell chee-ken._ The former thought, having acquired a preference to the fried variety. _Though what they call 'beef' is pretty good as well._

A tug on his shirt brought Mikula back around, and Pavlo motioned to where van Horn had moved off, towards the chow line. "Come on, Mikula." He said and walked off himself.

Mikula grunted softly to himself as he followed his brother. _I think all that complaining about this 'my-crow-gravity' is just a front_, he thought as he approached the line that they got their food at, b_ecause his appetite hasn't diminished much_. Mikula's thoughts stopped, however, when he got another, stronger smell of chicken. _Mmm, not the 'fried' kind, but still smells good._ "So, Earl, what is being served today?"

Van Horn looked over the menu before responding. "We're having either 'roast' chicken with corn and green beans, or hot dogs served with flavored tortilla chips." This he spoke in English, to give the two brothers some practice understanding it, as well as to remind them of the courtesy of speaking the common language around others.

Mikula thought over what van Horn said, and then nodded. "'Hot dogs...' Those are the... The meat... Sticks on bread?" Van Horn smiled a bit at the description, but he nodded. "They are good, but I would try the 'rrroast' chee-ken."

"Don't tell me, tell the server." Van Horn said and indicated own the line, where a man in galley garb stood waiting behind the counter with a bored look on his face.

Mikula nodded, and then he grabbed a tray, as he had been shown before, and walked over to the server. The latter had the same shift, and so he was quite used to the aliens. "Hello, Mikula. What will it be today?"

"Hello, Tom." Mikula replied, remembering the server as well. "I would like the 'rrroast che-ken.'"

The server smiled a bit and grabbed the tray from Mikula. "Well, I don't think you've eaten in micro-G before, so you should be careful and listen to the good doctor, ya hear?"

Mikula nodded as the server moved strange bags to set them to the tray. Somehow, they stayed attached, though the lupar couldn't fathom how. _I haven't seen those before, or that trick they're using to hold on_. "What is those?"

The server smiled again. "They _are_ food in bags. Like I said, you'll have to learn how to eat in microgravity."

Mikula frowned, his expression traveling to his ears. "I do not like sound of that."

The server shrugged and handed the tray back to Mikula gently. "Maybe not, but it's that or starve, so I think you will get used to it."

Meanwhile, a few feet away, van Horn watched the scene with an interest born of his field of study. _It's amazing how the crew has started to grow fond of those two. Well, at least the crew we come in contact with regularly_. He added the mental caveat after taking a look over the room and noticing that several people still gave the two natives of Bowman's Planet strange looks. _Tom is always on duty when we come to eat, and Corporal Castellano's been our de facto guide aboard ship._ There were others, too, but not that many. Van Horn grunted to himself as he walked up to the server after Pavlo had gotten his food. _Well, I have been kinda protective of them, since I was the only one who could talk to them and I've had them spending lots of their time learning English_. He had deliberately set them a tough schedule, mainly to get them ready to face human society, but also because it would keep Mikula's mind off of Alexis.

"Hiya Doc. Tough day today?" Tom asked as he grabbed van Horn's tray out of his hands. Van Horn blinked and realized that he had stood there for a second without saying anything. "Oh. Uh, sorta." He reached up and scratched behind his neck. "I just was distracted there, sorry."

"It's all right, doc." Tom said as he slung some bags onto the tray, and van Horn realized that he hadn't even told the server what he had wanted. _Then again, what _did_ I want?_ His selection had escaped his mind while he was thinking. _Ah, well, either choice sounds good to me._

Tom apparently ignored the look of confusion on van Horn's face. "So, how'd they like the jump?" He asked, trying to make casual conversation.

Van Horn shrugged a bit. "Took it well enough as any human."

"Ah." Tom said and handed the tray back. "Well, at least they don't have TDS. It's bad enough for anyone to have that, let alone someone traveling away from home for the first time."

"Indeed." Van Horn replied. "Well, thanks for the help, Tom. All of it."

The server smiled. "Hell, what else have I got to do today?"

It had taken a while for van Horn to explain the reason for and the use of slurred food in microgravity, but Mikula and Pavlo had an inspiring aid; hunger. Thus, it had only taken a few minutes until all three of them were slurping down food that would normally be picked up with silverware.

They had been eating a few moments when a familiar face walked up. "Hiya doc. Mind if we join your table?"

"Dan," van Horn looked up to see the corporal and two other people with him. "Sure, I don't mind." He turned to the two lupar, who sat across from him. "Do either of you mind?"

"No. It is fine." Mikula said, and Pavlo nodded.

"Alright." Castellano moved to sit down near the two lupar, while the two people with him - a raven-haired women and a very large brown-haired man - sat down on van Horn's side. "Introductions: This is Jennifer Marks and Jonathan Osis." Castellano said, indicating the woman and the man, who nodded in turn.

Van Horn nodded to them. "Nice to meet you. I am Dr. Earl van Horn, and these are my friends, Mikula and Pavlo Farkas."

A small chorus of hellos passed between the members of the enlarged group. Then van Horn leaned a bit back - or as much as he could do in microgravity. "Osis, eh? Would I be mistaken that you're of Elemental descent?"

The big man nodded. "Yeah. Both my parents were washed out of their different sibkos and they met in the laborer caste." He paused to slurp some chicken form a bag. "They fell for each other, but didn't like the idea of staying laborers all their lives, so they got to the Underground and escaped."

"Well, there's a story you don't hear every day." Van Horn said politely.

Osis shrugged. "I make it sound more dramatic when I compress it like that. So anyway," he went on, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Me an' Jen here wanted to see the guy who decided to take on the Wobbies with stone knives and bearskins."

Van Horn blushed. "I wouldn't say we were that ill-equipped. I did have my laser rifle and some nice IEDs and Molotovs."

"A-School course 223: Improvised Munitions." Marks said with a smile that easily spread to her green eyes. "I guess it's true when they say that you can take the trooper out of the M.I., but you can't take the M.I. out of the trooper." The humans all shared a laugh at that, though the lupar just sat quietly and tried to keep up.

"Well, A-School helped, but so did these two." Van Horn said, waving to the two brothers. Mikula felt a bit uncomfortable, having four sets of eyes on him and Pavlo. _And one of them belongs to a man three times as large as I am!_ "They knew how to fight when the going got tough." Van Horn finished.

"Well, they certainly got the look." Osis said. "'Specially that one on the corner. What'd you say his name was?"

Van Horn frowned and his face reddened a bit. "They know English, so why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Oh, uh, sorry." Osis blinked a few times, then turned to face the lupar. "I am sorry. I didn't realize you know English."

"It is okay." Mikula said, since he was the one Osis had referred to. "We know not too good your speech, so we do not talk often."

"Oh, well. Anyway, I didn't catch your name. Who are you again?" Osis asked, clearly embarrassed over his gaffe.

Mikula frowned. "Catch? I threw nothing."

Van Horn cleared his throat at that, gaining Mikula's attention. "It's a phrase, Mikula. It means that Jonathan here doesn't remember your name because he was a bit distracted."

"Oh." Mikula said. "Well, I am Mikula Farkas. This is my brother Pavlo." He moved his hand to indicate whom else he spoke of. _Though I probably shouldn't have bothered. It's not like there's any other lupar on this ship._

Osis nodded. "Pleased to meet you... Again." He said, still uncomfortable with the situation, which only grew more uncomfortable for all when the silence stretched out.

Marks coughed to relieve the tension. "So, Mikula, how are you and your brother doing? I understand that your world doesn't have any advanced technology."

Mikula shrugged. "It is... Difficult, sometime. Many things to learn." He said, and then sighed. "So many things different."

"I'll bet." Marks said politely. "What is the biggest difference?"

Mikula reached up and scratched his head in a mannerism he was beginning to pick up from van Horn. "Truth is, women." He said, and he took on an embarrassed look. "You act so differently from home women. More... More...." His voice trailed off as he searched for a word. Then Mikula turned to van Horn and spoke in Lupari. "Grra ni kla korr err arrano?"

Van Horn blinked for a second to dredge up the word. "Assertive."

"Yes. Women more ah-sertive here." Mikula said, turning back to Marks, who raised an eyebrow. "Really? How interesting." She said, trying not to let any emotion into her voice.

"Yes... Interesting..." Mikula said, and his attention drifted off. Van Horn could tell where it was going, and so he decided to try and change the subject. "Well, one thing I know that is different would be a jump. These two just had their first."

"Ah. Did you fid it as strange as everyone else does?" Castellano asked the two on his right.

"It was... Very strange." Pavlo responded this time, wanting to get into the conversation. "It was like being inside out... Amongst other things."

The humans chuckled at that. "That's one of the better descriptions I've heard." Osis said. "Jumps certainly ain't the most natural thing."

"Well, neither are you, tubby." Marks said and poked the big man in the ribs. "Mr. gene-boosted super soldier."

Osis rubbed his side, pretending that Marks hurt him worse than she did. "Why, Jen, you wound me! Quite literally, since those nails of yours should be a registered weapon."

"Why you little toad," she said, using the preferred method of insulting an elemental. "I'll have you know I keep them regulation, and not a millimeter longer!"

Castellano looked at van Horn and rolled his eyes. "They're always like this. It's a damn good thing they're not in the same squad, or otherwise they'd never get anything done."

Van Horn laughed at that. _God, this feels good, talking to fellow troopers, even if I _am_ older than them._ He thought. _Almost feels like home_.

They only had to wait seven days. Captain Ladavic, to her credit, cared enough about the terribly injured women in her ship's sickbay that she didn't want to wait for a double-charge. _I can see how she's Blood Star material_, van Horn thought as they again approached the time for another Jump. _I wonder what she did, though?_ The Blood Star was a rare award, and it was usually given posthumously. _The fact she's still alive shows that she's damn talented. Hell, she probably could've had almost any command in the Fleet, yet she's running a glorified troop transport_.

His thoughts went on hiatus as the five tones of the final jump alert rang through the ship. Only two seconds later, the superconducting ring at the rear end of the jump drive released it's startup charge, causing a cascade reaction with the stored energy in the jump core. In a process that took only picoseconds, the energy wave expanded from the core and surrounded the ship. In a time that seemed forever yet only lasted seconds, van Horn felt his mind forced to expand so fast that it would rupture at any second. Then the energy used to activate the drive was spent, and the hyperspace gate snapped closed as the _Rodger Young_ arrived at her destination.

Van Horn shook his head a couple of times, despite the nausea. "Even if I live to be a hundred, I'll never get used to that."

"I am forced to agree with you." Mikula said from his nearby seat in the observation lounge. He spoke in English, as he and Pavlo had improved much with not only van Horn's help, but also that of the Mobile Infantry platoon that the _Young_ boasted as part of her 240-person crew. Van Horn was still amazed at how the platoon, known as 'Vickers' Vanquishers,' took a shine to the two wolf-like lupar. _It helped knowing their story, and how they were willing to fight a much superior force to defend their friends and family_. It seemed like the sort of sappy kind of feeling of camaraderie that most of Humanity derided as nonexistent - _and with the Secession Wars, who would blame them?_ - But van Horn knew that, in the Republic at least, values and morals still meant something. _And so the entire platoon got a kick out of the two Farkas brothers_.

It had also helped to know that there was a severely wounded friend of theirs sitting in sickbay, kept in a medical coma. Since she needed replacement organs, Alexis' wounds weren't allowed to fully heal which, although making it much easier to prevent rejection, would also keep her in pain. When this was explained to him, Mikula had moped for days. _Still, he got over it_, van Horn thought as he unbuckled his restraining belts. _Of course, it helped that he could visit her occasionally._ Those visits had helped Mikula, even when he saw the strangeness of Alexis hooked up to machines that even many humans would find strange and unusual. But he had adapted, as had his brother.

"So, what is this place we're going to again?" Pavlo asked, bringing van Horn's attention back to the present.

"It's called the New Honshu system, after the only inhabitable planet of the same name." Van Horn replied as he pseudo-walked out of the room, the two lupar following him. "It was settled over a hundred fifty years ago by refugees fleeing the Draconis Combine. They forsaked most modern technology to live in an ecological peace with the planet." Van Horn paused to gain breath, as well as to remember his history. "Then, about eighty years ago, contact with the Clans gave us their HarJel technology, and New Honshu was discovered to be the source of the HarJel precursor chemical known as Carbonite Black. So corporations moved in under the aegis of the federal government and established a new settlement right next to the plants that would extract and refine the chemical into HarJel.

"Since the planet already had a Japanese flavor to it from its then-current residents, the city they founded was called 'Neo Tokyo," after a fictional city of the same name from some old, twentieth century story. Since then, the city has grown to mimic its fictional counterpart, and it has become one of the largest cities on record."

Mikula and Pavlo blinked as they tried to absorb the information that van Horn spilled to them. _I probably shoulda just said, 'it's a biiiig city.'_ "The point is, is that Neo Tokyo is a massive, technological wonder of a city, since to minimize friction with the original settlers, they built it as geographically compact as possible."

He paused as the trio pressed against a wall to let a pair of naval crewmen pass, since they were carrying a large load between them. "Anyway, Neo Tokyo is also known as being the last, large city before the Republic ends and you enter the Great Expanse of unsettled, unexplored worlds."

Mikula shook his head as they walked on. "That is a lot of information to take in."

Van Horn sighed. "Yes, yes it is. Well, the short, short version is that the city is a combination of every other kind of city humanity could have ever come up with. So it has just about every kind of vice, entertainment, and generally pleasurable activity you could ever imagine."

"Yeah, it makes the Canopian Pleasure Circuses look like an Amish barn-raising." The voice came from behind them, causing all three to jump at the booming sound, their feet breaking the weak magnetic grip of their 'slippers' and causing them to float. "John, I thought I asked you to stop sneaking up on us?" Van Horn asked in mock anger as he turned to face the bulging man.

Osis grinned widely at that. "But it's so fun to be this big and still sneak up on people."

"**Oh** really?" Another voice said behind Osis, and _he_ jumped, coming off of the floor and floating up to the ceiling. "Seems to be just as amusing when you aren't the size of a tabiranth." The figure behind Osis said.

"Now I wish you really would stop doing that to me, Franklin." Osis grumbled as he arrested his movement and settled himself back to the 'floor.'

The lithe fighter pilot smiled at that. "What was it you just said? 'But it's so much fun!'" This got chuckles from van Horn and the lupar, and even Osis had to crack a smile. "Damn aerojocks, you just love to turn things around so much," He lowered his voice almost conspiratorially and turned to face the others. "I think it's because they spend so much time in micro-G that they can't remember which way is up."

Another series of chuckles, this time at Franklin's expense. "Har har, big boy. Let's see you get out and fight the Wobbie aerospace fighters hand to hand next time, if you're so tough."

"Bah." Osis waved his hand dismissively. "I'd love to stay here all day, but I've got some suits to help gunny take care of."

"Oh, lose last night's poker game?" The blonde-haired pilot couldn't help but barb. Osis didn't even respond, but just grumbled and walked off. "I'll see y'all later."

"See ya then." Franklin waved, and then he turned to face the other three. "Well, so these are the little guys that the M.I. blokes have been peachy with."

Mikula brought himself a bit more erect. "Who are you calling little?"

Franklin raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so I've heard right, and you do know English. Imagine that, those grunts actually could teach somebody something."

Van Horn was starting to get the idea of why Osis didn't stick around. "Well, it generally helps that they are good learners." He said, deciding to try and keep things civil.

"Ah, yes. That does help, now doesn't it?" Franklin said with a nod. "Well, I've got things of my own to attend to. I'll be seeing you all." He nodded and walked off before getting a response.

Pavlo frowned and looked at van Horn. "Earl, I am confused. Was he being rude?"

Van Horn sighed. "To a degree, yes, he was." he shrugged and turned to head along the corridor to the mess hall again. "But you've got to remember, there's a bit of a rivalry between the M.I. and the Navy, so it might just be part of that."

"I suppose, though we've really never had much of a rivalry in our army." Mikula said decisively.

Van Horn grinned, but didn't look back to let Mikula see him. "Well, if your people had developed seafaring earlier, you'd see a rivalry. There's always one." He paused as they entered the mess hall, which was fortunate, as the ship's intercom came on. "All hands stand by for thrust."

"You heard the lady! Feet on the floor!" The head cook was in today, and his booming voice echoed across the room. Most everyone was already aligned, but a constant naval tradition in all things was thoroughness.

_Which isn't a bad thing when you're riding in a steel bubble of air surrounded by vacuum_. Van Horn thought as his stomach settled. _At least we had some grav deck time to keep from losing bone and muscle mass_. He thought as he walked over to a table to wait for the cooks to switch from microgravity cooking to 'real food.' Mikula and Pavlo had been impressed with the grav deck when it was explained that it simply simulated gravity by rotating. They were even more impressed by the variety of entertainment available in the grav deck's recreation rooms.

Now, however, the grav deck was secured from its rotation. Although it could still be accessed, and it was set up so that people could walk in and use its facilities even while the ship was under thrust, it wasn't optimized for it, and so its appeal diminished.

All this left van Horn's mind, however, as one of their recent friends came over. "Hello guys, care for some company."

Van Horn smiled. "For you, Miss Marks, anytime."

Marks blushed as she sat down. "Now really, I thought we were past all that last name crap?"

"Ah, yes, but then I couldn't make you blush, now could I?" Van Horn teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Pavlo couldn't help but chuckle. "You two are always so strange."

"Well, don't blame me, because I ain't the one trying to make girls blush." Marks said and leaned back a bit.

"Well, I'm just glad to see a friendly face." Van Horn said with a small sigh. Marks noticed this and her face twisted in puzzlement. "What happened? Cross an officer and get an earful?" She asked.

Van Horn shook his head. "Nothing like that, I don't think. Just on the way here, John snuck up behind us like he's been doing," he paused as Marks let out a good-natured groan. "But then some pilot named Franklin startled him, and he sped off- what?" He interrupted himself as Marks rolled her eyes at the pilot's name.

"Pavel Franklin. I know him." She said with a sigh.

"Oh? Is he trouble?" Van Horn asked, knowing that in some places, the rivalry between the M.I. and the Navy got worse than friendly.

Marks shook her head. "Not necessarily. Oh, he's got the aerodale superiority complex worse than most of them, so he does look a bit down on us. But he just likes to do it because he likes being an ass." She shrugged. "He's professional, however, and he doesn't let it get in the way of anything important. Hell, he's not even that bad off-duty. Just a born asshole, like I said."

Van Horn nodded. "Ah, I see then. Well, is there anyone else on board this ship who would be worse?"

Marks thought for a second, and then shook her head. "Nah. The _Young_ has one helluva good crew, from Captain Ladavic on down. Shakedown crew, yanno, got pride in their ability to get work done with a minimum of crap."

Van Horn grinned. "Good. Speaking of-" He stopped as he was interrupted by the ship's cook announcing that chow was back on. Although not heavily crowded, there were enough crewmen getting up that van Horn didn't want to press into them.

Pavlo, however, looked plaintively at the food line, and then he turned back to van Horn. "I'm going to get some food, then."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "So go. We'll still be here." Pavlo grinned and nodded in reply. "Alright. I will return shortly." He got up and walked over to get in line.

Mikula sighed. "He's probably going to get lost, or something." He said with the normal, big brother's good-natured derision of his younger siblings. "I'll go with him, excuse me." He got up and walked to where Pavlo was waiting near the end of the line.

Marks chuckled. "Knowing those two, I don't think Mikula decided to go just because he's worried about his brother too much."

Van Horn shared in her chuckle. "Indeed. All three of them have large appetites."

Marks looked confused. "Three? You mean the lady in sickbay?"

Van Horn blinked, and then shook his head. "No, sorry. They have another brother back on Bowman's Planet." He sighed. "They also had a fourth, younger one... But he was killed by the Wobbies."

Marks was taken aback by that. "They never mentioned that."

To this, van Horn shook his head again. "They don't like to talk about it. He was the youngest of their family, so his loss, I take it, was especially hard." He looked up and at the two as they talked with Tom again, and even some of the navy crew began to speak to them. "You can see why they'd want to take the fight back to the Wobbies."

"They're not the only ones." Marks replied, a threat in her voice. "Listen, I've read your preliminary report, as have all the Vanquishers. If you manage to get the brass to go along, I hope you'll ask us to come with."

Van Horn felt a nice, warm feeling inside. _God, it's nice to know that there's still decency left in the Galaxy_. "Thank, Jen. But, I don't understand, how'd you get my report?" His face twisted in confusion. "I mean, don't get me wrong, but M.I. don't usually get that kind of info at this level."

Marks grinned. "Heh. Well, Captain Ladavic is a good lady. She knows that, if the higher-ups do decide to go back, they'll be sending the _Young_ and the Vanquishers alongside any counter-invasion force. So after she sent a copy to Port Kure in the HPG transmission, she 'accidentally' left a copy where Lieutenant Vickers could read it."

Van Horn grinned. "She sounds like a damn good captain. Which reminds me of my question that I was going to ask you before the cook interrupted." He gestured with his head over towards the chow line, prompting Marks to chuckle a bit. "About the captain?" She asked, getting a nod from van Horn in return. "All right, shoot."

"Well, when I was in her ready room giving that report, I saw some of her commendations." Van Horn said, trying to come at the subject lightly.

Marks, however, understood what he was asking. "Oh, so you want to know what she did to get the Blood Star?"

Van Horn winced. "You like to cut to the chase, don't you?"

She grinned in reply. "Oh, yes, I do."

He rolled his eyes, but winked to show her he was kidding, which got him a light kick in the shins. "Mr. Smart Ass. You want me to tell you about our good captain or not?"

Van horn held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I give. Now, what'd she do?"

Marks leaned back again on her bench chair - difficult to do, but her lithe frame accommodated it. "Well, I wasn't there myself, but she commanded a _Gray Fox_-class infantry transport during Operation Loki," she said, mentioning the Republic operation that coincided with the liberation of Terra. Marks then leaned in, almost conspiratorially. "Now, the scuttlebutt is that during the invasion of New Home, her part of the op went south and the platoon she had just dropped had been cut off. Apparently, it was a communications breakdown, since their drop zone was the original one that was planned, but command changed it when it turned out the Wobbies had almost an entire division there." She paused to gather her thoughts and memories of the tale. "Apparently, what got her the Star was that she took her ship in to make retrieval; Right into the teeth of the Wobbies.

"Now the part where it gets interesting is that she flew the craft herself, and she flew it like a giant-ass fightercraft, rather than like the seventeen hundred ton dropship that it was. She actually strafed a line of Wobbies and practically carved herself a landing zone out of their front lines. After that, the M.I. platoon got their asses back in the ship real fucking quick, and she got out of their faster then the Wobbies could react, due to the fact that she used the ship's transit drive to lift off, instead of its main maneuver engines."

"Holy shit." Van Horn breathed. "That's fucking nuts."

"Yeah. So she's a good skipper, and I'll stick my neck out for her any time." Marks finished and sat more upright.

"Who's a good what?" Mikula asked from behind Marks, who started a bit and turned around. "Jesus! First Johnny boy likes to pop up behind me, and now you."

Mikula blinked. "I am sorry, I didn't mean-"

Marks' sigh cut him off. "No, that's all right, Mikula, you did nothing wrong. I just was surprised, that's all." She stretched her arms a bit. "So, what do you got there?" She asked of the tray Mikula carried, even though she could clearly see what was on it.

"I believe Tom said it was something called 'ham,' served with green beans and mashed potatoes." Mikula said as he sat down. Only seconds behind him, Pavlo walked up and settled in as well.

"Sounds good. I think I'll need to get some. If you'll excuse me?" Marks asked, and got up with the three men nodding. As she walked off, Mikula turned back to van Horn. "So, Earl, might I ask what you were talking about that made her... What is that word you like to use?"

"'Spooked,' is the word." Van Horn replied with a sly grin. "And I was having her tell me about Captain Ladavic, and why she has an important award."

"Oh?" Mikula was interested now. _Being here on this ship, I can see why van Horn says that women can take care of themselves. I wonder..._ "So, what did she do to get this special award?"

Van Horn grunted and retold the story he had just heard, although he had to pause and explain a few concepts that the two lupar still hadn't been introduced to, such as drop zones and transit drives. "...So that's why she has an award that's only been given out twelve times in my country's history." He finished as Marks came back with a tray.

"You stealin' my story, boy?" She asked good-naturedly as she sat down. Van Horn just grunted back. "Your story? I thought it was the captain's."

"Oh, she won't mind it missin.' Not like she tells it herself, anyway." Marks said as she picked up the flatware and began to pick at her meal.

"Well, with people like you telling it, why should she bother?" Van Horn asked with a grin as he stood up. "Now, if y'all will excuse me, I'm going to get some food before they run out."

"Good luck."

It took another twelve days of travel time to reach New Honshu, its moon and the Fleet Base known as Port Kure, since the system's star was a bright F8V type star, which pushed the jump points further out than most G-type stars that habitable planets orbited. New Honshu, however, was the fifth planet out, and so it enjoyed a more moderate climate than planets that typically orbited F-type stars.

Van Horn sat in the observation lounge again, the blister having been shut off as the _Rodger Young_ approached Port Kure for docking. _I should be belted in, but I want to get a good look at this kind of sight_. He thought as he stared out the ferroglass windows at the majestic sight of a Fleet Base. "Magnificent." He breathed.

"Can we look?" Mikula asked from behind van Horn, who glanced at the two lupar behind him. "Sure thing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." The two lupar nodded and then went to either window at the side of van Horn's.

"Look at that," van Horn said quietly and pointed. "You see that structure over there?"

Mikula narrowed his eyes a bit. "You mean the one that looks like a farmer's lattice?"

Van Horn nodded. "That's the one. It's a repair yard, and right now, if you look inside, it has a corvette in for maintenance."

Both brothers leaned to look out the window. "Didn't you say that we were in a korr- Corvette?" Pavlo asked, having to correct himself.

"Well, a corvette is a type of ship, but there are different designs within that type. The one we're in is a brand-new type." Van Horn paused as he tried to remember the class of the ship he had pointed out. "That one... Yes, that's a _Vigilant II_-class corvette. Very old ships, nearly seven hundred years old."

Both lupar turned in surprise at that. "Seven hundred years?" Mikula asked incredulously. Van Horn nodded and the lupar turned to look back out the window. "That's mind-boggling. I don't think many cities are that old back home."

Van Horn gave Mikula a look. "Oh, really? How old would you say Tanzano is?"

The question caught Mikula off-guard, and he paused to gather his thoughts. "Well, from the stories I've heard, it's at least five hundred years old, maybe six. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just wondering." Van Horn replied with a smile. "Despite all that's happened, your people and your culture and history still interest me." The smile then faded. "I hope that soon, I may take up my studies again."

Mikula nodded slowly. "Allow me to join you in that wish."

"I as well." Pavlo chimed in. "After all... I do want to get back to our world sometime..."

Van Horn winced. _And here I am, still unsure if we're even going to go back!_ He looked out the window and raged to himself as the _Young_ maneuvered to dock with the main station. _Those goddamned Snow Ravens! Goddamned Clanners! Goddamned Kerensky and his whole fucking Exodus! All of them lack the moral fiber of a Goat._

Just as soon as he thought it, though, he made himself retract the last part. _Well, can't blame Aleksander Kerensky... Not _his_ fault the House Lords were dicks, or that his own troops turned on themselves, or that his son was mentally unbalanced_. He sighed, just as the intercom came on throughout the ship. "All hands, stand by for docking procedure. Code amber in effect, secure for sudden maneuvers."

"That means us," van Horn said, somewhat unnecessarily, since the two lupar had started to get a hang of shipboard life, eve if some concepts were still foreign to them. Quietly, all three went back to the seats along the wall and buckled themselves in. _Damn the Clans, anyway. I don't care if they _did_ invent almost all he military technology we use today, they're still a pack of godless barbarians!_

A few sudden shifts occurred then, as maneuvering jets fired to bring the _Rodger Young_ into the waiting docking arms at just the right attitude and velocity. It took a few minutes, minutes in which the group fell silent as the two lupar sensed that van Horn wanted to mull over his thoughts.

Another series of shifts occurred, and then a large thump more felt than heard rang throughout the hull of the corvette. "All hands, docking complete. Initiate port protocols." The intercom blared again.

"Well gentlemen, let's go see the captain." Van Horn said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got up. The two lupar followed him quietly as he walked out of the room and headed for the elevator to the bridge. A short ride and walk later and they were waiting just outside the door to the main bridge.

Normally, such actions would be presumptuous, but van Horn had had a message relayed to him by a yeoman the day before, stating that the captain wanted him and his friends to come aboard the station with her so that they could see the station's commander. So van Horn waited, wondering what the captain would have to say to him now.

The door opened then, disrupting his thoughts. He then stood more erect when Captain Ladavic strode out alone. "Follow me." She said civilly, but with a tone that commanded obedience. Part of van Horn wanted to feel chafed, but his sense of duty won out and he trailed behind Ladavic, Mikula and Pavlo following behind him.

They went n in silence until they got to the elevator. While waiting for it, van Horn finally realized that Ladavic was not average in height. _She's only a bit larger than Mikula! I guess it's true what they say about 'larger than life.'_

When the elevator arrived, all four of them got on, again in silence. It was only after they began to move upwards; towards the docking ports that Ladavic spoke next. "Dr. van Horn, it has come to my attention that your friends there have gained a kind of fandom among my crew." Her tone was unreadable, neutral, and van Horn couldn't decide what she felt.

He decided to be simple. "Well, captain, I don't think 'fandom' is quite the word I'd use, but yes, your crew seems to have warmed up to them."

"Yes. And as an extension, to the young lady that is even now being transferred to the station's facilities, prior to being shipped to the K.O.M. Hospital on the planet." Again, she used the neutral tone.

"Well, in all fairness, captain, if Alexis, as that 'young lady' is named, was as alert as these two, then I guarantee you that extension would have been even greater. She is a smart, friendly person."

"So your second report said." She paused then, and breathed deep. "So, doctor, you were willing to risk your life for these people?"

Van Horn's face turned red. "I not only would, I have and will again, if I get the chance."

Ladavic nodded as the lift stopped and they got out into a narrow hallway. "What you do today may determine whether you get that chance. But before then, I ask you this." She stopped, prompting the others to do so. Looking up, she stared into van Horn's eyes before going on. "Tell me, face to face by your God and our laws that helping these people is right. That it's worth the deaths of good men and women."

Van Horn returned her stare, and he nodded after she had finished. "Captain Ladavic, I not only swear to that, I swear by the principles for which this Republic stands. Freedom from Tyranny, Freedom from Fear, and the Freedom for Democracy. Men have died for these principles in the past, and I stand ready to die for them now. Even for people that are not my own race, nationality, or even species." He paused for effect. "By all that I consider good with the universe, I consider it right."

The silence stretched, and Mikula and Pavlo each wrestled with what was being said. _I know that Earl has said that his people value helping others... But so much that you'd die for it?_ Even as he thought this, Mikula realized that it was true. _Weeks we've spent, leaving our world and traveling here, and all that time, I've forgotten the terror of bouncing around in that vehicle as van Horn risked his life to distract the Wobbies from Hercor, and again, he stood with us and freed even the kurrnaki from the invaders' grip. How could I forget?_ He felt a bit ashamed that he couldn't even see, after all this time, just how deep van Horn's convictions ran.

Then he got proof that it was not just van Horn who had deep convictions. Ladavic nodded, finally, after a long moment. "All right, van Horn. One thing I pride myself on is being able to tell the bullshitters from the ones who actually care. I can see from your reports, and especially your eyes, that you do care." She sighed. "I'll go to bat for you on this with the Admiral."

Van Horn blinked. "Th-Thank you captain." He said, flabbergasted. "I don't know what to say."

"If what you told me is true, then you don't need to say anything." Ladavic said as she turned and began to walk again, prompting the others to follow. "Because you're not the only one who feels that we have a duty to perform for our ideals."

It was another hour before they got to see the Admiral who commanded Port Kure, and who was the de facto military commander of the region. In that time, Ladavic had Dr. Jennings himself oversee the transfer of Alexis' still-unconscious form from the _Rodger Young_ to a specially designed medical shuttle. Mikula had elected to go with her, since van Horn didn't know when he could get down to the planet. Pavlo stayed behind, simply feeling that he had to stand by his friend as he pleaded the case for his planet.

Now that he stood in the brightly lit, white-painted outer office of one Rear Admiral George Fitzpatrick, however, he felt some regret at not having accompanied his brother. _Short ride, van Horn said, only an hour or two. But no, I had to come here_. Still, when he thought more about it, he decided that he was where he should be. _Dunno why I think that, but I do_.

Pavlo spared a look at van Horn, who also seemed nervous as he fidgeted next to where Pavlo stood. Beyond him, however, Captain Ladavic stood still with an icy calm demeanor that Pavlo found himself envying.

Just then, the doors to the inner office opened, and a female yeoman that had been attending the desk in the outer office walked out. "Admiral Fitzpatrick will see you now." She said and held the doors open.

Ladavic was the first to enter, of course, followed by van Horn. Then it was Pavlo's turn, and despite the sudden increase in his nervousness, he managed to walk in without sticking his tail between his legs. _I just thank the Gods that this office is on this place's 'grav deck,' otherwise I might have vomited by now._

He walked to where van Horn had stopped to the right and a couple of paces behind Ladavic, who was herself a few paces from the front of a large, oaken desk. Pavlo stopped by van Horn, to his right, but equal with him. _Just as instructed_.

The man behind the desk finally looked up from the computer terminal on which he had been typing when the three had been let into his office. Upon seeing Ladavic, he smiled and stood up. "Mary, how good to see you." He said and reached across the desk, offering his right hand. "How're the kids?"

For the first time that Pavlo had ever seen, Ladavic smiled. "You mean grandkids, George. And they're fine, all right as rain and smart as a whip." She said as she shook his hand.

"Glad to hear it." Fitzpatrick said as he unclasped his hand. He then sat down and indicated a chair for Ladavic. "Have a seat."

At that, her smile disappeared and she stood almost at attention. "Sorry, George, but this is a business call."

The friendly look on the admiral's face disappeared too, and he looked over van Horn and Pavlo. "Ah, yes, the Bowman's Planet affair." He sighed. "You know how much the bureaucrats are gonna ride my ass for this? You brought back a passel of aliens to my station, and now a couple of them are heading to KOM in Neo Tokyo." He shook his head. "If it wasn't for the Snow Ravens getting all the attention, half of the General Staff would be here chewing my - and your- ass out."

Ladavic shook her head. "George, this isn't about bureaucracy."

"Admiral." Fitzpatrick said sternly. "You want this to be business, then you call me admiral, captain."

Ladavic gave him a bit of a sour look, but she nodded. "Very well, _admiral_. Let me lay this straight, then. We have a responsibility to send enough forces to Bowman's Planet to kill every one of those Blakests dead."

Fitzpatrick leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "Oh? And how do you figure that?"

Ladavic raised her right hand and balled it into a fist. "For one, it's our responsibility to ensure the defense of this nation." She stuck out her index finger. "Those Blakests represent a threat to our security, sitting as they are within two jumps of one of our most important industrial centers.

"Two," she stuck out the next finger, "we have a responsibility to finish what we started. Even if those bastards never attack us directly, they can still move out and threaten the rest of the Inner Sphere. Our responsibility here it to increase our standing with other nations by taking care of a threat and not leaving loose ends."

Ladavic then held out her thumb. "And finally, we have a moral responsibility. Those people on that planet are totally helpless against those bastards, and we have, technically, extended protectorate status over Bowman's Planet. We can't abandon it now because it's 'inconvenient.'"

Silence reigned as Ladavic finished and put her hand back down. "You always liked to go for the throat, didn't you, Mary?" Fitzpatrick asked quietly. "But it's not so simple as you say.

"First, let me address the security issue." He picked up a noteputer and laid it out before Ladavic. "There is a deployment order sending in the _Battleaxe, Broadsword, _and the _Ajax_, for starters." He picked up another noteputer and placed it down beside the first one. "This is another order, sending in the transport JumpShips _Daedelus_ and _Phonecia_, each carrying a mixed assortment of assault and fighter-carrier DropShips. That's three WarShips and six attack DropShips, plus fighters. I guarantee, those Blakests aren't going anywhere, because unlike them, we'll blast an enemy JumpShip right outta the sky." Fitzpatrick leaned back and took a breath before going on. "Now, with the Wobbies bottled up, they can't move out, so that takes care of security _and_ standing with our 'peers.'"

Ladavic stared back at Fitzpatrick. "What about morals? Or did they take that away from you when you got that shiny star of yours?

Fitzpatrick wined visibly. "Mary, I can't send a military mission out on moral support alone."

"And why the Hell not?" Ladavic asked. "It was morals that sent me and the _Young_ out to get Dr. van Horn, here." She paused to point to him, and van Horn felt his head warm as the admiral gave him an icy once-over. Fortunately, it ended as Ladavic continued. "And don't tell me it was politics, either, because you and I both know that Bowman's Planet is - or, rather, was, one of the best-kept secrets in the Republic." She took a breath. "You could've let him sit there and rot, but you sent me. Now, if that isn't morals, then what is?"

Fitzpatrick shook his head. "Damnit, Mary, that's one thing. Van Horn's a human, and former M.I. If we left him there it would've been terrible for morale."

"And leaving a planet to be ruled by oppressive Blakests won't do the same?" Ladavic asked. "You can't keep this secret, George. My crew knows all about Bowman's Planet. They know all about him," she turned and pointed to Pavlo, who finally gave in and let his tail find shelter between his legs, "and they know about his brother, and their friend who's going to Otomo Memorial. You can't keep them bottled up without losing a damn fine crew, you can't keep us out patrolling the boondocks without losing morale, and you can't shut them up.

"So, admiral, if you're worried about morale, then it's too late." Ladavic crossed her arms. "My crew's become fond of these folk, and their morale is linked to their story. And once word gets out, then other crew will follow the same way. They will ask, 'how can we fight for our nation when it won't even stand up for it's own values?' And you know what? They'd be right to question it."

Fitzpatrick stood and slammed his hands down on his desk. "God damnit Mary! Don't you pull this shit on me. I remember how you blitzed Admiral Whitefeather into letting you do that fancy smash and grab that got you the Blood Star, but I will not have it happen to me!" He took a second and control his breathing and temper more. "The military does not make moral decisions, captain. We cannot be trusted to decide morals, because who will stop us if we're wrong?" Fitzpatrick then stood up from his leaning position over his desk. "That's why we have elected leaders, captain. And _there_ is your moral responsibility. We have a duty to obey the chain of command, and to not overstep our role as protectors of the people. _Not_ their leaders."

An uncomfortable silence stretched for several moments. "So, admiral, what does the Chain of Command have to say about this?" Ladavic asked neutrally.

Fitzpatrick sighed. "They haven't gotten back to me. And don't give me that look! I sent an HPG transmission out as soon as you arrived in-system, and those... 'Esteemed Gentlemen' have yet to get back to my request that military forces be released for Operation Last Call."

Ladavic blinked so hard that van Horn could have sworn he heard her eyelids clicked. "You mean that you've wanted to do this op all along?" She paused as Fitzpatrick nodded his head. "Well, why the fuck didn't you say so, before I go and make a damn fool outta myself!"

At that, the admiral smiled. "Because you're cute when you're pissed off." The smile died then, though a ghost of it remained on Fitzpatrick's lips. "And because, captain, sometimes you get some damn fool idea in your head, that's based too much on adrenal thinking and not enough planning. I wanted to make sure that you were absolutely sure that this was something you'd be able to carry out, no matter the cost."

Ladavic nodded. "Aye, sir. It is."

"As I've noticed." Fitzpatrick said and sat down in his chair. "In any case, Captain Ladavic, since your ship is standing down for post-sortie maintenance, I would recommend that your crew get full R&R. Although, it might be wise of you and Lieutenant Vickers to travel to New Honshu and discuss... 'Proactive defensive plans' with the militia commander."

Ladavic grinned again. But this time, Pavlo didn't see the warmth of someone greeting an old friend. _She looks like a kraso ready to pounce on an unsuspecting danier_, he thought, thinking of a native predator that resembled a Terran Alligator, only the kraso was a warm-blooded reptile of the dinosauria variety and could keep up with fast prey. _Thank the Gods these people are on our side_.


	20. Chapter 20

The trip to New Honshu was uneventful, for which van Horn was grateful. After some conferring with Fitzpatrick and Lieutenant Vickers, Ladavic, Vickers, van Horn and Pavlo all climbed aboard an _ST-46C_-class shuttlecraft and left Port Kure behind. Pavlo had liked the initial part, as he got a good look at the massive main station, which dwarfed the _Rodger Young_ and made minnows out of DropShips.

Another thing that made van Horn and Pavlo grateful was that Port Kure was at the Lagrange point that existed between New Honshu and its single moon, Kyushu. Thus, the trip to the planet only took about an hour-and-a-half, which meant that they wouldn't have to stay strapped into their seats for too long. And, thanks to Ladavic and Vickers, the time waiting was well spent, as they conferred with each other and van Horn about the Wobbies on Bowman's Planet.

"...So let me boil this down to basics, so that we're all clear." Vickers said as the shuttle began its entry of the planet's atmosphere. "The Wobbies are concentrated mainly in the eastern part of the large continent, and they've taken over several native cities."

Van Horn would have nodded his agreement, but as they were entering atmosphere, everyone was strapped in, and Vickers was in a seat in front of the anthropologist. "As nearly as I could tell, that's their basic deployment, yes."

"All right. So while they're there, they've been subverting various factions on planet to further extend their reach to the west and south. Which is why those people attacked you at- what was that town's name again?"

"Hercor," van Horn responded.

"Right, so they get bandits to do their dirty work. But you said that they were doing that mainly by subversion by force, which means they have to have small combat teams like the ones you ran into all over the place." Vickers paused to sigh. "You know how fucking hard it will be to root every last one of them out?"

Ladavic, sitting next to Vickers, looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What's this? The mighty 'Boss' Vickers daunted by a little insurgency cleanup?"

Vickers gave Ladavic a razz. "No, Cap'n, not daunted. Just tryin' ta be realistic here." He sighed again and thought for a few moments, the silence in the conversation supplemented with the howling sound of air rushing past the outer skin of the shuttle. "We're gonna need extra supplies of drop capsules, power packs, and missiles." He said quietly. "Not to mention, I'd like to have some extra M.I. platoons in on this."

"Well Vickers that may not be possible, since the Fleet's still busy with the Ravens." Ladavic replied. "But the militia here is one of the best equipped in the entire Republic, and they even have a National Guard regiment here as well."

Vickers snorted. "Army pukes, too used to staging from a permanent base to fight a counter-insurgency campaign effectively."

"That may be, Lieutenant, but they're also the closest ground forces with any serious strength that can be spared. So try to keep from insulting them face-to-face, huh?" Ladavic admonished.

Suddenly, the craft pitched to the left, which startled Pavlo. "What was that?" He asked.

"It's alright, boy," Ladavic responded. "The pilot's just banking into a turn."

"Which means we'll be landing soon." Vickers added. "I've been here before, pilots always gotta bank to land retrograde so that their flight paths don't run over the refineries."

"HJI that paranoid?" Van Horn asked, referring to the company that operated the fields and equipment that allowed the creation of HarJel. Vickers nodded his head, which van Horn could see over the seat back in front of him. "Yeah, you bet your ass. I mean, after all, they technically don't own the land, so their insurance won't fully cover them. Some sort of legal crap that's been in litigation for the past two decades, I hear."

Van Horn sighed. "Gee, I sure did miss civilization." He said sarcastically.

Climbing out of the ST-46C was an experience that van Horn wanted to bottle up and remember for the rest of his days. _It's amazing to look at!_ He thought as he walked down the stairs that had moved out to meet the shuttle. He barely paid enough attention to his footing to prevent an untimely end as the skyline of Neo Tokyo dominated the southern horizon and his attention.

"That is... I... I really have no words." Pavlo said, equally entranced by the gleaming towers that stretched as high as mountains to him in the late-afternoon light. "It is like nothing I have ever seen."

"It is breathtaking, isn't it?" Vickers asked as van Horn and Pavlo reached the tarmac. "But we can't stand here forever, so if you two will follow, we can get going."

"Oh, right, coming." Van Horn said, and Pavlo nodded his assent as they hustled to catch up to where captain Ladavic was striding across the hot tarmac towards nearby VTOL.

They were in the military portion of the Neo Tokyo spaceport, which lay to the north of the metropolis, across the Ozawa River. The military part of the port itself was to the west of the main spaceport, which covered hundreds of acres of land in buildings, runways, and landing pads for spheroid DropShips. The constant drone of machinery, vehicles and interplanetary drives would have been nearly deafening had the group not been given ear protection headgear. Pavlo had had a bit of a problem at first, as the headphone-shaped protectors were built for human, rather than lupar ears. However, a technician on the shuttle soon had a makeshift solution of having Pavlo fold his ears forward with his hands, and letting the protectors cover them, holding them down and protecting his inner ears at the same time.

It wasn't perfect, of course, but it was enough as the group reached a _Kestrel_ transport VTOL that bore the markings of the National Guard, its crew waiting on board already and the ground personnel finishing up some last-minute checks. Without hesitation, Ladavic climbed aboard the craft, followed soon by the other three passengers from the shuttle.

As soon as they got on board and settled into their seats, van Horn could see the _Kestrel_'s load officer speak into his helmet microphone. Even as the ground crew shut the doors, van Horn could hear the engines spool up above them. _I just thank God that the _Kestrel_ is one of the quietest VTOLs in existence_. He thought, worried still over Pavlo's far more sensitive hearing. _Still, he doesn't seem to be in any pain, so hopefully those ear-protectors are just as good with him as they are with us._

Then, the helicopter lurched and they were airborne. Pavlo looked outside the window that was next to his seat, and he stared in awe and wonder at the tableau of a technological city. _It's so large! And So many buildings! Why, I bet just one of them could hold the entire population of Tanzano!_

The flight was only a few minutes, Neo Tokyo being easily traversed by air. Van Horn knew they had arrived when the VTOL pitched back to slow down, and he then felt a slight sinking sensation. Following that, he could feel the thump of the helo as it touched the landing pad at the KOM Hospital Complex.

Van Horn was grateful that he and Pavlo would be able to rejoin Alexis and Mikula, though he knew that the former would be undergoing preparation for organ replacement surgery and thus would still be unconscious. _Still, Mikula could probably use all the emotional support he can get, now_. Van Horn had been relieved that Mikula had managed to keep his feelings for Alexis in limbo, which allowed him to adapt to his new surroundings. _But now that Alexis' condition will change, so will his feelings rise out from the depths of his soul_.

The door opened, and van Horn unbuckled his belt and climbed out, soon followed by Pavlo. They both rushed out, heads down, to the door that led into the part of the hospital that rose above the helo pad. Though an orderly and a guard were waiting for them at the door, van Horn nevertheless took a second to turn around and wave goodbye to the two passengers still in the VTOL. Ladavic and Vickers returned the wave as the _Kestrel_'s door was again shut, and the chopper lifted off to take them to the Planetary Defense headquarters building.

Van Horn turned back and reached the door, where the orderly motioned for him to take off his ear protectors. He did so with a small grin. "Forgot about those." He said to the orderly.

"That's all right sir." The orderly replied and turned to walk into the building, leaving van Horn and Pavlo to follow him inside. "If you'll look to your right, you'll see a rack where you can leave those."

They saw, and they did so. "Feels good to take those off." Pavlo said as he rubbed his large ears.

The orderly blinked, but he had the tact to not say anything about the alien's use of English. "I would bet." He just said. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, Doctor Sakamoto sent me to escort you two to the care unit that we have your friends in. If you'll follow me?" He spoke politely and turned to lead them off.

Their walk through the hallways of the hospital seemed to bother Pavlo, and van Horn turned to speak to the lupar at his side. "Pavlo, are you all right? You seem... Distracted."

Pavlo shrugged his shoulders. "It is the smell, here. It smells so strange..."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. All hospitals smell weird, even to us humans." He then lowered his voice for the next part. "And, truth be told, it creeps me out."

Pavlo just nodded in mute agreement as they turned around a corner and headed towards an elevator.

Mikula sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that day. They had him alone in a waiting room in a part of the floor that had been cordoned off so that the curious wouldn't bother him... Or report his presence.

Mikula frankly didn't care about anyone bothering him. _In fact, I wouldn't mind someone to talk to now_. He thought as he looked over the small pile of paper products on the table before him. _'Magazines,' the guards called them._ He sighed. _Pity van Horn only had enough time for us to learn how to speak English. I would like to be able to read all these... If only to distract myself_.

Mikula shook his head and stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and he walked over to look out the window that dominated one wall and looked out. _So amazing, this place is_, he thought. _Such humungous buildings! Such strange modes of travel! And now,_ he turned to look at the magazines, _I find out that they actually _read_ to pass the time! And almost nobody back home even knows _how.

Another sigh came from Mikula, and he sat down again. _Alexis would love to see this. She would always be asking questions, trying to find out the 'whys.'_ He closed his eyes and bent forward to rest his head in his hands. _Gods, I miss her. And I'm so worried that it won't be a temporary thing, her not being here._ Again, he could feel the tears welling up, and again, he pushed them back down by force of will. _I will not cry! Alexis is not dead yet and I will not invite the worst by giving into grief before it's even called for!_ He snorted, trying to clear his sinuses. _But I miss her so much._

Then the door swung open, and the creek of the metallic hinges made Mikula rub his eyes and look up. Then, for the first time since arriving on New Honshu, he smiled. "Pavlo, Earl, it's nice to see you."

His brother smiled, crossed the room and embraced Mikula when the latter stood up. "It's nice to see your ugly face again too, brother." He said as Mikula returned the hug.

"Heh. Can't ever stop being a joker, can you?" Mikula said, as they pulled apart. Pavlo shrugged in reply. "What else do you expect me to do?"

Van Horn, meanwhile, stood near the door and tried not to stare. _It's a good thing they both came with, because one of them alone would be miserable... Or, in Mikula's case, he'd just break down_. Then the door opened again and another orderly stuck her head inside. "Dr. van Horn?" She asked, and the human nodded. "Could you come with me? Dr. Sakamoto wanted to speak with you a moment." She spoke quietly.

"All right." Van Horn replied just as quietly, and then he turned to face the two lupar. "Mikula, sorry to leave again so soon, but I've got something to take care of."

Mikula nodded. "That's all right. I do hope I'll see you again soon?"

Van Horn smiled again. "You can count on that." With that, he waved goodbye and walked out the door and followed the black-haired orderly. _Must be descended from one of the original settlers_, van Horn thought, and then gave a mental shrug. _Well, not all of them thumb their noses at technology, so I shouldn't be surprised_.

The walk was a short one, and they came to Sakamoto's office. Without hesitation, the orderly pushed the door aside and stuck her head in. "Dr. Sakamoto, Dr. van Horn is here like you asked."

"Let him in please." A voice responded. The orderly then backed up, but kept the door open for van Horn, who walked in with a nod to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said and then walked off, leaving the door to close, and van Horn turned to face Dr. Sakamoto.

The latter stood, revealing a height that wasn't usually associated with people of oriental descent. _He's got to have several centimeters on me_, van Horn thought as he shook the doctor's hand. "Nice of you to come in on short notice, Doctor." The tall, black-haired doctor said. "Please, sit down."

Van Horn waved him off as he took the offered seat. "Please, this is a hospital, doctor. In here, I'd rather be called' van Horn,' because otherwise someone might mistake me for an M.D." He said half-jokingly.

"Indeed." Sakamoto smiled lightly, but then dropped down an impassive mask. "I hope you will forgive me for being blunt and to the point, but I wanted to speak with you before I worked on your friend. Since she is undergoing prep right now, I will have to leave soon."

Van Horn nodded. "That's quite all right, doctor. But what do you wish to speak to me for? Is something wrong with Alexis?"

Sakamoto tilted his head. "Not with her, per se. In fact, she's doing quite well for a small-bodied being like herself." He then sighed. "In fact, what I asked you down here for wasn't really a problem at all. Just..." His voice trailed off.

Van Horn frowned. "What? If it's not a problem, then why am I here taking up your time before a surgery?"

Sakamoto sighed, and he seemed to van Horn to be gathering his thoughts. "Well, I wanted to ask you, is what I've read completely true? About the discovery of Bowman's Planet?"

Van Horn tilted his head in puzzlement. "I don't understand. I thought that the Washington Science Academy had released their records to you so that you wouldn't have any questions."

"Yes, but, the Academy's records do not include genetic profiles." Sakamoto replied. Van Horn again frowned. "Yes, well, I thought that it was also explained that the-"

Sakamoto cut him off with a wave. "Yes, yes, I know about the Privacy Acts and their application to the natives of Bowman's Planet. I have no problem with that."

"Then what's the issue here?" Van Horn asked plaintively.

Sakamoto sighed again. "As I was saying, since there was no genetic profile available to compare your friend's to, I wanted to make sure that there was no error at your end."

Van Horn frowned again. "What? Error? What error?"

"Dr. van Horn, can you verify that the genetic sample we received was accurate?" Sakamoto asked. Van Horn was now thoroughly confused. "Yes, it was! I saw Dr. Jennings take it from Alexis herself."

"And to your knowledge, there's been no known genetic work on these people?" Sakamoto asked quietly.

Van Horn's face turned bright red. "Doctor, I don't know about the medical profession, but I and my colleagues in the Xeno-Cultural Study Program have taken the greatest pains to prevent even knowledge of Bowman's Planet and its denizens from being leaking out beyond the program at all. The idea that someone could experiment on them without our approval or knowledge is ludicrous."

Sakamoto sighed. "Then how can you explain the fact that half of your friend's species-specific chromosomes are human?"

That revelation hit van Horn like a load of bricks. "Wha... What?" he stuttered. "What the fu- I mean... What?!"

Sakamoto frowned, clearly disappointed that van Horn didn't know more than he did. "I am saying, doctor, that, although the majority of her genes are indicative of non-Terran ancestry, your friend Alexis is clearly a product of someone mixing the genomes of _Homo Sapiens Sapiens_ with her own ancestors.' And, if we read the genetic drift, it happened more than seven hundred years ago." Sakamoto then waited for a few moments as van Horn sat in his chair, trying to absorb the new information. "You honestly didn't know?"

Van Horn blinked his eyes and seemed to come back from his own personal world. "I... No! No one knew. Hell, how could we? The Privacy Acts kept us from getting DNA samples, mainly for their protection." He shook his head and hung his head. "And yet... This fits in."

"Fits in with what?" Sakamoto asked, now a bit puzzled himself.

"Since I went to help the natives, I've been encountering all sorts of bizarre coincidences. Names, primarily, but also stories of humans visiting their planet before..." He shook his head. "I thought that it was something recent, like a Star League-era ship that came across their planet and mucked around before leaving, but now." He looked up from where he was staring at his hands and stared Sakamoto in the eye. "You said seven, hundred, years ago?"

"At least." Sakamoto said with a shake of his head. "But that's if we were reading plain human DNA, which we're not. Some of the longer-term markers are either not there, or they're in her 'native' chromosomes, and so they wouldn't be a reliable indicator." He sighed. "So seven hundred is the minimum estimate. It could have been longer."

"That's insane." Van Horn replied. "We've only had the Kearny-Fuchida drive for less than eight centuries, and you're saying that someone must've went out as soon as they got one of these ships, traveled nearly a thousand light years from Terra, just to muck around with some natives' genome?"

Sakamoto sighed. "I am not saying that, Dr. van Horn." He said as he stood. "I am saying, that your friend that I am about to work on is a close enough relation that a human could theoretically _breed_ with her, and that however her ancestors were modified, it happened so long ago that medical science can't even tell when."

The dream came again. Fire burned everywhere, consuming houses and trees, the flames seemingly reaching out for her. Then, as she watched in mute terror, streams of light reached out from a metal monstrosity, tracing the path of her friend, reaching out and finally sawing through his arm, severing it in half.

_No!_ Alexis thought as she watched the event unfold._ This isn't how it happened!_ But as dreams and nightmares do, they ignored her and pulled her along at the same time. Then Mikula jumped out, reaching for his brother, and Alexis couldn't think of anything than to protect the one she cared for so deeply. She leapt out herself, but was too late, as more trails of light reached out, and again, they clipped Mikula in the same leg that had been wounded before.

_No, he wasn't hit before!_ But Alexis moved into the firestorm anyway, turning and firing her weapon. The loud retort of the pistol rang in her mind, and she cheered as the stream of lights temporarily abated long enough for Mikula to get up despite his wounds, and drag himself and his brother to safety behind the metal hunk they used for cover.

But then, as Alexis turned and reached out to gain the same shelter, the stuttering noise again came, and she felt searing hot metal enter her gut. Then she couldn't do anything, couldn't move, and couldn't speak. All she felt was pain.

The nightmare usually ended then, but now it moved forward, and Alexis felt strong arms pull her out and away from the flames. The pain died and she opened her eyes. "Alexis, can you hear me?"

Then she opened her eyes for real, slowly pealing the lids back with sheer will. She saw neither a clear blue sky nor the underside of a forest canopy. But the figure over her bed was the same as the last time she had seen with her own eyes. "Mi- Mikula?" Alexis asked, her voice cracking from lack of use.

Mikula stood leaning over her bed, and he smiled. "Yes, it's me. You're safe now."

Alexis nodded very slightly. "I know." _With you I always will be._ And then she closed her eyes.

"She's drifted back to sleep now." The female orderly said, reading from the brainwave monitor. She then turned to face Mikula. "She'll probably be in and out like that for a day or two before she wakes up for any appreciable amount of time."

Mikula looked at the orderly and nodded his head. "Thank you, Miss Yamaguchi." He said, pronouncing her name slowly to get it right.

The orderly smiled gently back at Mikula. "You're welcome. Now, since she's fine, I'm going to go on my rounds. You'll be okay here?"

Mikula nodded. "I don't think I could be okay anywhere else."

Van Horn and Pavlo had been standing just inside the room, but after the orderly left, they made their way out quietly, giving Mikula their best wishes. Now, they walked into the lounge at the end of the hallway that serviced the recovery rooms and found seats at a table. "So, Alexis will get much better then?" Pavlo asked after a moment.

Van Horn nodded. "Oh, yes. She's out of it now, but our medicine's come a long way in the past few hundred years." He yawned, having spent a long part of the night keeping Mikula company as he stayed in Alexis' room. "Give her about a week and she'll be out of here. Give her another and she'll be as good as if she hadn't been hurt at all."

Pavlo nodded. "Good. I don't remember the last time I saw Mikula that happy." He observed. "And that was just her waking up for a minute." He smiled slightly at this, prompting one from van Horn. "I'll drink to that." He said. "That is, if we had anything worth drinking."

"Well then," came a voice from the entrance alcove. "I think we should remedy that." Vickers said as he walked over.

"Lieutenant, what a nice surprise." Van Horn said with a smile on his face. "Care to have a seat?"

"Don't mind if I do." Vickers said and he settled down into one of the space seats at the table. "I take it you two have something to be happy about?"

Pavlo nodded. "Alexis woke up for the first time not too long ago."

Vickers smiled politely. "Well, that is good news. And Doc, you're right, that does call for a drink." He reached into a back pocket and pulled out a small bottle that one usually found in hotel mini-bars. "Fortunately, I happen to have one."

Van Horn raised an eyebrow. "Drinking on duty? Lieutenant, I don't want you to get arrested now."

"Not really on duty, technically." Vickers replied as he stood to get some plastic cups from the nearby counter. He returned with three plastic cups and continued speaking as he placed them in front of each occupied seat. "I am, officially, on R&R with the rest of my troopers. So I can have a little snifter of the good stuff and it's all legal."

Van Horn chuckled a bit. "Oh? And I supposed hospital regulations don't count?"

Vickers grinned a bit as he poured the contents of the small whiskey bottle into the three cups. "Well, I said 'legal,' now didn't I? And technically, hospitals ain't the courts."

Van Horn laughed. "Well, if you put it that way." He reached out and picked up his cup and held it up, which prompted Vickers to follow. Pavlo, however, just sat there until van Horn gave him a light kick, and then he raised his cup to match the humans.

"Now, here's to friends getting well, and all the people who made it possible." Van Horn said and he swallowed the mouthful of liquor in his cup. Vickers followed, as did Pavlo, after a second. The latter then choked a bit on his drink, but he got it down, and coughed afterward.

Vickers grinned. "Don't get much whiskey out there, eh?"

"No... We do not." Pavlo said after taking a few breaths. "We also do not get that many drinks of this nature."

"Alcoholic drinks, is what they're called Pavlo." Van Horn said politely. "Like wine, but this is made differently, though with the same purpose."

Pavlo nodded his understanding. "I see. Well, I've never had much preference for that kind of..." His voice trailed off as he tried to think of a proper word.

Van Horn felt the need to provide one. "Libation?"

Pavlo blinked and looked at the human. "Earl, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were making up words every day just so you can keep teaching them."

Both van Horn and Vickers laughed at that. "No, Pavlo, it's just that English is one of the most varied languages known, even by human standards." The former replied. "So we have lots of words for the same thing."

Pavlo shook his head in mock rapprochement. "Crazy people."

"Ain't that the truth." Vickers said as he crumpled his plastic cup. "And speaking of crazy people, I came here so that I could drag y'all out to the Defense H.Q."

"Oh? Van Horn asked warily. "All of us? And why?"

Vickers nodded. "Yeah, all of you. Even Mikula, if you can get him to come with." He paused as Pavlo and van Horn rolled their eyes. "Yeah, I know, but I gotta try. The guy in charge of the National Guard here in New Honshu wants to have some input from you guys about the situation on the ground.

"He especially wants any insights you guys might have on how the indi- Err," Vickers caught himself before he used the slightly derogatory term for any planet's native peoples, "I mean, insights on how the Lupar and Gatón will react to our presence."

Van Horn raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is he worried about something?"

Vickers nodded. "Yeah, and I am too, frankly." He sighed before continuing. "I men, look, the Wobbies were able to attract a lot of people to their cause before we smacked them down. Now they have a planet of impressionable, technological primitives." He stopped and looked at Pavlo. "No offense."

"None taken." Pavlo said with a nod. "I can't really say otherwise when I'm sitting where I am."

Vickers smiled a bit. "Indeed, well. As I was saying," he turned to include van Horn in his view again, "the Wobbies are known for attracting the worst aspects of people. Any people. Add to that their crazy brainwashing camps we uncovered in the Chaos March, and you have the potential for them to field a good amount of locals as an opposition force."

Van Horn leaned back in his chair and frowned. "What you say sounds unfortunately true. However, will they? From what I heard on their radio chatter, and from what I saw of the few we encountered up close, they're short on equipment. Hell," he leaned back forward and rested his arms on the table, "they're using pre-Star League 'mechs and vehicles. That's something they haven't done before."

Vickers nodded. "I hear ya, but that doesn't mean that they can't teach any followers to make or use IDEs or Molotovs. Much like you did to attack that group you took on."

Van Horn grunted. "Yeah, you're right about that." He sighed. "So, when do we leave and talk to this big shot?"

"As soon as you can pry Mikula away from Alexis." Vickers said with a bemused look on his face.

Alexis watched the device that was called a 'Tri-D' monitor in wonderment. Although she hadn't had the intense English teaching schedule that van Horn had imposed on Mikula and Pavlo, she had had some of it taught to her before, and her natural curiosity helped her to learn fast. _And van Horn was right when he said that watching this strange form of entertainment would help. Words get repeated, and used in a manner that lets me decipher how they are used_.

It had been nearly a week since she had woken up, and true to van Horn's prediction, she was going to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Though she had another week of outpatient care, and then some periodic checkups, she was predicted to have a full recovery. That fact alone had made Mikula as happy as Alexis when he heard that during one visit.

Alexis grinned and closed her eyes, remembering that visit. _Only a few days ago, and yet it feels like I've been this happy all my life_. What had made her happy was seeing Mikula every day, and the way he looked to be as happy as she felt whenever he visited. _I wonder if that means he does care for me?_ She wondered.

Then a knock came at the door, and she opened her eyes to see whom it was. Alexis smiled broadly when she saw van Horn walk into the room. "Earl. How good it is to see you." She said in Gatonese. _I want to practice English, but they insist that I don't bother to try too hard until I'm better_.

Van Horn returned her smile. "Hello, Alexis. How are you today?"

Alexis shrugged slightly, trying not to disturb the strange tubes stuck in her arms. "I still am a bit tired, but I'm glad to have company." She waved her right arm at the Tri-D set. "Even despite such extravagant entertainment."

Van Horn chuckled as he pulled up a chair to sit by Alexis' bedside. "In reality, that's not extravagant for us. But I see your point." He sat down with a sigh. "But, seriously, Alexis, do you feel up to talking about some things with me?"

Alexis frowned a bit. "I suppose. I take it that this isn't just about the small things we've been talking about?"

Van horn shook his head. "No, not quite. So if you want, I can come back and we can talk about this later."

Alexis shook her head slightly. "No, I'm fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Van Horn took a moment to collect his breath. "Well, I want you to tell me about all the stories you can remember about your people's origins."

She blinked. "Our origins? You mean the stories about the creators?"

Van Horn nodded, and Alexis was surprised at the intense look in his eyes. "Yes, most especially about them. Anything you can tell might be of help."

She frowned a bit, but nodded acquiescence. "Alright, where to begin then?" She leaned her head back and closed her eyes to think.

"The beginning is usually the best place." Van Horn said with mirth in his voice, which made Alexis smile a bit. She then brought her head back up and opened her eyes again to look at van Horn. "Well then, that would be the story of how the creators made our kind and the lupar.

"It starts at the beginning of time, so the story goes. It is said that the creators were all the Gods of our pantheon," she added in the English word deliberately, having heard van Horn use it once and immediately taking a liking to it, "and they were wandering the void that existed before all other things. They became bored, and began to play with their powers, creating all sorts of things, from the stars, to the sun, to the world. Well, my world." Alexis blushed a bit at the last part, knowing now that the story wasn't true.

Van Horn nodded and smiled gently. "Go on, Alexis. Every culture thinks the same thing at one time. So please, continue, and don't change anything on my account."

Alexis stuck her tongue out at van Horn. "Don't you think I know that?" She asked jokingly, and then sighed as she got back her train of thought. "Anyway, so the head God, Sheyana, decided to create something that would surpass all the other creations. So Sheyana went down to the world, into a mountain valley that he carved out of the living rock with his own claws. There, he created a magnificent city, which he called Basun, and he created a race of beings to inhabit it, which were the Gatón. He then became the undisputed ruler of Basun and he treated the Gatón fairly.

"But his wife, Grakia, grew jealous that Sheyana was spending all of his time creating and ruling the Gatón. So she, too, decided to prove herself great and powerful, and she created the Lupar."

Alexis took a breath and laid back on her pillow more. "Alexis, if this is too tiring, I can come back later, or tomorrow." Van Horn said with a concerned look on his face.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, I just needed a second. Where was I?"

Van Horn looked dubious, but he nodded. "You were talking about Grakia and the Lupar."

"Ah, yes." Alexis nodded. "So Grakia showed off her creation, but she had not paid as much attention to her work as Sheyana did, and so the Lupar were more violent, vicious even." She paused for a second and blinked a few times. "You know, I don't think I've ever realized how mean that is to the lupar."

Van Horn grunted. "Yes. But I don't think any of them would care, since they probably have the same, nasty story about your people."

"You're probably right." Alexis replied with a sigh. "Well, so being the wife of Sheyana, Grakia naturally wanted to have her creations live in Basun with those of her husband. Although Sheyana had doubts as to the ability of the lupar to live in his crafted city, he nevertheless agreed, as he loved his wife and could not turn her down.

"So the lupar came to live with the gatón in Basun. Despite Sheyana's misgivings, things went well, and for many years, everyone, the Gods, the Gatón and the Lupar lived in peace."

Alexis paused for another breath. "But then the Lupar began to become jealous of the Gatón, and they began to fight with Sheyana's creations. And despite Sheyana's rules, the Gatón, being a proud people, fought back. Eventually, it got so bad that the Gods left in disgust, and Basun fell into ruin as both races fought over its faded splendor.

"After that, the Gatón and Lupar went mainly our separate ways." Alexis finished and again paused for breath. "Was that good?"

Van Horn nodded and gave her a smile. "Yes, Alexis, that was very good."

A rumble came from the window to the outside, and they both started. Then van Horn got up and looked out the window, eventually turning back to the gatón with a sheepish smile. "It's nothing. Just the afternoon storms that occasionally come by the city."

Alexis returned the sheepish smile. "I thought I heard storms a few days ago, but I was too sleepy to be sure." she yawned, as if the mentioning of sleep was enough to make her want to fade out. "Oh excuse me."

Van Horn shook his head slightly. "No, excuse me, Alexis. I've tired you out with your storytelling. Perhaps I should leave?"

Alexis shook her head in response. "No, please. Mikula hasn't been by today, and I'm kind of lonely, even if the nurses are nice and polite."

Van Horn smiled and sat back down. "All right, but I won't bother you with any more stories for now." He sighed and sat back in the chair. "So, since you told me a story, do you want to know anything in return?"

Alexis smiled a bit. "You could tell me where Mikula is."

Van Horn smiled back at her. "Ah. Well, he's been helping us a lot recently, and right now, he's helping some of my friends out by telling them some things about your world." _Getting too close to stressful topics here_, he thought and decided the change the subject a bit. "He and Pavlo have also been able to go out and visit the city at times."

Alexis smiled again. "Really? Mikula told me about it, how there are buildings larger than mountains, and strange vehicles like your _Darter_, and ones that fly through the sky." She sighed. "I so want to see it all."

Van Horn reached out and patted Alexis on her right hand. "You will, Alexis. I promise that when you're better, I'll take you and Mikula and Pavlo out and show you some things that will give you stories to tell your children and grandchildren for years to come."

Alexis blushed a bit, though her tail seemed too limp to want to move. "You think I will be able to have kids? Even after being hurt so bad?"

Van Horn frowned. "Alexis, what do you mean?"

"Well, there are all kinds of stories that get around my people's villages." Alexis replied, her ears lying even further back on her skull, as she got worried. "Although only men fight, usually, we sometimes hear of an occasional woman who has some vendetta to settle. Usually after she's been stabbed in the gut and left for dead." Alexis tilted her head down. "Sort of like me, and the stories say that leaves them sterile..."

"Alexis, look at me." Van Horn said, and he waited until she did so. "I haven't lied to you yet, have I?" He paused and she shook her head. "I am telling you this, that you are going to be as fit and well off after you recover as you were before you were hurt." _Perhaps even better off, with all the vaccines and antibiotics the doctors gave you_. "You may have been hurt bad, but you can still have children."

Alexis smiled and closed her eyes. "That's good. Very... Good...." And then she drifted off to sleep.

Van Horn sighed as he let go of her hand and stood up. _Poor thing I tired her out._ He reached out and grabbed the Tri-D control and turned the device off. _I hope my recorder didn't pick up any of that crap_, he thought as he walked to the door. _But this _is_ a Telesian Model FEHR-5009, one of the best recorders available in the entire Human Sphere. It'll have her words and it can erase the stuff that isn't in her voice_.

Van Horn felt kind of bad, recording Alexis when she didn't know about it. _She probably wouldn't have minded anyway, but I don't like to keep things from my friends_. He sighed as he walked out the door and down the hallway, heading towards the elevator bank. _Still, I didn't want her to feel even more pressured, not when she still needs a lot of rest._

What was unknown to Alexis or the Farkas brothers was that she was actually being induced to be tired by the medical drugs being fed into her system via intravenous drip. _But this way, she heals faster, since the other drugs she's getting increase her body's repair abilities. This way, all her energy is being used by her body to adapt to the new organs and finish up the healing of her wounds instead of keeping her awake._

That thought brought on another sigh as van Horn reached the elevator bank and pressed the call button. _She's going to have scars thanks to doc Jennings keeping her from healing... But this way, she can recover in a fraction of the time than with conventional treatments._ The doors to one car opened and let out a single orderly, van Horn quickly moved to get in it and waited for the doors to close before pressing the number of the floor he wanted.

Even as the elevator lurched and began its descent, van Horn's thoughts went back to what Alexis had mentioned. _"Will I be able to have kids?" She asked... Thinking about the future already?_ Even as part of him warmed up at Alexis' positive outlook, the rest of him became troubled at the recent genetic discoveries. _Mikula and Pavlo were both generous, allowing us to sample their DNA. True, they may not have fully understood it, but when I explained that it was what made them, they still didn't mind when I told them that it might help us understand their people better_.

The tests had come back with almost the exact the same results that they had gotten with Alexis' DNA. _49 human chromosomes in the section of their DNA that determines species, obvious evidence of gene tampering... And again, what genetic drift we can find indicates at least seven centuries' worth of time since then_. Van Horn sighed as his monolog continued. _I mean, sweet Jesus! Sakamoto wasn't kidding when he said that our three species are biologically compatible!_ He shuddered at the implications. _Someone, from at least the dawn of human starflight, engineered the ancestors of the Lupar and Gatón with human DNA, turning them into anthropomorphic beings capable of..._ He couldn't bring himself to even create words in his head for what his unconscious had pieced together, and was now feeding his conscious mind.

"Oh, dear God..."

Ten days later, van Horn carried out his promise. They had been put up at the military base's annex that lay just across the river from the main base, which sat near the spaceport. Although it was for their security, it was also intended to keep knowledge about Bowman's Planet secret, especially after the genetic discoveries that served to challenge a typical citizen's ideas about the nature of the galaxy.

However, even the military can't keep everything secret, and so word began to get out through the base's civilian workers. Still, Admiral Fitzpatrick had exerted his influence over the local commander, who had used his influence to quietly bring in representatives of Neo Tokyo's main news media concerns and several city council members into his office and explained, in no uncertain terms, that the three aliens were guests of the federal government. He then asked them to be quiet about their presence until they left the planet, "so we can avoid any misunderstandings," he had said.

_After tonight, it won't matter either way_, van Horn thought as he and the three natives of Bowman's Planet rode out in a NewChev limousine from the annex for town. He had promised them a night out, and unbeknownst to him, the military had made itself bound to that promise, as he had been reactivated from his reserve status by order of one Colonel Hubert Sakamoto, brother to the doctor that had treated Alexis.

Van Horn shook his head and smiled inwardly. _It's nice to have friends in high places_, he mused. Approval for Operation 'Last Call' had come in while Alexis had been recovering, and so the National Guard had been activated by Presidential order to 'provide all due assistance to the Federal Navy and Mobile Infantry in their duty to defend the Republic.' In the wake of that profound order came the rapid mobilization of the National Guard and Militia elements, and Colonel Sakamoto had used his authority to reactivate van Horn under the Able-Body Act to serve as 'indigenous peoples liaison.' Some people might have seen it as Shanghaiing him, but van Horn had met the colonel and explained the situation, much like he had to do with Ladavic and Fitzpatrick.

_And so he gave me a legitimate reason to return to Bowman's Planet_, van Horn remembered with gratitude, since until activated, he wasn't allowed to take transport on military vessels unless such vessels had rescued him as the _Rodger Young_ had done. Now, however, his reactivation gave him the duty to return, thus fulfilling his promise to help the Lupar and Gatón.

The limousine slowed as it entered heavier traffic, bringing van Horn's thoughts back to the current situation. He smiled as he looked over the three others in the car with him. _What a wonder tailors can do, even with people who need tail holes in their outfits_. The Sakamotos were an old family, whose roots had a direct path back to ancient Japan. They thus prided themselves on hospitality, and Hubert Sakamoto felt it was his duty to treat the guests of his government with style.

Again, van Horn smiled at how his friends looked. _Amazing what a little bathing and simple grooming can do, as well_. The three had initially balked at the idea of bathing every day, but they had, like any rational person, come to like the idea. In addition to that, Lieutenant Vickers had a friend in a good tailor, and now the three non-humans were dressed as if born to modern life. Mikula and Pavlo were dressed in conservative-cut suits of a Western nature, while Alexis was dressed in a moderate blue dress that, again, was cut conservatively, but still would make her a head-turner to any male gatón, had any existed within thirty light-years. _Or even any open-minded human even..._ Van Horn shook his head slightly at that thought. _Goddamnit! I've got to put that theory on hold... At least until I've got more proof than the mental ramblings that make me look like a damned pervert!_

The limo then stopped, and again van Horn found that he had again let his mind wander. _I need a day job_, he joked to himself as the car's driver opened the right side door. Van Horn waved at the three non-humans. "Y'all go first."

Alexis smiled and she got up first, using her smaller stature to get a head start at leaving the limo. Mikula soon followed, being closer to the door, and then Pavlo and finally, van Horn.

They stood on a sidewalk that had been cleared of the immediate area by three familiar faces that gave the passers-by stern looks of warning. Marks, Castellano, and especially Osis made an impressive, if unofficial escort. Van Horn grinned behind their backs, happy for their help. _Damn good people_.

Van Horn then looked to see how the other three were doing, and he wasn't surprised to see them entranced by the vistas around them. The entire street was chocked with cars as far as the eye could see. Fortunately, though, electric or fusion-powered cars were required if one wanted to live in Neo Tokyo and not pay an extravagant tax for the privilege of owning a car with an internal combustion engine. Thus, pollution in the city was minimal, for which van Horn was thankful, as his friends had far more sensitive noses.

The natives from Bowman's Planet, however, were not just looking at the street, but they kept turning their heads, looking at the people who walked the sidewalks - a fortunately small amount, since they had picked a theater in a less populated part of the city to visit - and the view of the city skyline, closer as it was than at the base and outlined by the sunset.

"Well, if you three want to stand all night, we can. But we'll miss the movie." Van Horn said to get the little outing back on track. The rest of the group looked to him, the non-humans blushing in their own species' way, while the three M.I. troopers just shared looks and smiled. Then Osis turned and led the way, cutting a path through the small crowd that had started to gather and look at the aliens. However, the group moved inside quickly and quickly met with the theater manager, who had an arrangement with the local military bureaucracy. Within moments, they were upstairs in the balcony, which had been cordoned off for the night.

"So, what is this we are going to watch?" Mikula asked after they were all settled into their seats. The non-humans got the row directly at the front of the balcony, while the humans sat behind them. Thus, Mikula had to turn in his seat to be able to look at van Horn and the others as he spoke.

Marks was the one to reply. "It's an old, old movie, from before our race took to the stars."

"Really?" Mikula had a curious look on his features. "So what's it about?"

"About space travel and fighting in the stars." Castellano said with a grin.

This prompted the other two aliens to turn around and look at the group behind them. "What?" Pavlo asked, clearly confused. "Why bother to see entertainment about something you already do?"

This time, van Horn answered with a smile of his own. "Because it's not the setting that's important, Mikula. Just like the stories of your people don't generally always occur in a real place, we use fictional places to tell our stories. This story we're about to see it over a thousand years old, but it's based on similar stories that are thousands and thousands of years older than that."

"Wow." Alexis said quietly. "It must be quite the tale, then, to be retold like that."

"It is, Alexis, it certainly is." Van Horn replied as the lights dimmed and the crowd in the main theater seating below hushed. Van Horn gestured to the three in front of him to look forward, and they did so just as the opening strains of the score began, and the bright yellow letters appeared on the screen and scrolled upwards.

Mikula warily picked up the unusual food placed before him. "What is this called again?" He asked van Horn, who sat across from him.

"It's called a 'double bacon cheeseburger.'" Van Horn replied between the bites he took from his own sandwich. They sat with their friends at a fast food place that was walking distance from the theater that they watched their movie. Castellano had suggested it, having been out to the same area days before and he had proclaimed the restaurant, 'one of the best slop shops this side of New Washington.' Although a bit trepid at the thought of walking a few blocks, van Horn had decided that it wouldn't be too bad, since the sun had long set, letting night drop its curtains over the city. The group had gotten strange looks, though, and not a few people managed to take pictures from a distance, though ones up close were asked nicely to respect the privacy of the three non-humans.

Van Horn mused over this as Mikula finally bite down on the cheeseburger, and began to chew. When he closed his eyes, smiled, and let his ears lay back, van Horn knew that the lupar liked the food. "Tasty, isn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm." Mikula replied with a full mouth. Next to him, Alexis and Pavlo also began to try their food, which was subtly different from the more traditional meals that the military served.

Of course, their trepidness hadn't applied to the humans, and the three M.I. troopers had already devoured half their meals. "Toldja they'd like it." Castellano said to van Horn as he finished his first chicken sandwich.

Van Horn smiled in reply. "Yes. Yes you did, Dan. But I still say you suggested this place just so you could get fat off the government payroll."

Castellano feigned an innocent look. "Why, you wound me sir!"

"I wish he would," Osis spoke up, "because maybe then we'd get some peace and quiet."

Everyone who didn't have food in their mouth laughed, and even those chewing made amused sounds. "Well, some thanks I get for showin' y'all a good place to eat." Castellano said with a hurt look on his face.

Alexis finished swallowing a bite of her own cheeseburger. "Seriously, Dan, we thank you."

Castellano smiled broadly. "I know, Alexis. We're just playing around." He turned and smacked Osis on the arm. "Ain't we, tubby?"

"'Tubby?'" Osis asked in mock astonishment. "I'll have you now my problem is glandular."

Another round of chuckles passed through the group before van Horn spoke up again. "All right, people, let's eat before this stuff congeals to the table and we have to use a chisel to get it off." A chorus of agreements came and the group quickly ate, self-conscious of the looks they got from the other patrons in the restaurant.

_I'll bet that half of them aren't because of our friends, here,_ van Horn mused,_ but rather because all of use are dressed far too nicely or a fast food joint._ They hadn't really planned on anything specific for the night, seeing the excursion as an excuse to taste the freedom one gets from dumping a day planner into the trash.

"So, what do you three want to do now?" Van Horn asked as they all finished their food. "There's lots of things yet to see in the city."

Pavlo responded first. "But, isn't night falling? Aren't people going back home?" He asked quizzically.

"Well, yes, most are. But big cities like this are lit up all night long, and they never truly sleep." Van Horn answered with a shrug. "So there's always something to do, even during the middle of the night. Although, of course, your choices do grow limited."

"Fascinating." Mikula mumbled from where he sat between Alexis and his brother. Well, what is there for us to see?"

At this, Marks leaned forward and joined the conversation. "Well, there's always the art and history museums, they're open until twenty-three hundred. Or we could take a tour of the governing building, but we'd have to hurry there because they close in two hours."

"There's also Wickham's World." Castellano said, mentioning a Republic-wide amusement park chain. "They have some new rides at the Neo Tokyo park that haven't been built at some of their other parks."

Van Horn cleared his throat at that. "Sorry, Dan, but we really can't go beyond the northern quarter. Colonel Sakamoto was pretty clear on that."

"Oh," Castellano looked crestfallen. "I guess that makes sense. Easier to keep rumors under control if they only happen in one part of the city, I guess."

"Yeah. So what does that leave us?" Van Horn asked. Marks spoke up then. "Well, I know I'm going to get ribbed for this, but there's always the Kitty Kami Mall, and we could browse the shops."

"Women," Osis mumbled, which got him a jab in the ribs. "Ow! Damnit, Jen, I was only kidding."

Marks shook her head at the large man. "Kidding or not, I'll kick your ass."

"All right you two, chill out." Van Horn said, and then he turned to face the three non-humans. "Okay, in the area we can visit, we have an art museum, a mall - that's a big market of sorts," he added when he saw the aliens' eyes blink in confusion. "And Now that I think about it, there's also a nice, large park we could visit, if any of you are tired of the constant cityscape."

Alexis was the first one to speak. "Can't we do all three? I would love to visit a museum and see what your people do in artworks. But I would also like to see what kind of market places you have."

Osis shifted in his seat, which prompted a dirty look from Marks. "Don't say it, Johnny."

"What? I was just trying to take pressure off the ribs you bruised a few minutes ago." Osis replied matter-of-factly.

"Sure. Just remember, I got my eye on you."

Van Horn again cleared his throat to bring everyone's attention back to him. "Okay, we have a proposal by Alexis to see the museum, the mall, and the park. Any objections?" There were none.

Alexis lay down on the grass of the park, facing the sky. "Earl was right, I did miss this."

Mikula chuckled as he sat down next to her. "I guess you miss the ability to blend into the background, eh?"

Alexis razzed him and lightly kicked at him with her foot. "What does Earl always say? Ahh, yes. 'Mr. Smart-ass.'" She replied playfully. "You know that I'd have to be half-naked before my fur lets me blend in."

Mikula blushed at that, and he scratched his head in the manner that he had picked up. "Ah, yes, well..." He coughed and tried to change the subject. "Anyway, it is nice to feel simple grass and smell trees and dirt again."

Alexis propped herself up on her elbows and grinned at Mikula. "You're blushing." _How cute._

"Yes, well... You caught me by surprise there." Mikula replied, looking about. "Say, where did the others go? I thought they were just right by that pond."

Alexis looked, but she continued to grin a bit. "Well, Dan did say there was a statue of someone important they wanted to look at. Perhaps they left to go look while we rest?"

"I... I guess." Mikula said, suddenly nervous. "I am just a bit concerned, being someplace new, and all."

Alexis pushed herself all the way up into a sitting position before replying. "Well, you didn't have too much trouble adjusting back at Kuamket. I think you'll be fine here."

Mikula sighed. "Yes, well. In all fairness, you had more to do with that then my own abilities."

"No, Mikula, you were - and are - a very smart man." She reached out and grabbed his right hand in both of hers. "I may have helped, but all the help in the world wouldn't be enough if you weren't."

Mikula blushed again, so deep this time that Alexis wondered if his ears would fall off. "Perhaps you are right." He said quietly, gently pulling his hand free. "And perhaps it's good that the others have left, because I wanted to speak with you about something. Alone."

Alexis tilted her head in puzzlement, one ear flopping down to match the pitch. "Oh?" she asked, and her heart raced a bit. _I wonder? Earl said that I was very ill... Did he tell Mikula?_ "Why so secretive, then?"

Mikula stood up suddenly, his nervousness too much for him to sit still. "Not secretive, not really." He said as he began to pace a bit. "It's just... Something I wanted to tell you. Something I don't feel like anyone else knowing?"

Alexis stood slowly and walked to where Mikula paced. "What is it then?"

Mikula stopped in his pacing, only a couple of steps from Alexis. _How do I put this? How do I admit something so... Unusual, preposterous even? Will she laugh at me? Treat me with disgust? Or just feel sad and pity me?_ He knew that by far, the last thought would hurt him to worst. _No matter what, however, I cannot stop now_. Mikula took a breath, and then turned to face Alexis.

"Alexis..." He started, but the look in her eyes made him mentally stumble. _So open, so caring..._ He closed his eyes and took another breath. "There's just no easy way for me to say this, Alexis, so please, if I stumble or sound... Odd, will you bear with me?"

"Of course." Alexis said, and she began to feel nervous too, prompting her tail to wrap itself around her leg.

Mikula opened his eyes and looked at her again. _Now or never_. "Alexis, I've learned many things in the last couple of months. Grand things, from this beautiful city and its people," he swept his right arm out, indicating the massive buildings of the city center as they glowed with lights, "to bits of knowledge that even the most learned lupar wouldn't know in a hundred lifetimes.

"But out of all of that, I keep finding that some of my best memories were of those early days in Kuamket, learning about you and your people." Mikula paused for a quick breath. "But, what makes them so special isn't so much the place, or the time..." He trailed off, again finding the words difficult.

"Mikula..." Alexis began, but he held up a hand. "No, please. Don't interrupt, because I don't think that I could begin again if you do."

Mikula waited until she nodded her head, and then he started again. "Even after Kuamket was attacked, I didn't lose hope. Even after we fell under attack again and again, I still looked forward, still had faith that whatever happened, things would be all right.

"But then..." He took another breath as his emotions welled up. "Then you got hurt. When I saw you fall to the ground... I felt like my own heart was ripped from my chest." Mikula sniffed as he fought his memories. "I pulled you in, and held you, and when you opened your eyes, I felt relieved. But then they closed again and... And for the first time in a long time, I felt no hope. I felt as if the world could end and I would not care. I felt that I could not live to see tomorrow..."

Mikula lowered his head, and he looked at his feet. "From then on, until you awoke in the hospital, I worried about you. Almost all of my waking thoughts would have been just about you, lying in pain, had not Earl kept me busy. But still, between those times when Earl kept me busy, my thoughts returned to you."

He sighed, but still looked down. "Over time, I slowly realized one thing. And I must tell you this before we go back home, back to war and our possible deaths." At that, he looked back up at Alexis, who saw that his eyes were wet with the promise of tears. "I love you, Alexis."

The moment stretched, as both of them looked at each other, the distant rumble of a dropship taking off punctuating the scene. Then, Alexis sniffed. "Oh, Mikula." She quickly moved the few steps to Mikula and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too. I think I've always loved you ever since I saw you..." She whispered softly.

Mikula hugged her back, wrapping his larger arms around to clasp them at the small of her back. He said nothing, but simply brought his head down and nuzzled the side of Alexis' head, sticking his snout next to her ear. "I was so worried...." He muttered softly. "Worried what you would say, if you didn't feel the same."

Alexis leaned her head back, away from Mikula's and she brought her right arm from its hugging position to snake it under Mikula's arm. Reaching up, she gently grabbed the end of his muzzle and clasped it shut with her hand. "Hush." She said, and then she removed her hand, and stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.


	21. Chapter 21

They couldn't leave right away, of course, as any military operation cannot be launched too quickly, even more so when the vagaries of interstellar travel intercede to slow things down. The time was well spent, however, as the local National Guard needed to be assembled and run a few drills to 'get the cobwebs out,' as the old saying goes. In addition, with a large portion of the Guard leaving, the local Militia had to be called up to be ready to engage enemy forces that may sneak in during the Guard's absence. Other factors also have to be taken into consideration. Supplies had to be loaded onto transports, and ships and reinforcements had to be culled from nearby systems.

In addition, the four people who had been rescued from Bowman's Planet now needed to be readied for a return that would be met with force. Van Horn, especially, needed to get back into prime shape if he was to take Battle armor into the field again, as well as receiving a refresher course in the finer points of battle armored operations.

The three natives of Bowman's Planet too, needed some training as well. Although not officially part of the military, van Horn and Colonel Sakamoto had found an old, almost-forgotten regulation that could allow 'embedded civilian observers' into combat vessels and units so long as they were trained 'to protect themselves and the troopers they are embedded with.' Since no one really wanted to keep them on New Honshu against their desire or will, they had been given the roles of being interpreters and guides for the task force that was beginning to assemble.

Van Horn watched part of that force arrive, as he stood on the roof of the barracks building that he and the Bowman's locals had been put up in. He looked across the river and out towards the spaceport, where a pair of massive spheroid DropShips made their final descent. _Wow, an_ Artemis_ and a_ Clysdale, he thought to himself. _Between them, they carry five companies of battlemechs and Army battle armor. Over a battalion of the best equipped forces this side of Tukayyid. _And_ the best trained._ He thought with some pride. The regiment that the arriving forces belonged to were from the 7th Division's 5th Marauder Regiment (Desert Thunder), a force known for it's daring counterassault on one of Clan Star Adder's bases that they used to mount their abortive invasion of the Republic several years before.

_To think that we have such a force coming to help!_ Van Horn thought as the 18,000-ton _Clysdale_ landed first, sending out a muted thud that he could feel though the soles of his feet, even being nearly two kilometers away. _Well, part of their regiment, anyway_. The Desert Thunder could only spare two battalions from their home garrison on the planet Arrakis, their Alpha and Bravo battalions being deployed to reinforce the border near the Outworlds Alliance and the moving Snow Raven armadas. _Still, it should be enough to reinforce the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers' Regiment_, van Horn mused, thinking of the local name for the National Guard unit that was being activated. The mixed force of tanks, 'mechs, and armored infantry was sending almost the entire regiment, save two companies that would remain with the Militia and help to defend their homes.

As the much lighter (5,700 ton) _Artemis_-class transport landed, van Horn turned and headed for the roof access door that he had used to gain the excellent view of the spaceport. Within minutes, he was back at the second floor of the building where he slept. Small partitions had been erected between several of the beds to provide him and the three aliens some privacy, _though with the way we've all been training, we haven't been able to use the beds or the privacy much_. Even as he thought that, van Horn walked and sat down on his own bunk and lay back to think for a minute.

His most pressing though at the moment was related to the training that he and his three friends were engaged in. _I can see mine, but they didn't have to do any at all._ He was surprised at the determination of the three to go and help, by any means necessary. _Which means weapons and limited physical training. Mikula and Pavlo have their previous soldier's training, which is surprisingly decent for such a primitive force, and Alexis is just determined as Hell_. Van Horn sighed. _Not like she hasn't seen the worst war can offer. She's lost friends, neighbors, even gotten hurt terribly herself. She's as tough as they come_. Still, the idea that the three natives of Bowman's Planet receiving training in the latest Republic weaponry made him sad. _The last of their innocence is leaving... To be replace with, what?_ It was said that innocence was the most precious of commodities, for everyone lost theirs at some point, and all wished to have it back. _How long until they mourn its loss?_

_God, I'm getting angsty lately_. He thought with some bit of self-disgust. Van Horn then stood and stretched. _I just feel attached to them. Like they're almost my kids and I'm their father, or something. Oh, hell, maybe that _is_ what this is about?_ He wondered, and then filed through his memories. _I've basically had to teach them all about modern life, help protect them, take care of their wounds... Shit! _He blinked hard. _I might as well have had a damn kid, and I'd be doing all that crap._

_Okay_, van Horn continued to think as he walked out of his bunk area and headed towards the stairs, _so that explains the trepid feelings about them going back with the counter-invasion force._ He sighed as he reached the stairs and began the trip down. _I still don't like it... But at least I know why._

_But even fathers have to let their kids stand on their own at some point_, the small voice at the back of his mind reminded van Horn. He sighed as he reached the bottom of the stairs and walked through toe door to the outside. _That's right, they do._

"Dr. van Horn?" The person that appeared in front of him as he had opened the door asked. Blinking in surprise at the encounter, van Horn simply nodded, prompting the brown-haired woman in front of him to salute. "Private Jensen. Lieutenant Rodriguez sent me to bring you to PDHQ."

Van Horn returned the salute, and frowned a bit. "Is there a problem, private?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, sir. The Lieutenant just asked me to go and get you."

He sighed. "Very well. I presume you have a ride, then?"

"Yes sir," she replied with a nod. "I have a jeep around the corner. If you'll follow me?"

"Lead on."

Alexis sighed as she worked on cleaning the lens of the ER Laser Rifle that she had been using only a few minutes ago. _So much you have to learn to use these effectively,_ she marveled as she finished the lens and turned to cleaning the lasing cavity. _Not just in aiming and firing them, but also in their maintenance. Still, Mikula and Pavlo said that swords and bows are similar, in that it takes practice and cleaning to keep them effective_. She looked up to where the two lupar were also working on cleaning their weapons, Mikula working on an M-200 assault rifle, and Pavlo on a combat shotgun. Standing nearby was a pair of instructors who had had the three non-humans go through the entire process from start to finish several times a day for the last five days. They were getting to be good shots, and Alexis had learned how to strip and maintain her selected weapon.

After a few moments, she finished cleaning the rifle and put it back together. _Much easier than the ones Mikula and Pavlo are working on._ With an extra minute or two until they finished their post-firing cleaning, Alexis took a moment to look around the room and reflect.

The room was just inside the building that served the firing range no the outskirts of the military base's developed area. Although it was warm outside, as this hemisphere of New Honshu was in it's summer months, the indoor area was air conditioned, which made Alexis thankful. The interior of the room was simply painted in an off white, and rows of tables stood throughout the room for an entire platoon to clean their weapons at once. Now, however, it was empty, save for the three non-humans and the two instructors who stood near the doors that lead to the rest of the building.

Alexis sighed again. _It's so amazing, how different things are. If a few months ago, someone had told me that I'd be sitting on another world, cleaning a weapon that no one could have even imagined, then I would have called that person a liar. And yet, here I am._

Just then, the door to the outside firing range opened and a person walked in. Alexis looked over and saw a tall, black-skinned man. The man took a quick look around to let his eyes adjust, and then he walked over to the two instructors and spoke quietly with them. Mikula and Pavlo paused in their cleaning and looked up as well, and they all strained to catch the newcomers words, despite their large ears.

Finally, the newcomer turned around and walked over to where the three had been working. "Hello, folks. I'm Private Dunlop. I've been sent to get you three and take you to the planetary command post."

Mikula tilted his head quizzically. "May I ask why?"

Dunlop shrugged. "I don't really know. I was just told to get you three there soon. So if you'll come with me, you're excused from the rest of the day's training."

Mikula shrugged, and then stood up, Alexis and Pavlo mirroring him. "Alright then, if we're asked for."

"Good. Now, please follow me." Dunlop said and walked to the door to the outside and went through. Mikula, Pavlo and Alexis all shared a look of confusion, but they quickly moved off and caught up with Dunlop as he strode around the building and towards the administration building of the base.

Around them the base was bustling. Trucks and jeeps drove about, hauling cargo and people back and forth. Many people also walked, and several times these were people in battle armor, moving about to make sure that their systems were working effectively. Overhead, VTOLs flew about, performing drills, and even higher, aerospace fighters soared through their own practices.

Alexis marveled at it all. _I know these are machines of war, and this whole compound serves only to fuel their engines_, she thought. _And yet, I cannot feel a sense of wonder and awe, and even admiration at these works. Imagine, spending so much time and effort on such powerful machines..._

She had to pause in her thought as they entered the headquarters building, passing into air conditioning once again. _Ah. As much as I have to admire their war machines, I cannot help but to adore their mastery of their environment!_ From the way their tails seemed to perk up and wag a bit, Alexis could tell that Mikula and Pavlo felt the same way. She stifled a grin and shook her head a bit, having noticed the similarity of their moods to the animal known as a 'dog' that the humans had.

_Now, there's another thing to be amazed at_, Alexis thought as her attention shifted. _To think, an animal they domesticated thousands and thousands of years ago, and they take it with them out into the stars_. Alexis remembered actually seeing several of the animals being 'walked' by someone on the streets of Neo Tokyo, and she was amazed that there were creatures like the lupar on many other worlds. Then she had taken some time to do some looking through something called an 'encyclopedia' with van Horn's help, since she still couldn't read English much. _And _that_ is just as amazing as well! Imagine, creating a series of books that lists almost anything you could ever want to know about in alphabetical order, gives you a bit of information, and then tells you how to learn more! Their whole society is built upon educating people so that they can make the best decisions._

Then they reached the stairs that led into the basement. Walking down, they then took the corridor to the bank of elevators that serviced the command center. A quick wait and soon they had a car and they descended another fifty meters into the ground. The idea of all that rock and soil above them still made Alexis nervous, but her previous visits had proven that it was as safe as any other building.

Finally, the doors opened and they walked through another short corridor, finally arriving at a small alcove where two guards decked out in ablative-flak vests, helmets and boots/greaves stood on either side of the double doors that led to the planetary command center. Each one was fully armed, carrying an M-9680 Pulse Laser Rifle, holstered machine-pistols, and knives in their boots. Alexis subdued an involuntary shudder. _Now that I know what kind of force is represented in those weapons, and more importantly, the training needed to use them effectively; they are as fearsome as a horde of regular bandits back home_.

Dunlop walked up to the pair easily, however. "Private First Class Dunlop, escorting some visitors to see the Colonel." He said and handed the one on the left his pass.

The guard scrutinized it carefully, both through visual inspection and by passing it through a card reader. Finally, he had Dunlop press his hand against a wall-mounted palm-reader that again, confirmed who he was. The guard handed over the card with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that Dave. Regulations yanno."

Dunlop waved him off. "Ahh, it ain't nothin' George. Gotta follow the regs, always." He replied as he took his card back and looked back at the three non-humans. "Through here." He said, and he pushed open the doors. Alexis followed behind Mikula and Pavlo, and like them, she paused to look over the large room.

It was large, being easily large enough to hold a pair of armored personnel carriers. Circular in shape, the room had three levels, the outermost being on the same level as the doors. This and the next level down had all sorts of consoles for communication and coordination. The third, lowest level that sat in the center of the room contained a large holoprojector mounted in a circular table, around which there were chairs.

Alexis could see that around that table were several people, most of whom she recognized. Van Horn was the first she could see, but he was also joined by the imposing bulk of the Colonel, the stout form of Captain Ladavic, Lieutenants Vickers and Rodriguez (the officer of the National Guard put in charge of the three Bowmanites), and a man in a khaki uniform who Alexis didn't recognize. They all stood around the table, leaning over it and staring intently at a map that was projected just above the table/projector's surface.

Lieutenant Rodriguez looked up and waved Dunlop and the Bowmanites over, and the four quickly climbed the steps down to the area called 'the Pit.' Alexis followed after the other three, and soon they all stood next to the table, getting the attention of all involved. Dunlop drew himself to attention and saluted. "Private Dunlop, reporting as ordered with my charges."

Alexis saw Mikula and Pavlo draw themselves up into attention as well, thought they did not salute. _Well, might as well follow_, she thought and drew herself up into attention as well. _Why do the Lieutenants smile so?_

The Colonel returned the salute. "Thank you, Private. You are dismissed." He said, to which Dunlop saluted again, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room. Then Colonel Sakamoto turned to look at the three non-humans, nodded, and turned to look at van Horn. "Doctor, since you're such good friends, maybe you can explain."

Alexis felt something in her gut twist as the looks on the faces of those assembled around the table made her wonder just what was going on. Then van Horn cleared his throat, and nodded towards the three new arrivals. "Mikula, Pavlo, Alexis, I don't suppose that any of you recognize this map here?" He said, indicating the glowing holoprojections.

Mikula and Pavlo frowned in confusion, but Alexis quickly grasped the area being shown. "That's the area around Hercor." She said quietly, though inside her stomach roiled. _Oh Gods, what now?_

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. Now," he paused and pressed a few buttons, which made the map rotate so that the three arrivals could see the area from a top-down view. "Hercor is the gray mark in the center of the screen, right next to the blue of the river." Van Horn said, describing the legend. Another button press, and the map zoomed out to show the entire eastern portion of the continent, including a zone shaded red to indicate the dominion of the invading Wobbies. Within that zone, several red icons popped up. Although their exact meaning wasn't too clear to Alexis, she had seen and learned enough to know they denoted military units of some type.

Van Horn took a breath as several of these icons moved together from various Lupar cities under the Blakests' heel. "As you know, though we can't move a complete military force on-planet yet, we have kept an eye on things from orbit." He gestured to several icons that came so close that they merged, and then they began to move west. "What you're seeing here is information that tells us that the Blakests have managed to gather up enough Lupar to fight for them, and they are now making their move west." Even as van Horn spoke, two small, gray-colored towns beyond the Blakests' occupation area turned red with the arrival of the large formation that had gathered together, and the red-shaded zone expanded around them. "They have begun to conquer towns and cities initially too small or too far away from their initial landings to bother conquering.

"Now, however, they have taken these two, and their path leads them to Hercor." van Horn pressed another button, and a highlight appeared around a small gray mark that represented Hercor. To Alexis, it seemed dangerously close to the ever-expanding red zone.

The room fell silent as the three Bowmanites took this in. "What of our families? Have they left Hercor?" Mikula asked with some hope in his voice.

Van Horn's slight shake of his head, however, made the lupar crestfallen. "Not really." He then pressed another button and the map zoomed back onto Hercor, this time getting much closer in scale. Suddenly, on the west bank of the river, another path of gray grew. "From what our observations indicate, the members of the caravan have been able to take up residence across the river, apparently with the blessings of the ruling council of Hercor. Not surprising, I suppose, since they don't use anything on that side of the river." Van Horn mused quietly at the last. "Anyway, the point is, is that Hercor and your friends and families are in the path of a large, lupar army that is reinforced by Wobbie 'mech and vehicle forces."

Again, the room fell quiet. Alexis finally cleared her throat and spoke up after a moment. "So why are you telling us this? It's not like any of us three an do anything from here." Although her words might sound cold to one who didn't know her, van Horn could hear the pain in her voice that came with the pragmatic realization of her situation.

"But there is something we can do." Colonel Sakamoto said. "But it is a decision that does not come lightly."

"What decision?" Mikula asked.

Sakamoto again turned to van Horn, who sighed before speaking. "You know that it is taking us some time to gather our forces." H waited for the three to nod, and Pavlo even spoke up. "Yes, and we understand. Even in our armies, it takes weeks to ready a sizable force, and we aren't even trying to cross between worlds."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. We are still not fully ready, but we can send a force to defend Hercor and hold off the Blakests for some time. But, this force won't be able to take the fight back to the Wobbies, and in the meantime, it would be a serious target. Which means that Hercor could likely get caught in the crossfire." He took a breath. "But, if we wait, we can send word to Hercor's leaders by shuttlecraft from one of our orbiting ships to not resist the Blakests, so that they won't be hurt and they can wait for our full-force return."

"So that's the decision, is it?" Mikula asked thoughtfully. "Either go now, and defend Hercor, but make it even more of a target, thus raising the danger to it. Or leave it to the predations of the Wobbies?"

Sakamoto nodded, and then replied. "Yes, that is basically it. Since this is your planet, and you three are the only representatives we have, it's up to you to decide how we go in."

Alexis felt a heavy weight fall on her shoulders, and from the way Mikula and Pavlo's shoulders sagged a bit, she knew they felt it too. "Colonel, I may not be the most educated person here in matters of war," Alexis began quietly, "but thanks to van Horn's help, I have started to read about your history and the wars fought in your past. In such wars, does not the recapture of cities usually destroy those places, despite the best efforts of both sides?"

The Colonel nodded in admiration. "You have it correct, Miss Hurano," he said, using the last name that Alexis had been able to be addressed by for the first time in her life. "We can try to avoid the damage as much as possible, even to the point that we might be able to scare them out of the town without firing a shot." He paused to sigh. "Or the Wobbies can dig in so deep that we'll have to level the town, no matter how much we try not to."

Mikula, Pavlo, and Alexis all looked at each other. They traded a few quite looks, and then some small nods before returning to look back at the humans. "I think, that it is better to fight the Wobbies whenever we can, than to let them take another inch of ground."

Alexis was a bit surprised at the grins that erupted on all of the humans' faces. Although their moods soon sombered back down, she pondered the incident. _Well, it _is_ what their history shows, isn't it? I may have only read bits and pieces, but they have always been tenacious over even the smallest piece of land._

Then the man Alexis didn't recognize cleared his throat and spoke up. "Very well. So Colonel," he turned to Sakamoto, "how many troops can you lift off soon enough to get to that town before the Blakests do?"

"At the moment, Admiral? None." Sakamoto said, which caused the naval officers and the Bowmanites to lean back a bit in shock. "Then why ask us about this?" Pavlo asked.

"Because, while we cannot reach Hercor before the Blakests, we can arrive there only days afterward." He turned and walked to the control console, waiting for van Horn to move aside before he punched a few buttons.

The map shifted, and soon it split into two representations of two different towns. "These are the two townships previously taken by the Wobbies." Sakamoto then pressed a few more buttons and the frozen images of the Blakest army began to move forward. At one point on both maps, they simply stopped advancing and encircled the towns. "As you can see, the Wobbies think themselves fairly well set up, even knowing that we have ships monitoring them." The Colonel's tone left an unspoken insult in the air that the humans could realize. _Arrogant assholes_.

"Since they feel so comfortable, they enacted sieges of both towns, weakening the their defenders until they either surrendered, as in the top map, or were too weak, even for the Lupar contingent, as on the bottom map." As he spoke, the two towns turned red, one by itself, the other after small icons representing the native forces swarmed in. "In either case, they gave the towns about a week."

The man addressed as 'Admiral' nodded. "So you're saying that you can arrive and break their siege up? I hope they don't pull a Julius Caesar on you." He said bemusedly.

Sakamoto smiled a bit. "Ah, but the Gauls didn't have Mobile Infantry." He said, turning to the two Lieutenants, who smiled a bit.

Ladavic nodded her head and then spoke. "So, what's the plan?"

Days later, Alexis was wondering what the Hell she had gotten involved in as the g-forces pushed her back into her seat aboard an _ST-46P_-class shuttlecraft. Although an aerodyne, and thus not experiencing the rigors of vertical takeoff, the shuttle nevertheless had to accelerate quite a bit to get to orbital speed once in the air.

Despite the pressure of two gees, Alexis managed to move her head and look out the porthole she sat next to. Down below, Neo Tokyo glowed in the darkness of pre-dawn, its magnificent buildings partially obscured by the shadows of night made even more sharper by the massive amount of light the megalopolis threw off from its numerous buildings. Then the shuttle banked and all she could see was the sky and the numerous stars that lay in patterns her people had never known existed, and she turned to sit back in her seat.

"Going to miss it?" Mikula asked in the seat next to her. Alexis turned her head and smiled at him. "Not so much the city, as beautiful as it was, but more for the memories we have there."

Mikula blushed and gave her his lopsided grin. "Indeed. Though I am not surprised that the city doesn't draw you. You seemed to love those museums so much."

Alexis continued to smile, and she lifted up her hand despite the gees and laid it on top of Mikula's. "Yes I did. And I would even like to come here a gain in happier times." she sighed a bit. "But as I said, our time together is worth far more to me."

Mikula just blushed again, and he turned his head forward to keep from staring at Alexis. "Almost as much as they are worth to me." He said teasingly.

The flight went on, and they reminisced. Although soon they both became fascinated with the view from the craft, as both hadn't exactly had the pleasure of seeing the orbital oddities on their trip in. Again, van Horn relayed to them the varied information about the orbital facilities. From factories that fabricated Endo-Steel and Ferro-Carbide alloys for the military, to the shipyards that maintained the freighters and WarShips that plied the space near New Honshu, and finally to the large facility of Port Kure.

Then they docked, and moved out into the hallways of the massive space station, where Alexis soon had to be taught how to handle microgravity. Unlike the Farkas brothers, unfortunately, she had spacesickness, though like most people, it passed soon and she was learning how to bounce around with the best of them.

_Amazing how well they can adapt_, van Horn mused as they floated down the corridor that would lead them to where the USS _Rodger Young_ sat docked. _Only a few months ago, and they couldn't even tell you what micro-g was, and now they're floating around in it like it was nothing_.

They then arrived at a T-junction, and they all paused to make sure that no one was coming. Van Horn stuck his head out, looking left, then right, than left again in a pattern that had been drilled into his head when he was a child. _'Course, crossing the street is a bit more dangerous than floating in micro-g, but it's a useful habit_.

Then he heard Alexis squeal, and he twisted in space along with Pavlo and Mikula. Then van Horn smiled as he saw what had surprised the gatón. "Well, looks like you made a friend, Alexis." He said, gesturing to the animal that clung to Alexis' M.I.-issue undress grays.

"What is it? Get it off!" She said and writhed a bit to try and reach to where the animal clung to her back.

"Okay, okay, hang on. Grab a rail on the wall and stop moving, because it's only going to hang on tighter the faster you spin." Van Horn said with a chuckle as he pushed off the 'floor' and drifted to where Alexis followed his instructions. Once she stopped moving, he deftly plucked the cream-colored animal from her back easily and curled it up in his arms. "There. Now say hello."

Alexis turned slowly, and her eyes widened in surprise. "What is that?" She asked. _It looks like a smaller version of me!_ She thought. _Well, except for the color_.

Van Horn scratched the chin of the animal. "It's called a 'space cat.' It's modern variation on a species that humans domesticated soon after the dog." He said, and then slowly spun the cat. Unlike a ground-adapted animal, the little animal seemed to enjoy it as it drifted towards the relative ceiling. "Space Cats are just like the ones you find on most colonized planets, though they're smaller and are totally adapted to microgravity." He then laughed as the cat latched onto the ceiling and hopped off, aiming for and again landing on Alexis, who managed to simply stay still. "And this one likes you."

Mikula and Pavlo shared in the laugh. "Looks like we're not the only ones with relatives, eh Alexis?" Pavlo asked, referring to a time where she had joked about dogs and wolves to her lupar friends.

Van Horn, though feeling a slight twinge of discomfort over the hidden meaning he knew to be behind that statement, managed to smile. "Indeed. In any case, space cats serve a useful purpose in that they attack and kill vermin that can sneak up into ships and space stations."

Alexis brought her hand up and over to the cat, which then sniffed and licked it. "It's cute." She said. "But how do I get it off?"

"Don't like Thelma?" A new voice asked from behind the little group. The males all turned to look, while Alexis simply raised her head. 'Standing' in two magnetic slippers was a station crewman dressed in navy work coveralls. The brown-haired man was smiling, which robbed his words of any insult.

Alexis shook her head a bit. "No, it's not that I don't like him-" "Her," the man said politely. Alexis nodded and continued. "It's not that I don't like her, it's just that I don't know how I'm supposed to act around her, and it makes me nervous."

The man laughed a bit, and he walked over to pluck the space cat from where it sat on Alexis' chest. "Aw, Thelma's a harmless little cat, so you just act like you would around a friend, and she'll treat you like one."

Van Horn chuckled. "Sage advice for any cat. Thank you, Mr.?"

"Oh, sorry." The man said, and he simply tossed the little cat down the corridor he had walked from, and held out his hand. "Master Chief Michael McMann."

Van Horn shook the hand. "Dr. Earl van Horn. And these are-"

"Mikula, Pavlo, and Alexis?" McMann asked with a grin, and he smiled at the moment of confusion that passed over van Horn's face. "Sorry, but I think everyone on the station has heard of them. All the sailors on the _Rodger Young_ speak highly of them."

"Which is strange, as I was asleep during the trip." Alexis said, and she gestured to where the cat still floated down the corridor. "And anyway, doesn't that bother her?"

McMann grinned at Alexis. "Naw. Thelma's like most space cats, and she loves to float about. That is, when they don't have anything to do. When they want to go somewhere, however, they'll move faster than any human or other animal."

Alexis blinked, still looking at the cat as it finally came in contact with a wall. Then, to her surprise, it walked along the wall, clinging to it. "How does it stay attached like that?"

"Eh?" McMann twisted about to look at the cat. "Oh, that. All space cats have magnets implanted in their paws, so they can hold on if they need to." He shrugged. "Anyway, Sorry to meet and leave, but I'm on duty. Just wanted to keep y'all from getting bothered by Thelma."

Van Horn grinned broadly. "No problem, chief, and thanks."

Aboard the USS _Rodger Young_, Captain Ladavic reviewed the forces arrayed for the first push onto Bowman's Planet in her ready room. Being the senior captain of a WarShip, tactical control of the naval operation fell to her, and she busied herself with the manifest.

_Hmm, the _Young_, of course, and no other WarShips. Though the _Broadsword, Battleaxe _and_ Ajax_ will all be at the jump points to keep the escape doors closed. That leaves me with the two _Diomedes_-class assault ships already in orbit around Bowman's Planet, plus the old _Achilles_ that they dragged out of mothballs. That's good enough for ship to ship, and the _Cabot_ is supposed to boost in from the zenith point to support us with her fighters_. Ladavic mused over the assault force, marveling that one of the massive _Independence_-class DropShip fighter-carries was even _on_ this side of the Republic. _Then again, since when has the NCA liked to put all his eggs in one basket?_

She then looked over the lists of the transports and the troops they contained. _The _Young_ again qualifies, as does the Guardsmen's' two _Confederate_s, their own _Apollo_, and an older-model _LST. She sighed, wishing that National Guard units had more available transport. Given their defensive role, Guard units were seldom given many transports, save a few for shuffling forces across their planet, or to reinforce other, threatened planets with some - but not all - of their troops. _At least the 5th Marauders were nice enough to lend the Guardsmen their two _Gray Fox_es and can send one of their own detachments aboard a _Leopard.

Ladavic shook her head a bit. _Still, all that gives us is a reinforced company of 'mechs, an under strength company of armor, and three platoons of battle armored infantry._ She sighed. _I may not be a ground-pounder, but even I know that a short battalion isn't enough to withstand the full force of a Blakest Level IV_.

The intercom beeped, bringing Ladavic out of her ruminations. With a quick stab of her finger, she opened the line. "Yes?"

"Captain, we have taken on our last supplies and crew." Came the masculine voice of her first officer. "In addition, we have confirmation of the transport flotilla's liftoff from New Honshu."

Ladavic let go of the button and sighed again. _'Once more unto the breech.'_ "I'll be right there." She said and cut off the line. Slowly, she stood erect in the microgravity and straightened her uniform out. She took only a moment to compose herself, and then she walked to her door, letting it open itself and admitting her to the bridge.

"Captain on Deck!" Her first officer bellowed the ancient standard. Although most spacefaring crews had been spared the necessity of standing for their commanding officer, the bridge crew nonetheless awarded Ladavic such.

She felt pride swell in her chest. _Best crew in the Human Sphere,_ she thought as she walked over to sit in her chair. "I have the conn." She said as she passed where her first officer stood near the holotank. He nodded as she did so. "Captain has the conn."

Ladavic sat down and strapped herself in out of sheer habit. "Comm officer, open a channel to traffic control."

"Aye sir." The young woman said from her console, only taking seconds to look back at her captain. "Sir, Control on line one."

Ladavic pressed the appropriate button to engage the communication system built into her chair. "This is Captain Ladavic of the United Systems' Ship _Rodger Young_, requesting permission to depart."

"We hear your, Captain. Permission to depart is granted. Godspeed, _Rodger Young_." The young man's voice replied via the radio.

Ladavic nodded, though she knew that the other couldn't see her do so. "Thank you, Control. We'll bring you back some heads for you to nail to the outside of the station." She said, and then cut the channel off, switching to the intercom. "Engineering, Bridge. Report status on all ship's systems." She ordered. Although the operations officer would have verified it, tradition demanded that the captain double-check everything. _Some can disparage it, but I've seen it save lives_.

A moment went by, unsurprisingly, as Ladavic knew her chief engineer to be a thorough man. "Bridge, Engineering. Life Support is operating at full capacity, all electrical systems show no shorts, the main reactor is nominal. Fusion drives are warmed and standing by, and we have a full charge in the KF-Drive core and Lithium-Fusion battery system. All reports are green."

"Thank you, Engineering." Ladavic replied, and then cut off the intercom. "Docking officer, verify that all umbilicals and connections are deactivated and ready to detach."

The young man she addressed checked over his console again. "Captain, I show no active umbilicals at this time, and all access hatches are closed. My boards read green."

Ladavic nodded. "Detach the umbilicals." She said, and the man quickly pressed a few controls. Muted thumps could be heard through the ship's structure as compressed gas propelled the service umbilicals away from the hull.

Ladavic waited for a second after that, wanting to savor the moment. _As soon as I give the order, a quarter-million tons of fighting steel and flesh detaches from Port Kure to become mine to control once again._ She sighed mentally. _I'm getting too old for this shit_. "Helm, full thrusters dead astern."

"Full thrusters dead astern, aye." The helm officer replied and pulled back on her yoke. Within a split second, Ladavic felt as if something was pulling her up, and her hair, despite being tied into a bun, still felt like floating upwards. Ladavic ignored that, and instead felt another surge of pride that nothing floated up from the deck or consoles. _Good crew, they don't leave a thing unsecured._

The feeling of thrust continued, until the Helm officer spoke up again. "Captain, we are free of the docking collar, and we are moving away from the station at one meter per second."

"Cut thrust." Ladavic called, and the feeling of being pulled up stopped. "Helm, come left two-five degrees, up bubble eight seven degrees and then burn for one gee."

The officer relayed the orders back as it was custom, even as she moved to obey. This gave Ladavic time to lean back into her chair. "Sensors, display the Task Force on the main screen," she asked of the appropriate officer. Within seconds, the large screen in the 'front' of the bridge lit up and displayed a three-dimensional image of the _Rodger Young_, Port Kure, and the DropShips lifting off from New Honshu.

"Navigator, calculate course to Zenith jump point, and feed it to the helm. Helm, initiate course as soon as you get it." Ladavic gave her last orders for the moment. "Lets' get going."

Several days later, they arrived at the jump point. The small flotilla of eight DropShips and the _Rodger Young_ decelerating to meet the two JumpShips that would carry the force through two jumps.

Captain Ladavic Stood in the holotank, looking over the graphical representation of the flotilla under her charge. In addition to the DropShips, she now had an _Invader_ and a _Star Lord_ class JumpShips under her wing, which made her all the more nervous. _Even with the higher technology of the Republic, JumpShips are still immensely valuable_, she mused. _Now I have to spend half my time worrying about them, too._

Just then, the communications officer turned in his chair. "Captain, we have an incoming transmission zip-squealed from Port Kure, code level two."

Ladavic turned and walked out of the tank to look at the comm officer. "Only level two? Very well, pipe it into the tank."

"Aye sir." The officer responded and he began to feed the information to the holotank operator. Ladavic went into the tank and continued to gaze over the scene of the flotilla's DropShips docking to the JumpShips. Then, as she watched, a window popped into being in front of her, as the operator fed the transmission into the virtual monitor.

On the virtual screen appeared the crest of the Federal Navy, its golden anchor superimposed over a stylized version of Terra and surrounded by a wreath. Then the image dissolved to show the face of Admiral Fitzpatrick. Without preamble, he began to speak. "Captain Ladavic, since by the time this message gets to you, you'll be getting ready for the jump to Idaho, I'll make this brief.

"As you know, supplies for Operation Last Call are part of the reason for the delay we've had to endure before launching the operation. Although supplies have been cut loose from our reserves here in the New Honshu System, they are not enough to fully supply the full forces arrayed here." Fitzpatrick paused for a moment, and then smiled. "However, we just got word via HPG transmission that an _Invader_-class JumpShip belonging to an independent trader has agreed to an emergency contract to transport two _Charleston_-class attack transports. They both contain essential supplies for operating on a hostile planet, so you should be able to keep your stock of ammo, parts, and medicines in good order until the rest of Last Call's forces arrive in-system.

"Now, that should be making you happy enough right there, but it gets a bit better. Fleet Command has seen fit to move a Seabee contingent from their previous duty on Trantor. They were originally assigned to repair a staging base damaged during a groundquake, but they'll be with that _Invader_ as well. Hopefully, they'll be able to reinforce your initial landing zones, and maybe even work on initial base facilities."

Fitzpatrick then stopped smiling. "Here's the bad news, Captain. We can't afford any more escort forces at this time, and so you'll have to stretch what you've got thinner to cover the additional transports. In addition, the Seabees don't have anything special, only an old _Mule_ refitted with some minor factory tools for fabrication." He paused again and sighed. "In any case, they will be jumping into the Idaho system about a day after you get there, so don't be too surprised when you read them incoming.

"That's about it. Colonel Sakamoto reports that the rest of his regiment and the detachments from the 5th Marauders ought to be prepared on schedule, so they'll be only twenty days behind. Just keep our troops safe for that long, and y'all will be all right. Good luck, and God bless." With that, the screen ended with the seal of the Republic, and then the virtual screen disappeared.

_Great, more responsibility_, Ladavic thought with a mental sigh. _Ah, well. No use whining about it, just get it done_. She turned and walked out of the tank. "Mr. Falkirk, time until the flotilla is ready to jump?"

The operations officer quickly checked over the reports he was getting. "About two hours sir, and we'll be ready to jump."

Ladavic nodded at his reply. "Very well. You have the conn then. I'll be in my ready room, so call me when we're set to go."

"Aye aye sir."

Two hours later, van Horn was strapping himself into a chair in the observation lounge along with Mikula, Pavlo and Alexis, the latter a bit nervous over her first jump while conscious. "You are sure it won't hurt me?" She asked van Horn. "Mikula mentioned that it was... Very strange."

"You'll be fine, Alexis," van Horn replied with a reassuring smile. "After all, those two got through it okay." He gestured to where Mikula and Pavlo sat.

"Well, if _they_ survived, then I should be safe." Alexis said with a smile.

"Such a lack of faith in our abilities." Mikula said with mock astonishment. "I suppose I should be grateful that you don't feel the need to hold our hands when we walk to the mess hall."

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him. "You didn't seem to complain about it this morning."

Mikula blushed, all the worse because his brother and van Horn were there. "Uhh, heh. Perhaps." He reached up and scratched the back of his head.

Van Horn coughed. "Oh, excuse me." He said, drawing attention to himself and getting a thankful look from Mikula. "Anyway, Alexis, remember what I told you about jumpsickness. If you feel pretty bad for too long, then tell me and we'll see about helping you out."

Alexis nodded at that. "Very well, but I don't see what-" She was interrupted as the five tones of the final jump warning sounded, and she gripped her seat's armrests after she saw the others doing so. Then she saw the reason why, as everything around her dissolved into blobs and shapes that made no sense, yet seemed utterly familiar. As she watched, the blobs fractured into tiny shards, and each one reflected the light of the entire universe. For an instant, she thought she could see all things, and all times through the many shards, and her mind ached at the limitless information.

Then the hyperspace gate snapped closed, and reality returned to normality so fast that it left Alexis' mind spinning. "Oh... Dear Gods..." She said. "I don't... I don't think I have even felt that way before."

"It is quite the experience, isn't it?" Mikula asked from where he sat next to her. "And you're right, Earl. It's never the same twice."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Just got that now after your third jump?"

Mikula smiled a bit back. "Well, yeah. I didn't know if it was a fluke or not."

"Best two out of three." Pavlo added jokingly. They all shared a quick laugh at that, though it was made short by their continuing recovery from the effects of the jump. Finally, they felt better and the group unbuckled themselves and 'stood up.' "Well, you all were right," Alexis said. "That was... Beyond description, really." She looked at van Horn. "What did we see, exactly?"

Alexis was surprised as a look of frustration came over van Horn's face. "To tell the truth, Alexis, no one really knows," he said and walked off, heading for the mess hall, as again, they had avoided eating before a jump for Alexis' sake. The others followed him as he spoke. "Physicists tell us that we shouldn't be experiencing anything at all, since when we jump, we're not moving just the ship through hyperspace, but the entire 'bubble of Einstein-Hawking Four Dimensional space that the ships and its contents occupy. Therefore, we shouldn't see anything but the inside of... the... ship..." Van Horn trailed off, realizing that what he was saying might be too much to swallow. He stopped and turned around to look at the other three, and he was not surprised to see nothing but confusion on their faces.

Van Horn sighed. "I'm sorry, I got carried away again. The short answer is that, according to he idea, we shouldn't see anything special. But we do, and no one really knows why."

Alexis blinked hard at that. "You mean, there are things even your people don't know about what you do?"

Van Horn smiled. "Alexis, you sound surprised." She blushed. "Well, I just thought that, with all your people seem to know, that you'd be able to figure out these things."

Now van Horn blushed. "Alexis, that's very flattering to my race, but I think you place too much faith in us." He said and turned around to keep from becoming more embarrassed. He started off slowly, and the other three followed. "True, we've discovered a lot, but there's always more to find. Always."

They finished their walk in silence, which Alexis used to think about what van Horn had said. _Strange... Don't even know what their own ships do to them? What if it's something awful?_ She then gave herself a mental shake. _No. Earl says that they've been using this form of travel for eight centuries. If it were something bad, they'd have found out already. But then, he _did_ admit that they don't know everything... But no, we've gone through several of these 'jumps' already, and we're fine._

_Still, it's a strange way to travel._

"Initializing drive core. Jump in five... Four... Three... Two... One... JUMP!"

The navigation officer's last word became slurred halfway, as if it was played by a tape recorder that had run out of power. Reality fractured into billions of snaking trails of light that wiggled and pierced every living thing. For a moment, one could imagine seeing the cosmic strings that formed the basis of all reality. Then the hyperspace gate snapped shut, and the USS _Rodger Young_ and her crew ran headlong from their faster-than-light jaunt into a brick wall collision with Reality.

Ladavic's head swam with ghostly images of people and places she never knew... And would never know again, as they disappeared, leaving only the memory of their presence, but not of their content. Blinking her vision clear, Ladavic looked around the bridge.

The entire room was bathed in the dim light of console displays and the blue 'battle lighting' that accompanied a call to General Quarters: Battle Stations. Ahead of her, Ladavic saw her first officer working at his position at the secondary operations console. "Status Report, Mr. Kenner."

The officer looked back to where his captain sat. "All sections are reporting in. Everything and everyone seems to have come through without a hitch. Sensors are clearing from the jump effects, and will be ready in a minute. All fighters are on ready alert status and Lieutenant Vickers reports his platoon is ready to repel boarders."

Ladavic nodded. "Good," was all she said, and it was all her crew needed to hear. Jumping into a contested system was always nerve-wracking for any WarShip crew. Unlike conventional, transport JumpShips, WarShips were main battle units, and therefore legal targets under the Ares Conventions, subject even to attack by nominally-forbidden nuclear devices, if far enough away from an inhabited planet.

_Christ, you're full of happy thoughts today_, Ladavic mentally chastised herself. She was naturally worried, the jump into the PX-65098 system being one of the most dangerous parts of the mission for her task force. _Well, my part of it, anyway_.

"Sensors have cleared, Captain." Her operator relayed. Then he spoke again, louder this time. "Contact! I multiple sensor contacts between bearings 330, 010 X and 30, 130 Y." He called out, using the bearing references needed to translate an object in three-dimensional space.

"IFF?" Ladavic's first officer asked, speaking up so that his captain could process the information calmly.

"Interrogating now..." The sensor officer's voice was tinged with not a little amount of tension. Then his shoulders relaxed and Ladavic could hear the relief in his voice. "IFF confirmed. Contacts are USS _Battleaxe_, _Broadsword_, _Cabot_, and _Dunnellon._ They are holding at fifty kilometers."

Ladavic could feel the tension in the bridge evaporate like a fog after a bright dawn. Her communications officer then turned from her seat and looked at Ladavic. "Captain, incoming message from the _Broadsword_. It's Captain Euller, no special protocol."

Ladavic nodded. "On the main screen, then, Mr. Lanning." She said, and in two seconds, the two-dimensional image of her counterpart in the aging _Bonaventure II_-class corvette appeared on the screen. The dark-skinned, middle-aged man sat in the midst of his bridge. Unlike the _Rodger Young_, the _Broadsword_ was a ship so old that its construction predated the colonization of nearly a third of all human-inhabited worlds, and thus the small bridge was cramped and built in the circular style that the now-dead Terran Hegemony had favored in its WarShips. Because of this, all one could see the shoulders and heads of crewmen at the feet of the venerable officer in the picture's frame.

In apparent ignorance of this, Euller smiled. "Captain Ladavic. Even though we were expecting you, your emergence signatures had us holding our breaths."

Ladavic smiled in return. "Well, you know the old saying. 'When you see like Hell.'" Euller completed the old JumpShip sailor's adage. "Still, can't do that when I'm expecting guests, now can I?"

Ladavic smiled a bit wider. "Indeed not. In any case, has there been any change since your last report to Fleet Command?"

Euller's smile disappeared as they began to talk business. "Not to my knowledge, no. The last transmission from the _Glacier Bay_ still showed the Wobbies approaching your friends' town at a leisurely pace. They haven't sent up any fighters or ships to attack her or the _Twilight Tornado_, though we know they have at least two squadrons of light birds and at least one _Assault Triumph_-class vessel available for combat."

Ladavic frowned. "Hmm, I don't like that. Not that I'd want those _Diomedes_ ships to take the brunt of the fighting, but this isn't quite like the Blakests to sit back and wait for us to come knocking at their door."

Euller shrugged on the screen. "It confused me a bit as well. When we were just doing gatekeeper duties, I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. But now that you mention it, it is fishy." He stroked his chin a bit in thought.

Ladavic shrugged herself. "Well, I suppose we'll have to just chance it. I hope you won't mind us borrowing the _Cabot_ and her fighters for a while?"

Euller shook his head. "Nah. We got enough to deal with any of their escaped JumpShips that want to try running back, and you'll be in-system to tackle them if they try a pirate point."

"Excellent." Ladavic replied with another smile. "Well, I guess this means we'll be going now, Captain. Please watch over my JumpShips. Admiral Fitzpatrick would nail my ass over his doorway if they got into trouble."

Euller smiled. "No worries, Captain. Go kick some Wobbie ass, and we'll watch the jumpers."

Several days later, the flotilla approached Bowman's Planet. With the _Rodger Young_ in the lead, the fourteen ships descended through the planet's outer gravity well.

Alexis took one last look out of the windows in the main observation lounge at the moon of her home world. _From here, it looks so large and imposing_, she thought. _Even more so, now that I know it is waterless, airless, and lifeless; a dead rock drifting around my home._ She couldn't help but wonder if that was to be her fate this day, as well. The entire crew had been on pins and needles for the last day. Alexis and the Farkas brothers had easily picked up on it, despite the crew's best attempts to keep their anxieties from their normal routines.

_But the tension is as thick as when we jumped into the system. Even more so, with the Wobbies not acting like they expected_. She sighed and turned away from the windows as protective blast shields suddenly whirred to life, reaching up and over to close off the view to space.

Alexis was then about to walk back to her 'duty station' - all assigned personnel were given a place to be during combat, even if they had nothing to do - when she stopped herself. She turned around and looked again at the blast shields that now covered the windows, he face showing amazement. _Have I really become so used to these wonders that when something new happens, I don't react?_ She wondered. _I feel like I should be asking someone on how those things came up... But then, I _know_, don't I? Earl called them 'motors' that rely on power created from the engines. Nothing more than machinery, nothing special to humans... And now to me?_

Her wondering thoughts were interrupted by a blaring alarm klaxon. "General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations! This is no drill! Repeat, man your battle stations! Enemy ships inbound!" The intercom blared, and Alexis felt her pulse quicken. She turned and ran down the corridor from the observation room, leaving just ahead of the automatic doors that started to seal off parts of the ship from one another; a precaution against atmosphere loss and boarding parties.

After a hectic trip, in which crewmen running about bumped her, Alexis finally caught the lift to the bridge, and she managed to get to the entrance hatch as Mikula and Pavlo were checking their weapons.

The former looked up. "Alexis, glad you didn't get caught behind a door." Mikula said with a lopsided grin, though Alexis could tell that there was more worry than humor in his face.

Alexis nodded as she straightened out the ablative-flak vest that she wore. "Yes. A bit hectic getting here, but I am here nonetheless." She said nervously. "I suppose you have my weapon still?"

Mikula nodded and turned, grabbing the ER Laser Rifle from where it rested against the bulkhead and then handing it to her. "Kept it safe, like I promised."

Alexis sighed as she took the weapon. _Again, I seem to take these things for granted..._ She thought and looked up, taking in the area around her. Ladavic's plan of action was to drop the Mobile Infantry and National Guard battle armor over the Blakest forces that had encamped around Hercor, and she had wanted every platoon to make the drop. This would mean leaving the _Rodger Young_ without her usual protection against boarders, and so several crewmen had been assigned firearms in case the battle should turn for the worst. Since the three Bowmanites couldn't help in any naval battle and couldn't drop with the M.I., but had some weapons training and combat experience, their duty stations were in the bridge as 'security.'

_Which is why I'm wearing this strange outfit_, Alexis thought. This prompted her to reach up and check to make sure that her helmet was fastened properly. _The crew in engineering had a hard time getting these to fit us, especially with our ears so much different than a human's,_ she remembered. _They had to cut holes for our ears to stick through, so I don't want this slipping off and yanking my ears._ In addition to the helmets and armor vests, the three also wore boots made from the same laser-diffusing metal-stopping material over their gray uniforms.

"Well, here goes," Mikula said and turned to enter the code to make the bridge door open, even during combat. It did, and the three stepped through quickly, letting the hatch slam itself shut after they had entered. In front of them stood a bridge transformed, with nearly every console attended and quiet, urgent calls and phrases being sent back and forth. Amidst this flurry of activity, Captain Ladavic sat in her captain's chair, an island of calm determination.

Then she turned and looked at the three Bowmanites with an expression that Alexis couldn't discern as distaste or sadness. With a nod of her head, Ladavic indicated for them to take up the three bucket seats that were built into the 'rear' corner of the bridge, since the designers of the corvette had realized that sometimes, somebody might need to ride along with the crew into combat.

As the three quickly and silently moved to make themselves secure, Alexis couldn't help but have the feeling that they were practically helpless. _I hope that the Captain knows what she's doing_.

_I have no fucking idea what I'm doing_, Ladavic thought as her flotilla moved forward, inexorably inching closer to the Blakest ships that now were on an intercept course. _I'm used to raids, striking quick and leaving, avoiding ship-to-ship and just being a glorified bus driver_. She sighed mentally. _Well Mary, if you couldn't hack it, then you should've told George back at Kure_. With that self-doubt conquered, or at least suppressed, Ladavic turned in her chair to look at the holotank and tallied the enemy forces coming to meet her force.

_Seems like this is what they were wating for_, she realized. _Every fighter we know about is here, plus another six that must've been hidden in one of their ships, since we counted all the ones at their makeshift base_. Ladavic brought her hands together and steepled them underneath her chin. _They're also sending that _Assault Triumph_, an upgraded_ Union_, and two _Leopard CV_s. A decent force against most fleets. But not one boasting _my_ WarShip_.

With that thought, she turned to the front again. "Ops, distance to closest enemy DropShip?"

The officer checked his figures for a moment. "Six hundred kilometers and approaching, sir. They will be within range of our main battery in ninety seconds."

Ladavic nodded. "Our little friends?"

"Right behind us sir." Operations responded, a note of amusement entering his voice.

Captain Parker adjusted the straps on his command couch for what seemed like the thousandth time. _These things always annoy me when I gotta sit and do nothing_, he thought in annoyance. His squadron had taken off from the _Rodger Young_ and moved into in a trailing position in the sensor shadow of the 250,000-ton WarShip. They were Captain Ladavic's nasty surprise for the Blakests who thought that the _Cabot_ was the only fighter carrier.

_'Course, they might know that already from our last trip here... But then, they might not have seen where we came from last time. Heh, their flyboys sure didn't_, he remembered with a grin. _That, and the_ Young_ is a brand new class of ship, so they'll not know her full capabilities._

All these thoughts soon exited his mind as the radio in his helmet came alive. "This is Romeo Base," said the air boss aboard the _Rodger Young_, "Enemy fighters have boosted ahead of their ships. I repeat, their fighters are moving in. All commands stand by."

Parker didn't respond with the other squadron commanders. His balanced force of twelve fighters needed to stay hidden, and so they were under radio silence. They could, however, receive, and Parker watched icons light up on his HUD as Blakest fighters began to be painted by friendly fighters that transmitted targeting data via encrypted radios.

"Range to target one is now five hundred forty kilometers." The sensors officer called out tensely.

"We are in range, Captain, and we have a lock on their leader." The weapons officer spoke up. Ladavic nodded almost absentmindedly. "Naval PPCs only this round. I don't want to waste shells on long shots." She said, and the weapons officer turned back to his console and input the information to his battery commanders. "Standing by, skipper."

Ladavic sighed deeply. "Fire."

The information was relayed almost instantly, from weapons officer to battery commander to gunner, and then to the machinery. With a press of the old-fashioned triggers, two 'Light'-class Naval-grade particle projection cannons, fully charged during the call to General Quarters, moved slightly as their computer controls adjusted for drift. Then their massive capacitors discharged, sending unimaginable energies racing along magnetic coils, creating charged plasma and high-energy magnetic fields. In milliseconds, these fields and particles leapt out the only exit, and they headed straight for the _Union_-class ship in the lead of the Wobbies' formation.

The effects were astounding, as megajoules of thermal and kinetic energy impacted into the bow of the spheroid-shaped craft. In the blink of an eye, nearly nine tons of advanced armor vaporized as that energy spent itself.

"Direct hit!" The Sensor's officer yelled ecstatically on the _Rodger Young_'s bridge. "Enemy has taken severe armor damage."

Ladavic simply took it in stride. "Helm, cut thrust and heave to starboard. Unmask our broadsides."

Even as the helm officer replied, she yanked hard on the steering yoke, and her co-pilot slammed the thrust to zero. Microgravity returned as the WarShip ceased its acceleration and spun on its vertical axis.

"Fighters are engaging!" Operations called. Ladavic turned in her chair and looked over the holotank readout. "Very well, ops. Weaps, target the _Assault Triumph_ this time. I want that symbol of the Blakests dead."

"Aye aye sir."

"Tallyho!" The ancient call of the fighter pilot rang out over the comm frequencies. Captain Parker tried his best to keep himself calm, despite the need to maneuver so that he wouldn't careen into his mothership. His HUD was now a multi-colored mess as Blue Republic Icons intermingled with Red Wobbie icons. The latter were outnumbered, but they fought hard and skillfully, keeping the numerically superior forces of the Republic from gaining a too-decisive lead.

All that was about to change. "Romeo Base to Hammer Group. Engage, engage, engage!"

Parker smiled savagely as he flipped his radio to active. "You heard the man, people, lets kick some ass!" He called out over his squadron's frequency, hitting his controls for active sensors and max thrust. Within seconds, he was accelerating at four-and-a-half gees, his wingmate not far behind.

"How do you want to take this, Sledge?" Drunkard called.

"You take the high road..."

"...And I'll take the low road." His wingman finished.

"And I'll kill the Wobbies before ya!" Came a third voice, as Parker's second-in-command raced his _Visigoth A_ out. Parker didn't have time to counter the phrase, as now he approached the 'furball' of dueling fighters.

Parker's HUD painted him a nice target. _A _Defiance Omnifighter_! Must be one of their last advanced-tech fighters_. He grinned again as he maneuvered and then triggered his ER PPCs as he got a lock.

The twin streams of charged particles reached out and clipped into the port wing of the _Defiance_, cleaning off half the armor and causing the enemy craft to shudder. The Blakest pilot then swung up and around, cutting his thrust to face his attacker.

"That's right fucker, come get some!" Parker exclaimed in his cockpit as he triggered his ER PPCs again and added in his LRM-20 rack. The PPCs both hit again, one to the already-weakened port wing, the other flaying armor over the _Defiance_'s nose. Neither weapon scored anything but armor, and Parker's missile barrage missed and it flew off into deep space.

The _Defiance_'s return fire was staggering, as it returned fire with its own ER PPCs. _He's good_, was all Parker could think of as he was battered in his seat as the enemy weapons carved into his craft's nose armor. Even as he was shaken, Parker hit his thrusters and twisted his craft out of alignment with the enemy ship.

Which freed up his wingmate to finish his work. Drunkard fired both of his Large Pulse Lasers and his LRM-20, scoring deep gouges in the enemy craft's nose. Damaged even before Parker had engaged tit, the _Defiance_'s armor buckled as the missiles and lasers impacted into the fuselage, eventually tearing away the canopy and killing the pilot within.

Parker didn't give it another thought as he swung his 70-ton craft into the chase position behind an enemy _Thunderbird_ that was pursuing a damaged Republic fighter. Without a thought, Parker fired his LRMs and Pulse Lasers, managing to hit them all on the enemy's rear armor. Although not enough to fully melt or blast the protection away, one laser bolt found a weak spot and penetrated all the way to the engine.

Parker felt elated as he saw the spike in the enemy's heat profile. _Engine hit! That sucker's gonna be hot now_. Then an attack warning in his helmet earphones caused Parker to react automatically, pulling his fighter into a high-g turn that managed to break the lock of a trailing _Gotha_ fighter, its twin LRM racks missing entirely, though it managed a hit with its PPC, slagging armor on Parker's starboard wing.

Before he could figure out a new attack vector, Parker saw the enemy _Gotha_ disintegrate underneath the barrage of eight ER Large Lasers, forty long-range missile, and several short-ranged missiles. As the cloud of metal and scrap cleared, two _Stuka IIC_s flew straight through the debris and angled for the _Thunderbird_.

"Thanks for the help, boys." Parker called on the open frequency."

"No problem. You saved our captain's ass, now it's our turn." A female voice replied as the two _Stuka_s arced upwards to chase the enemy fighter. Parker then scanned his HUD to see to the status of his squadron, and then too look for targets. _Holy Shit, they're all gone_? He thought with amazement, as the enemy _Thunderbird_ died a quick death, leaving nothing but a field of blue.

_The captain really knew how to fuck them up_.

"Hit him again!" Ladavic called to her weapons officer. The man readily complied, sending another command to fire the broadside guns of the corvette. The twin naval class-20 cannons shook the entire ship as they loosed nearly a ton of high explosive and metal. The two shells flew across the expanse of space and rammed themselves into the limping husk of the _Assault Triumph_. Already devastated by the _Young_'s earlier strike, the hull fractured under the kinetic impact alone. Then the explosives went off, and soon the 8,000-ton vessel ceased to exist as such.

The _Young_ then bucked as several small weapons from the enemy DropShips reached out, finally able to begin to hit the vessel. "Enemy ships are closing... I think they mean to ram us, sir." The sensor officer spoke almost-normally, behaving professionally during the thick of battle.

Ladavic grunted as she studied the holographic display on the tank. "I think you're right. Helm!" Ladavic turned to face towards the woman she addressed. "On my mark, thrust of three gees and change course nine zero degrees to port, thirty degree up-bubble."

"Aye aye, sir." The helm officer said, somewhat confused over the unusual order, but preparing for it nonetheless.

"Guns, target the lead _Leopard_ with bow batteries and fire when ready." Ladavic ordered as she watched the holotank intently.

"Aye, sir." The weapons officer responded, and soon another PPC discharge raced outwards. This time, however, the _Young_'s luck ran thin, and the particle streams missed their target, sending their energy into deep space at the speed of light.

The bow NAC-20, however, made up for it by reaching out and hitting the hapless fighter carrier in its starboard wing. The massive shell and its explosives ripped into the side of the _Leopard CV_ and disintegrated the entire portion of the craft it came in contact with, causing the 1,800-ton DropShip to slew around and loose thrust as its engines shut down from shock damage.

That left, however, one more ship coming. Even as Ladavic watched, the Blakest ship angled in for a suicide run at her own ship. _Not today cocksucker_. "Helm, initiate course!"

"Coming left nine-zero degrees, thirty up-bubble, three gees." Although the helmsman had started to react at the very second Ladavic had spoken, she had repeated the course back anyway, as was tradition. Ladavic sat back in her chair as her weight increased to three times normal, and she let the seat take the brunt of supporting her. The rest of the crew was doing the same, and Ladavic spared a moment to pray that the three aliens in her bridge were following the limited training they had been given in shipboard operations.

She didn't spare a second to glimpse at them, though, as she watched the tank for the exact moment to make her move. "Guns. Broadside weapons, hit him if possible." Ladavic managed. Although under extreme pressures, her officer and the crew reacted nonetheless, aiming and firing the dual NAC-20s mounted in the starboard arc. Unfortunately, the stresses of the high-gees were enough to make the gunners' aim off, and the two shells hurtled past the enemy DropShip by a scant twenty meters.

Ladavic wasn't counting on the guns, however, but rather on the Blakest's moves. _There!_ "Helm, new course! Maximum up-angle and max burn! Straighten your rudder and hold her steady!"

The helmsman repeated the course orders back in a strained voice, even as she complied. The apparent weight of the crew increased by one-and-a-half times more, and they were pressed at an angle that most ships couldn't thrust at and maintain their structural integrity. The _Rodger Young_, however, had been built with such radical maneuvers in mind, and her exact performance specifications had been kept secret for such occasions.

It proved decisive, as the quarter-million-ton vessel angled up farther and faster than the Blakest _Leopard CV_ anticipated. Rushing forward, they had seen the _Young_'s previous maneuver and thought that the small WarShip had started to evade at its maximum ability, as most WarShips couldn't thrust more than two or three gees, and so the craft had accelerated in order to make its attempted impact as destructive as possible.

But now, Ladavic's tactic succeeded, and the Blakest pilot couldn't compensate for the radical change in time. The entire bridge crew held their breath as they watched their monitors display from cameras mounted on the outside of their ship. The Enemy _Leopard CV_ passed so close that Ladavic could see individual portholes on the upper surface of the design, but only for a split second, as the craft shot past in the blink of an eye. "Helm, cut thrust! Continue up angle and roll to starboard fifty degrees!"

Captain Parker stared in disbelief as the _Rodger Young_ did a rolling somersault, deftly avoiding a collision that could have destroyed her. Parker and his squadron had maneuvered away from their mothership on orders from the air boss, and they had a spectacular view as the 250,000-ton ship moved like an elephant doing a ballet; impossible, but true nonetheless.

"Sweet Jesus, did you see _that_?" "The skipper's crazier than a Liao on Rasalhague!" "Rasalhauge? Try on Washington!" The comm channel lit up with multiple voices, as the entire squadron marveled over the feat. Then Parker shook his head and triggered his radio. "Cut the chatter, Hammers! Stand by." The channel rang with affirmatives, and then quieted down, as everyone wanted to see what happened next.

They didn't have long to wait. The Blakest pilot aboard the _Leopard CV_, so ready for death, had been naturally surprised when he didn't immediately die. Thus, caught off-balance, he simply reversed his course one hundred eighty degrees and burned hard, trying to forestall his velocity and make it back into the fight somehow.

It would be his last mistake, as the _Rodger Young_ completed her turn, bringing her broadside guns in line with the enemy ship, which due to its simple reverse heading, was now presenting an aspect of a dead-still target on the Republic gunners' scopes. Without hesitation, they unleashed the devastating broadside from the corvette's main guns, sending a coruscating particle stream from her Medium Naval PPC and dual NAC-20s straight into the nose of the hapless fighter carrier. The particle stream evaporated half of the armor off of the vessel's nose, sending massive streamers of liquefied metal into space, where it cooled instantly and formed solid, silvery streamers. Then the two heavy cannon shells arrived, and they plowed through the remaining armor as if it wasn't there, sending their explosives to detonate deep within the _Leopard CV_'s core.

Parker flinched as the bright light for the explosions briefly overcame his visor's dimming threshold. Opening his eyes after a moment, he looked out to see that the last Blakest ship was now more memory than metal, _or of Flesh_.

"Romeo Base to all commands. This is Juliet Actual," Ladavic's voice came over the radio, giving her command code name. "All transports are to begin their combat drop assignments. All fighter commands are to escort the transports, and defend them at all costs." She paused, and Parker could've sworn he heard a sigh of relief. Then Ladavic's voice came back with vigor. "We smacked them in the face, now let's kick them in the balls!"

Ladavic heard the cheers, both on the radio channels and on her own ship. But all she did was close her transmission channel and leaned back into her chair. But not before she patted the armrest. "Good Girl." She whispered to the spirit of the _Young_. _And thank you God_. "Helm! Burn for the planet, maximum orbital insertion velocity! Let's catch them napping!"


	22. Chapter 22

Van Horn ran his armored hands over the edge of the capsule that he was about to climb in. _It's been so long_, he mused. _I just hope the refresher training was enough_. With that last thought, he turned and backed into the drop capsule, scrunching up into a fetal position as much as the scout armor he wore would allow. Carefully, he tucked in the weapons and equipment that was his load out, and then finally scrunched all the way down, allowing the naval technicians to finish sealing the capsule for the drop.

The _Rodger Young_ continued its boost along an orbital path that would allow Captain Ladavic to drop Vickers' platoon over Hercor at the maximum velocity possible. Although a risk, van Horn knew that the high-speed drop had several advantages. He went over them in his mind as the capsule was sealed fully. _One, we're in the air for a less amount of time, and therefore aren't easy targets for any conventional fighters the Wobbies might have. Two, we get there faster, so there's less reaction time for the enemy on the ground, and three, higher speed means that the atmospheric winds can't knock us around too much, making dispersal negligible._

It was still none too comforting to know that these kinds of drops could also end up bad if the ship's captain wasn't skilled enough, but van Horn smiled as he felt the capsule lifted by a worker in an industrial exoskeleton. _I think Captain Ladavic's earned the benefit of the doubt with that stunt she pulled_, he thought bemusedly as his capsule was placed into the drop rack and shoved into position. Van Horn shifted in his armor unconsciously, his nerves working up again. He tried to sooth himself by replaying the briefing that Lieutenant Vickers had given only a few hours ago.

Vickers had stood over the holoprojector table that was in the _Young_'s mission briefing room, the air still thick with perspiration from the fighter pilots who had used it last. Vickers had brought up a map of Hercor similar to the one that van Horn had seen in the command room back on New Honshu, and he had outlined his plan.

"All right, you apes, this is the story." He had begun. "This is the town of Hercor. I'm sure that you've all heard the scuttlebutt by now, so let's get to the point." He pressed a few controls and the map zoomed in to show the town as a miniature rock sticking above a flat plain, and small, three-dimensional icons denoted ranks of native Lupar and, more threateningly, several Battlemechs and Tanks. "What we have here is a siege of our friendlies in the town, as the Wobbies want to conserve their forces by getting the town to surrender from a lack of food. As you can see, they have principally native formations acting as a blanket between them and the town." As he spoke, Vickers entered commands that highlighted the items that he was talking about.

"Now, the plan is this." He leaned over the table, prompting the fifty-three other individuals in the room to do so as well... Allowing several heads to knock together. Vickers had looked up and nodded. "That's right, get too close, and you bump heads. Remember that, jarheads. Now," he pressed another control on the holoprojector and several blue icons dropped from the sky. "This is our deployment. We are to execute an orbital drop via capsules and land right on top of their army." As Vickers spoke, the little blue icons representing individual troopers landed. "Once on the ground, assemble in squads and move towards the enemy 'mechs. They are our first priority, along with any Blakest infantry force, including any opposition battle armor." The icons merged into several squad icons and advanced on the Blakest 'Mechs in the rear of the Lupar ranks.

"Now, we'll probably be landing near the native ranks. But I don't want you firing on them if that's avoidable. Intel," he took a second to look at van Horn, and every set of eyes moved to look at the hapless doctor as well before turning back to their Lieutenant. "Intel says that the natives should be heavily demoralized by our appearance - figurative and literal - and if we can take out a 'mech, they should flee en masse." Vickers stood erect. "Now, we're here to liberate these people, so I don't want you going nuts. If you fall under attack from them, fall back and evade. They can't possibly match our maneuverability, and so you should be able to avoid the need for a counter attack. However, if you feel that your life is truly endangered, you are permitted to fire on the natives." Vickers paused and looked over each Trooper, catching them in the eye with a stern look. "But I repeat myself on this matter; avoid native casualties at all reasonable cost."

Van Horn's thoughts came back to the present as he felt the sudden shift in his mass as the _Rodger Young_ cut her thrust and pitched around to begin the deceleration maneuver. He braced himself, tensing his muscles a bit in anticipation of the hard-gees he knew were coming.

When it came, the three gee burn hit him hard, pressing him into his armor's padding, his skin pinching a slight bit at the leg and arm cuffs. Then the burn stopped and he was shaken as his capsule jerked sideways. Van Horn again braced himself for the long series of jolts that would accompany the process of moving through the launch queue.

Eventually, his turn finally came up. His capsule slammed into the launch tube with a clang so loud that it rang van Horn's armor like a bell. But it was nothing as a small explosive charge propelled him out of the launch tube and into space like some massive rifle bullet.

Microgravity returned and silence reigned as van Horn's capsule raced along its ballistic path. Van Horn knew from his training and personal experience that it would only be a few moments until he entered the atmosphere and weight returned. He used those moments to rerun more of the briefing through his head, remembering the details of the two platoons of battle armor coming in behind Vickers' Vanquishers, one each from the 5th Marauders and the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers. They were to drop originally with the Vanquishers, but the naval battle had scattered the flotilla a bit, and the other two platoons would be fifteen minutes behind them.

_Even worse, the National Guard's ships aren't properly equipped for combat drops, so the 'Mechs will have to ride down in their DropShips, which adds another fifteen minutes until _they_ engage_. Van Horn sighed, the sound loud in his helmet. "Gonna be a long day, Earl m'boy." He mumbled to himself.

Then the capsule bit into the atmosphere, and van Horn pressed all thoughts out of his head, save for the ones that checked and rechecked over the mental list that had been drilled into him. _Parachute? Check. Reserve Chute? Check. HUD? Check_. And so he went on, again making sure that everything was in order.

The minutes ticked by, and van Horn could feel the capsule evaporate around him as it's outer coatings melted and sloughed away, fulfilling their duty by absorbing heat and kinetic energy and transferring it away from the capsule's core, as well as throwing out hundreds of pieces of highly-reflective material that would confound any targeting radar trying to pick out the deadly M.I. Troopers from the chaff.

Then the capsule's first chute opened, yanking the capsule straight, and then breaking away, as its purpose was then fulfilled. Van Horn was wrenched in his position, but his armor kept him from being hurt. _Only a matter of time now_.

The second chute then opened, and lasted for a bit before the stress tore it apart. IT soon left and the capsule deployed its third and final chute, which slowed van Horn enough that he was now safe from being burned alive by friction-induced heat.

At the appropriate time, the capsule split open along its seams as explosive bolts ruptured the protective cocoon and send the shards flying away from van Horn.

He took a moment to stretch himself out, working the kinks that had built up in the last thirty minutes of waiting, and he checked his HUD. Off to his left and right, and ahead and behind him, he saw icons pop onto his helmet's holographic HUD, each one denoting another trooper from the Vanquishers.

Then the Landing Zone Indicator popped up, prompting van Horn to look straight down, along his falling path. Below, he could see the rocky spire of Hercor almost shining in the glint of mid morning, and around it on the east and west sides of the river were splayed out several masses of brown, and various magnetic anomaly readings. Van Horn felt his gut twinge at the last, knowing that each one represented several metric tons of firepower, armor, and speed.

However, training took over and he pushed his fear aside as it came time to deploy his parachute. With a careful pull on the chute cord, and the large black canopy opened up, cutting off the sun from van Horn's view, but he didn't care as he monitored his altitude and descent rate. _Almost time..._ He thought, tabulating the numbers in his head, all the while, the plains of Hercor and the relatively large army grew larger and larger.

"Now!" van Horn yelled to himself as he cut the chute loose and fell through empty space. Below, the Lupar ranks were becoming disorderly, chaotic, and they were breaking up. Van Horn felt hope that they would run at the mere sight of the Mobile Infantry, but he knew he couldn't rely on that. He again pushed his mind into the battlefield mindset as he triggered his Jump Jets in a series of bursts that slowed him enough so that his landing wouldn't make a crater with his body at the bottom.

In a few moments, van Horn's armored feet touched down on the ground of Bowman's Planet. They them immediately left as he hit his jump jets again, leaping away from the patch of open ground that he had landed on. It proved to be an effective maneuver, as two laser bolts from a Blakest _Firestarter_ ripped into the exact spot van Horn had landed on.

Without conscious thought, van Horn brought up the Heavy Gyrojet Gun that was his weapon, took aim, and fired, all in mid-flight. The gun bucked as propellant ignited, launching the miniature gyrojet rocket from the barrel and sending the small rocket on its way. Although meant for anti-personnel duty, the weapon was decent enough for a scout unit to use against light armor, and even more so when the gunner knew how to use it.

Van Horn was one of those people. His aim proved true and the small rocket rammed into the cockpit canopy of the _Firestarter_, causing the MechWarrior inside to flinch. The moment's hesitation was enough for van Horn to land and again jump towards the 35-ton 'mech firing another shot as he did, and again landing it on the cockpit.

Although the machine's pilot seemed to recover and begin to aim for van Horn again, he paused as he saw a sight not seen often. Two squads of Mobile Infantry, fourteen troopers, plus van Horn, leapt at the _Firestarter_. Missiles and lasers and armor-piercing bullets rammed into the front of the 'mech in a near-constant hail of fire which unnerved the MechWarrior within. He vainly triggered his lasers and machine guns, trying to reach out and chase the advancing infantry away.

One bolt of focused light did impact a trooper in a Marauder suit, sending the soldier flying. Van Horn didn't worry too much, however, as the Marauders were built to take twice that much firepower and still keep its occupant safe. Instead, he fired another round at the 'mech's head, though this time the pilot's frantic moves managed to spoil his aim, and the rocket-projectile flew past.

Caught up in the moment, his training and experience kicking in, van Horn didn't think, but acted, leaping up and _onto_ the _Firestarter_, along with the other seven troopers of the scout squad he was attached to. With a thud that knocked the air from his chest, van Horn landed on the 'mech's left torso and grabbed onto the protruding barrel of the machine gun. Working quickly against the constantly-moving surface of the _Firestarter_, van Horn planted his feet into a gap in the armor plates created by a laser blast, and used their leverage and the suit's strength-enhancing myomers to literally rip the machine gun out from its mount. He then tossed it away in a manner that was both arrogant and disgusted at the same time, and he stuck his Gyrojet Gun into the opening in the armor, and he pulled the trigger two more times, sending the last two rockets from its current clip into the 'mechs innards.

Above him, similar scenes played out as the scout squad ripped armor plating and external weapons off of their mounts, and then fired into the gaps. The _Firestarter_ shuddered as several troopers fired into the center torso, tearing up the gyro that the bipedal war machine needed to stay upright.

Even as the light 'mech began to tilt forward, van Horn twisted his body and triggered his jump jets, leaping off of the doomed 'mech to land on a patch of waist-height grass. Scanning the area, he saw the scout squad turn and move off to join the rest of the Vanquishers as they targeted a Blakest _Buccaneer_.

Van Horn ran for a short bit, trusting the scout armor's stealth composites and ECM systems protect him as he dropped the spent clip from his main weapon and inserted a fresh one. As soon as he finished with that, van Horn triggered his jets and leapt off to rejoin the fight.

It wasn't much of one, for the moment. The _Buccaneer_, although equipped with a number of anti-battle armor weaponry, found itself beset with numbers that it had never been intended to encounter. Fifty-Four troopers fired continuously, sending an ungodly hail of destructive firepower raining on the enemy 'mech. Unable to cope, the MechWarrior inside turned his 'mech and ran.

Van Horn blinked. _Ran? A Medium 'Mech running from armored troopers?_ Although the M.I. had been trained to be devastating, van Horn had never imagined that they could actually have made the heavier enemy force retreat.

"Enemy infantry have flanked us and are heading for the town at speed!" A report came in from a flanker off to van Horn's rear. Checking his HUD, he saw icons of two Heavy APCs rolling towards Hercor at high speed.

"Shit. All squads, to the town! Defend the civilians!" Vickers called from where he had taken a temporary respite. The lieutenant looked over the more detailed HUD in his own _Kage II-C_ command armor, and he felt a pit of ice materialize in his stomach. _The enemy 'mechs are only regrouping..._ "Foxtrot Squad, belay that last!" Vickers aid as he joined in with his platoon as they moved quickly towards the town. "Take up skirmish positions between the town and the enemy 'mechs! Set fire to the grass if they try to push forward before help arrives!"

A hurried acknowledgement came from Foxtrot Squad's leader, and his formation of seven _Salamander_ incendiary suits turned on a dime and raced to provide a delaying barrier between Hercor and the regrouping 'mechs.

Van Horn noticed this, but he said nothing as he and the other scout squad members raced ahead of their slower comrades. Their armor, although light, was based off of the Grey Death Legion's own Scout Armor, and thus boasted jump boosters that increased the range of their jump capability by a third.

Van Horn mulled over this briefly as he closed with the town's gates, trying to distract himself from worrying about the friends he had inside. _Grey Death Scout Armor... Though ours has Clan-tech improvements, like heavier armor that incorporates stealth composites, making our suits far more effective and survivable_. Then he was on the town, and he couldn't spare another frivolous thought.

Van Horn landed with two other troopers at the main gates, which had been smashed open by the Heavy APCs only seconds before. Moving on foot, the three cut around the corner and brought up their weapons.

In the middle of the courtyard, van Horn saw a most macabre display, as several natives had been crushed by the twenty-ton transports, and others were starting to be cut down by the machine guns mounted in the front of the craft. Natives ran everywhere, all armed with merely swords, spears, and bows.

Van Horn felt rage at the senseless slaughter, and he took it out on the Blakest infantry as they started to debark out of the rear and side hatches. He loosed two shots from his gun, sending the miniature rockets to race into the back of the vehicle, and they impaled and smashed several hapless infantrymen before exploding, wounding or killing yet more. Off to his right and left, the other two troopers with van Horn also let their displeasure be known, each one raking the troops with laser beams and bullets. Bodies of the Blakest troopers collapsed into heaps, but it was not enough for van Horn, and he triggered his Jump Jets, flying further into the melee.

Several shots flew past him, and a few laser beams and bullet streams impacted onto his armor, but van Horn simply shrugged off the anti-personnel weapons as if they were raindrops. Taking aim, he sent another rocket into the back of the as-yet untouched Blakest APC, killing more PBIs before turning and racing into his first target. Once inside, anything that moved became an instant target for him to smash with his rifle, fists and feet. Several soldiers tried to shoot him point blank, but their outdated weaponry couldn't penetrate the armored caprice of the Scout Armor.

Van Horn tossed his Heavy Gyrojet Gun around, letting the 'smart strap' bring it to rest against his power/jump booster backpack, as using it in such an enclosed space was tantamount to suicide. Instead, he pulled out his favored sidearm, the M3000 .45 pistol, and fired the slugs point-blank into the last few remaining troops and the vehicle crew.

With the target neutralized, van Horn turned and walked out, part of him smugly satisfied at getting revenge on the Blakests at last, but another recoiling in horror from what he had done. Most of him, however, was simply determined not to lose any more friends, and he walked slowly back out of the Heavy Wheeled APC.

Vilini trembled at the sight of the new terrors at the doorstep to his once-peaceful town. He stood in mute shock as the strange forms leapt up and over the walls of the lower courtyard as if it was but a small bump in the road to hop over. From his position near the ramp leading up to the town proper, Vilini had been prepared to sacrifice himself so that he could delay the invaders and give most of the town's defenders some time to escape up to the more secure area above.

Now, however, he felt foolish, staring at creatures that walked and leapt about. _Dozens of them, and they cut down the Wobbies' infantry as if they were zugarts to the slaughter!_ The image of their fearsomeness became even more entrenched when he saw the one that had charged into one of the large metal wagons walk out, covered in blood but looking none the worse for wear. _I'll bet none of it is his_.

"What do you think, Vilini?" His friend, Varshi, asked quietly from his side. "They do not seem to like the Wobbies, and they are not attacking us."

Vilini nodded. "I... I will go up to them and try to speak with them."

Varshi gave his friend a stare that screamed 'you're a moron.' "Vil, you can't be serious. They'd ignore you... If you're lucky."

Vilini shook his head. "It's either that, or we stand here all day waiting to be slaughtered." With that, he lowered his sword - though he did not sheath it, feeling that if he should die, it should be with a weapon in hand. Slowly, he made his way across the courtyard, which now was stained with blood and gore from Lupar, Gatón, and Wobbie alike. Part of him wanted to vomit, but Vilini pushed the feeling aside as he walked towards where several of the new arrivals had clustered together.

They easily noted the lupar's arrival, and they turned to look at Vilini as he continued forward at a trepid pace. Then the one that was covered in blood pointed and then turned back to the one that looked totally unique amongst the group, and its head seemed to bob up and down, as if talking, though Vilini heard nothing of the sort.

The unique one nodded its head and then turned, and several of the ones that looked like the one covered in blood jumped up and over the walls. _He must've given them an order... But how?_ Then the blooded one came up and waved to Vilini. The latter stopped and cleared his throat. "Wh- What are you doing here?" _Oh, great move idiot, _challenge_ them! _Vilini prepared to be cut down at any second.

Then the blooded one reached up and took off what appeared to be its head, though as soon as it moved upwards, Vilini knew it to be a helmet. Then he received a great shock. "YOU!"

Van Horn smiled slightly. "Yes, Vilini, it's me. I said that I would be back, and I meant it."

Vilini stood silently, mouth agape. "But... But we thought... " It was all he could say, and he simply sunk down to his knees.

Van Horn frowned. "Vilini, are you all right?" Then he decided on a different track. "Where's Shaman Forbasa? Or the Maegister?"

Vilini blinked. "The... The Maegister and Forbasa are in his house up in the town." He looked around to the group of his fellow natives standing at the base of the ramp, their attention clearly focused in the conversation. Then he turned back to look up at van Horn. "You're really going to help?"

Van Horn shook his head. "We didn't come all this way to bake a cake." He sighed. Then Lieutenant Vickers walked over, and spoke to van Horn via the external speaker on his suit. Vilini couldn't understand the English, but he listened with rapt attention nonetheless.

Van Horn then said something loud and sharp, and he nodded to the Lieutenant before turning to face Vilini again. "Vilini, you need to get everyone to the main town. Everyone, you understand?"

Vilini nodded and stood up, purpose giving him strength. "Why? What's wrong?"

The muted footfalls of heavy war machines and the roar of missiles answered that question.

Van Horn looked over towards the sound, although the walls cut off his vision. "Damnit," he cursed in English before turning to Vilini. "Just go, now! Get up to the town and don't come down!" With that, he quickly put the helmet back on, careful to reattach the connectors for life support and electronics. As the HUD flickered to life, he scanned it to see what the trouble was. _Oh, shit_.

Then he noticed that Vilini was still standing there. "Damnit, MOVE!" Van Horn said, using his suit's own external speaker. As the lupar turned and scrambled away, van Horn pivoted on his right heel and ran towards the gates where Vickers stood with his sergeant.

"Van Horn, report." Vickers said, opening a channel.

"Sir, the natives are evacuating to the top of the plateau. The lower area should be clear soon," van Horn said as he came to where the other two troopers stood just outside the walls. Van Horn couldn't help but notice, now, that the fields outside were trampled, the tall crops of native plants smashed beneath the feet of soldiers and 'mechs. Then he turned to the east, and his HUD showed what the Scout and Salamander squads in their skirmish line were detecting.

The icons painted by his suit's battlecomp gave him reason to pause, as symbols for five battlemechs and four tanks were projected over the view he got out the front of his helmet visor. Van Horn gulped nervously. _That's a good amount of power. We may not be able to hold..._

Then Vickers' voice rang out over the platoon-wide frequency. "Foxtrot and Sierra Squads, fall back. Foxtrot, lay fire on the plain and burn the grass. All squads rendezvous at the walls and take cover."

Van Horn puzzled at the orders for a split-second, and then he blinked as he realized the Lieutenant's plan. _Burn the fields of grass and crops, and get a smoke screen going, and then hold position behind walls that will block visilight and IR. Magscan can see through, but they'll need to be close to do that, and we can hit them from that kind of range_. It wasn't the perfect plan, but as the Drill Instructors told their recruits, "it's better to do something constructive immediately than to sit and think up the perfect plan... After it's become useless."

Then another set of icons popped up on his HUD. _Brown markers...? The Lupar?_ Van Horn realized that a few lupar units must've remained with the Blakests, despite the fleeing of their comrades. Part of him wanted to dismiss them as weak-minded fools, but then he remembered that they might simply be too afraid of running out on people who knew where they lived. _Either way, we have to avoid killing them if we want to take this planet from the Wobbies._

"Van Horn, I have a special mission for you," Vickers said, his voice much more defined, and van Horn realized that he must be on a private channel. "Yes sir?" He replied.

In front of him, the Lieutenant's armor turned to face van Horn. "I want you to move up to the main town above us and set up a comm link to the flotilla. We can't get a good signal while running around, and we can't stay too still down here without being behind these walls and blocking half the sky.

"So get your ass up there and call Captain Ladavic and see if she can't light a fire under those transport pilots."

Van Horn nodded as Vickers finished speaking. "Yes sir." He said, and then quickly turned around and jogged his armor towards the ramp, intending to use it and thus avoiding making himself a target to the Wobbies. To his right, troopers in Marauder, Elemental, and Gnome battle armor leapt over the walls, coming to land inside the courtyard. Most of them then aligned in squads and turned to hop back up to the narrow ramparts that ran along the stone walls.

Then he was at the ramp, and van Horn changed the focus of his attention as he ran headlong up towards the town. He did, however, glance occasionally to look over the plains, and the scene caused him worry.

The plains to the east of Hercor burned with fires started by the power of plasma-based flamers mounted on the Salamander armor. The fires didn't burn too widely, however, as this part of the continent received a good amount of rain, but the smoke they produced was enough to scare the incoming forces to take the long way around, delaying their approach.

_Strange, I didn't see the Salamanders of Foxtrot squad returning to the town_, van Horn thought. But he pushed this from his mind as he reached the gates to Hercor proper.

The ornately carved gates were as he remembered them, their surface still untouched by the ravages of war. Although too small for a proper gatehouse, the town's upper gates did have a small platform above it from which defenders could rain down pain on any attacker. Standing there were a pair of lupar and two gatón, all carrying bows.

The four natives all notched back arrows, appearing nervous to van Horn's eye. _I have no time to stop and explain to every person along the way_, he realized, and he triggered his jump jets, leaping high and over the gate and its platform.

With a rush of noise and light, van Horn landed in the small upper courtyard. Around him, survivors of the lower defense forces turned and brought up their weapons, though their faces showed a good amount of fear.

"Wait! Don't attack!" Van Horn heard the familiar voice, and he turned to see Vilini striding forward from a group to his left. "This is one is a friend!" The lupar said and walked up to van Horn, sheathing his weapon.

Van horn wished he could flash the lupar a smile, but he settled for switching on his external speakers. "Vilini, time is short. What is the tallest structure in Hercor?"

The lupar blinked at the question. "What? Why?"

"Vilini, no time." Van Horn said urgently, and the lupar shook his head slightly. "Yes... Yes, the Temple. It was built on the highest part of the rock, and it has a third story balcony for some rituals."

"Where is it?" Van Horn asked, letting some worry seep into his voice as he checked his HUD. The feed from the other M.I. Troopers was coalesced into a tactical map in the corner of the HUD projection, and on it van Horn saw the icons of the 'mechs creep around the lines that represented the fires.

"I'll take you there." Vilini said and he turned to rush off. But van Horn quickly brought his hand lightly down on the lupar. "Not enough time to walk." He said and looked up. "It's in that direction?" Van Horn asked and pointed in the direction that Vilini had begun to move.

The lupar turned around and nodded after seeing van Horn's outstretched arm. "Yes, it is, but- YIPE!" His sentence ended with an unintended yelp as van Horn picked the lupar up by the shoulders. "What are you doing?!"

"I need a guide, so just relax." Van Horn then jumped up and triggered his jump jets, sending him and Vilini flying up and over several of Hercor's buildings. The lupar tensed in his arms, but he didn't try to escape as the two came to a landing inside a miniature square formed by several houses.

"Which way now? And it would be helpful if you could point it to me in mid-flight." Van Horn said matter-of-factly as he scanned the area out of reflex.

"Could you warn me before you do something that insane?!" Vilini demanded. He then tried to squirm out of van Horn's grip after speaking, but van Horn simply held on. "Vilini, direction, now."

The lupar sighed. "That way," he said, pointing, and then he again yelped as van Horn once more took them both on another jump. This time, the lupar managed to point out the temple, though he didn't try to speak.

Van Horn angled his jets in mid-flight and gave a bit more boost, and they flew the last few meters to drop down in yet another small square, this one framed by the impressively-large structure that sat on top of a rock pedestal.

This square, however, was not unoccupied like the last one. Dozens of lupar and gatón crowded the steps, all armed with weapons that were even pitiful by local standards. _Butcher knives; bricks- are those pots and pans?_ "What the hell is this?" He asked Vilini.

Vilini again squirmed, and this time van Horn released him. "The temple is our last refuge. All the old, young, sick or otherwise infirm are in there. Those people in front are there to defend it should the gates fall." Although the lupar tried to sound strong, van Horn easily heard the quake in his voice.

"Well, you don't have to worry, Vilini, because my friends are here," van Horn said and he looked up to the top of the building. "I just need to call them." With that, he took a step away from the lupar and crouched a bit. Vilini realized what van Horn intended to do, and he turned and ran for the building, yelling or the natives there to not attack.

Then van Horn launched himself into the air, and again his jump jets came on so that he could fly in a short arc that brought him to rest on a small, flat-topped roof platform that gave a commanding presence of the town and the fields beyond. _Good, now to set up the link_, he thought. Using the chin plate that was mounted in his helmet, van Horn switched the HUD from battle mode to communications mode. Instantly, the targeting reticule and tactical display overlays were replaced by a series of icons.

Battle armor mounted a number of control systems. The simplest was the negative-feedback loops built into the suits control circuits, which was what let a trooper simply 'wear' his suit, rather than pilot it like a fighter or tank. But other commands were of course needed, and van Horn's Scout Armor mounted two additional systems. The first was his chin plate, which allowed him to switch HUD modes, targeting priorities, and scanning modes. However, it was not articulate enough for the finer principles of establishing communication between a ground position and an orbiting ship. This is where the second system comes in, as it is based on eye movement. Several small microlasers, harmless to the human eye, focused in on their movement, tracking to where van Horn's vision was focused. All he had to do was simply look over an icon, or other graphic control, and blink twice in quick succession to activate that feature or action.

The second system was not always the best for a battle-armored trooper, as he had to move his eyes around far too often in battle for it to be effective. However, by switching to the communications mode, the suit could use this system for a much finer control than was available through the normal, battle mode.

And so van Horn worked quickly, selecting communication icons that would set up a link to Lieutenant Vickers below, and then another that was sent up and swept across the sky. Activating the 'transmit' function, van Horn spoke into the void. "This is Vickers' Vanquishers, calling any Republic ship. Vickers' Vanquishers, calling any Republic ship, please reply."

He waited, and then repeated the call twice more, all the time looking over the enemy as they began to close with the town. From his position, the enemy looked far too close, and he worried that the troopers below would take some heavy casualties.

Then Vickers launched a nasty little surprise, as the Salamanders of Foxtrot Squad emerged from the fires they had started. Since the Salamander suit was designed to start fires, their clan designers had made the sensible choice of making their armor almost impervious to fire. Now, the squad raced from their flanking position, firing Inferno SRMs at the Blakest 'mechs.

Just as the first missiles reached their targets, exploding and sending clouds of burning petrochemicals al over their targets, van Horn heard his suit make a connection. "Vanquishers, this is the USS _Turnabout Intruder_," the voice said, and van Horn recognized the name as one of the _Gray Fox_-class troop transports, "we've just started dropping our troops. Why the chatter? Over."

"_Turnabout Intruder_, things aren't going too well. The Blakests have managed to retain a good amount of their native formations, and are using them as shields. We can't mount an effective counterattack and maintain a defensive perimeter around the town at the same time." Van Horn said hurriedly in one breath.

"Vanquishers, the troops are on their way. ETA is ten minutes. I don't know what else we can get there before then." The sailor aboard the DropShip sounded frustrated.

"Don't worry about that, son." A Third voice came in over the channel, and van Horn smiled as he recognized Ladavic's voice. "Van Horn, I know that's you. I figured shit would hit the fan, so I had the _Young_'s squadron rearm and refuel before we went for the drop. They're now inbound, two minutes. Just hold off the Wobbies until then, and they'll strafe the living shit outta the bastards."

Van Horn nodded, though he knew that Ladavic couldn't see that. "Thanks cap'n! I'll inform the Lieutenant."

"Good. Now get off this frequency, I've got flotilla to manage."

"Yes sir." Van Horn replied and changed channels to speak to Vickers. "Lieutenant! Captain Ladavic has a squadron of aerofighters inbound, two minutes!"

"Good. Now get your ass down here, boy, and help us make sure that we have two minutes."

Vilini stood at the front door of the temple, not knowing what else to do, or where else to go. The others at the temple had asked about the battle, about the one that flew about, and what in general was going on. _I told them 'I don't know.' _He thought and sighed. _And the sad thing is, I really _don't_ know._

Then he heard the rushing noise of van Horn's jump jets, and he watched as the human landed in the square again. The blood-stained black armor made the man look even larger and more intimidating than when he had been to Hercor before, and Vilini shuddered involuntarily as he remembered seeing the human race into a transport full of enemy troops, cutting them down.

Van Horn didn't pause, but he simply jumped again, leaping the way he came. Vilini didn't expect that, but nor was he surprised. _Somehow, I am getting numb to changes._

"So what was that?" A lupar asked from his side, and Vilini turned to see Kanu Farkas standing - _well, leaning on a cane, really _- next to him. Vilini sighed. "You probably won't believe me, but that was your friend, Vanhorn."

Kanu turned and gave Vilini an incredulous look. "You're kidding me, right?"

Vilini shook his head. "He and a large amount of his friends... They dropped from the sky." He shuddered. "I was on the ramparts, and I saw them drop from out of nothing, and they hopped around faster than anyone could keep track of them. Between them, they took down one of the metal giants and ripped the skin off of another. Then two metal wagons burst through our gates below, and Wobbie soldiers began to pour out... And I thought we were done." He shook his head. "Then I see those strange things bound over the walls and kill the Wobbies to a man."

Kanu blinked. "I guess I have to believe you... Since there's no way in Hell you made that up just now."

Vilini just nodded. Then before either could say anything, a gatón child standing on the steps pointed his finger into the sky. "Look! More lights!"

Van Horn took a short cut, hopping over a wall at the edge of the down and dropping to the ramp below, landing about halfway down the rocky plateau. Turning his head, he watched as the soldiers from Foxtrot squad raced to the lower courtyard, having sowed chaos amongst the enemy lines.

_But not without cost_, van Horn thought, noting that two of the squad's trooper beacons were no longer lit. _Vickers knew that he was asking a lot from them, and they knew the risks going into it, and the costs of not doing it._ Van Horn sighed sadly, and he jumped from the ramp's edge to land just inside the courtyard's walls, using his jets to slow his descent along the way as he did before.

"Van Horn, over here!" Corporal Connors, the commander of the scouting squad, called from his position. Van Horn turned to the signal of his beacon and ran over in less than a second to the edge of the natives' barracks building.

Now, it would serve as an appropriate spotting post for the Scouts of Sierra squad. "Get up to the roof and join Graham, Stuger, and Jenkins. The rest of us will be on the floor beneath you." Connors said as van Horn ran up. The latter simply nodded and again triggered his jets, flying up and alighting on the edge of the stone building's roof.

Van Horn and the scout squad were lucky, in that the Hercor lupar built for the long-term, building their buildings from stone. Van Horn mused over this briefly, and then crouch-walked over to where the other three troopers of Sierra squad lay prone at the edge of the roof.

"Van Horn, glad you could make it." Private Jenkins said over the external speaker. "Use that oversized bottle rocket launcher of yours to help cover Stuger's corner."

"No prob." Van Horn said, and he moved to where Stuger lay, and went prone himself.

"Nice to see you're still alive." Stuger's feminine voice rolled out of her external speakers.

"Same here." Van Horn replied as he brought his Heavy Gyrojet Gun around and aimed it at the approaching battlemechs. "And why is everyone using external speakers instead of the taccom?"

"The Lieutenant's orders. He doesn't want the assholes playing any huff-duff games, just in case they got a BAP refitted onto one of those tin cans." Stuger replied as she aimed her Thunderstroke Gauss Rifle more carefully. Van Horn simply nodded in reply and turned to face the enemy.

Just as soon as he did, however, the first LRMs arched up and over from a Blakest _Centurion_ that van Horn's HUD marked as an older CN9-A model. _Old or not, this is going to suck_, he thought and braced himself.

The ten LRMs impacted into the walls of the lower courtyard, blasting a huge section into rubble and sending chunks of stone flying backwards. Van Horn saw at least one trooper in an Elemental suit get crushed under one such chunk, though his beacon indicated that he was still alive,_ but just barely_.

Then the counter-fire came from the Marauder suits as they fired the last of their LRMs, sending the projectiles to slam into the previously damaged _Buccaneer_. That 'mech responded in kind with a burst from its 'Sunbeam' ER Large Laser, sending a bolt of coherent light into the walls, melting their outside surface. But it didn't hit any M.I. troopers, for which van Horn was grateful.

Another two laser bolts then came inbound, this time from a PHX-3M _Phoenix Hawk_. One burned into the ground just in front of the walls, but the other tracked into a trooper in an Elemental suit, and it burned most of his armor off. Unbalanced, the trooper fell off the rampart and onto his back on the ground below. Van Horn winced, though he knew the trooper would be all right. _Although he's going to be sore in the morning_, he mused.

"The _Buc_'s charging!" A voice called over the platoon's frequency. Van Horn looked and confirmed it for himself, seeing the _Buccaneer_ tilt into a full run. "Oh shit." He mumbled as the 55-ton battlemech charged the courtyard at its maximum speed of just over ninety-seven kilometers per hour.

Just before it got to plow into the town, however, the Mobile Infantry platoon leaped up from behind the wall or from the ramparts. A hail of gunfire and short-ranged missiles slammed into the 'mech, but the MechWarrior pressed on, slamming through the breech in the walls and firing his medium lasers at anything that moved.

"Now!" Connors' voice rang over the scout squad's frequency. As one, they fired their light, but still-potent weapons. Van Horn triggered his heavy gyrojet gun, sending another rocket to slam into the left arm of the _Buccaneer_, a split second ahead of Stuger as she aimed more carefully, and fired her gauss rifle. The crack of air being parted by the hypersonic projectile she fired was only drowned out by the noise of the nickel-ferrous slug impacting on the side of the 'mechs square-shaped head.

Several shots came from the tiny windows below, including a single man-portable SRM handled by the squad's heavy weapons specialist. Their impacts came from an unexpected direction, and the _Buccaneer_'s MechWarrior paused again, unsure of what was where.

It was all the M.I. needed. Van Horn and the other three on the rooftop got up and launched themselves towards the 'mech, using their jump jets to aim for the broad back of the medium design.

The MechWarrior had a trick up his sleeve, however. Seeing the troopers coming at him from behind, he twisted the 'mech around to its right, bringing up the massive hatchet and swinging it carefully.

Private Jenkins never had a chance, as the razor-edged, depleted-Uranium blade sliced through armor and flesh as if they weren't there. The two halves of his body fell forward in an arc, and crashed to the ground.

Van Horn, though, didn't pay it any mind as instinct and training took over. Although his target had moved lightning quick, he still managed to land on the upper side of the shoulder. Moving before the Blakest mechwarrior could think of a counter, van Horn clambered over the 'mech's upper surface and reached the cockpit.

He ran so fast that he slammed into it, cracking the ferro-glass canopy and startling the MechWarrior within. Van Horn only took a second to look over the pilot's scared face, and then he reached up with his hands and pried the glass away from the frame. The canopy broke and shattered, and soon nothing stood between him and the person that had killed a fellow trooper.

The man behind the controls, however, was no fool. He leaned back in his command couch, purposefully sending the _Buccaneer_ to fall backwards. The tactic was one developed to use against battle armored troops, as it would squish any soldier on the falling side, and may even shake off any other trooper still stuck to the outside.

Van Horn gripped the edges of the cockpit with all the suit-enhanced strength that he could muster, holding on as his world tilted crazily and then came to a sudden halt as the massive war machine slammed into the ground. His bracing, however, kept him from falling, and though now he was parallel to the ground, he was still covering the mechwarrior's view.

But now that mechwarrior reacted first, and he brought out a pistol. "No, infidel, you- AUGH!" His words were cut off by a scream of alarm, as van Horn simply let go and slammed into the hapless warrior, using his weight and the weight of his armor to crush the foolish Wobbie.

"Goddamned idiot MechWarriors, always gotta say something and be some fucking holodrama hero." Van Horn mumbled as he stood on the rear wall of the cockpit, pushing himself off of the still-squirming body of the Blakest. Van Horn thought about finishing him off, but decided that it would be a waste of a bullet. Instead, he jumped up - making sure that he didn't jump heard enough to trigger his jump jets - and latched onto the canopy edge, and then pulled himself out of the 'mech's head.

He then wished he hadn't. Standing a hundred meters beyond the gap in the wall was the _Centurion_, which, beset with laser and machine gun fire as it was, leveled its autocannon at van Horn, obviously intending to get revenge.

Then the enemy mechwarrior jerked his weapon up, trying to re-aim at something much higher than van Horn. Before the latter could think of why, or even of escaping, two azure streams of charged particles slammed into the chest of the 50-ton machine, quickly followed by a score of missiles.

Armor exploded underneath the devastating assault, shards raining down on the ground below. A dark shape passed overhead and van Horn heard the screeching roar of an aerospace fighter overwhelm all other noises for a second. _Run asshole!_ He screamed to himself mentally, and he jumped clear of the _Buccaneer_ in time to see a second PPC and missile strike slam into the battered _Centurion_.

As the last of the armor melted away underneath the hellish caress of the coruscating beams, van Horn could see some of the inner workings of the 'mech, including the engine shielding for its fusion reactor. Then the missiles hit, slamming into the Blakest battlemech and annihilating whole blocks of equipment.

"HIT THE DIRT!" Van Horn called over the radio, knowing what he had seen. He took his own advice, landing behind a chunk of wall and going prone just in time to have the _Centurion_'s reactor explode as its containment fields collapsed, releasing the energy of a microscopic star into a confined space. The resulting conflagration shook the ground as the upper sections of the _Centurion_ disintegrated and pieces of it were propelled in all directions.

Again the screech of an aerospace fighter went overhead, and van Horn smiled. _'Bout fucking time_.

Captain Parker pulled out of his attack run, angling off to present a harder target to the ground-bound battlemechs. A few shots came up, but they were poorly aimed and went far wide.

"Got 'em!" His wingman, Drunkard, called. "Ricky, did ya see that? The SOB blew up like a firecracker!"

"Good job, Pete." Parker called as he pulled around, aiming for another pass. Below him, more of his squadron went into their own runs, slamming hordes of lasers, particle beams, autocannon shells and missiles into the Wobbie 'mechs. As he watched his HUD, another 'mech, a lightweight _Initiate_, collapsed under the firepower of two _Sulla_ omnifighters. To his grim satisfaction, it didn't get back up.

"Hammer One, this is Hammer Eleven. It looks like the Wobbie tanks and remaining 'mechs are racing for the town." The lead pilot of the last fighter element radioed in. "I don't think we'll be able to come around again before they're too close to the friendlies."

Parker grimaced inside his neurohelmet. "All right, then. Hammer One to all Hammers, take up orbiting positions. If anything moves into the kill zone, go in and slice it apart." He called over his squadron's frequency, and then he changed to the M.I.'s taccom. "Hammer One calling Vanquisher One. Come in Vanquisher One."

"This is Vanquisher One to Hammer One. Thanks for the help, boys, you saved our asses." Vickers called over the radio.

Parker frowned. "That may not be true, Vanquisher One. We took them down a few pegs, but they're moving in fast and hard. We won't be able to strafe them when they get that close."

"You don't have to. Check your air-to-air, flyboy." Vickers called back with a bemused tone. Confused, Parker did so, switching his HUD back to its normal, air-to-air mode. He then felt like smacking himself. "Damn, I must be getting old." He muttered.

Van Horn got up from his prone position and aimed his Heavy Gyrojet Gun over the top of the stone chunk he had used for cover. He was not surprised, but still amazed, to see nothing left of the Wobbie _Centurion_, save its legs and hips laying on the ground. Beyond that, he saw streams of weapons fire raining down on the Blakest 'mechs and tanks. Cheers came over the platoon frequency, quickly followed by orders from squad leaders as everyone realized that the enemy was moving faster, driving straight for the town.

Van Horn jumped up and over the stone chunk, jetting over to land on the remains of a stone rampart, joining the survivors of Sierra squad. He alighted carefully and aimed his gun over towards the faster of the Blakest tanks as it approached.

"Van Horn, where the Hell did you buy that much luck?" Castellano asked as he brought his own weapon up. "I know there ain't no one born with that much."

Van Horn shrugged, his suit exaggerating the maneuver. "Dunno. Must've been a blue light special at K-Sears."

"Funny." Castellano replied, firing at the Blakest tank with the disposable LAW round every light trooper carried. The small rocket flew out, quickly followed by the ones from the other members of Sierra Squad.

Van Horn, however, felt like using the last two shots in his current clip. Aiming carefully, he fired them both in quick succession, aiming at the driver's port of the obsolescent Vedette Medium Tank that rolled its way towards the town.

The explosions of his rounds were lost in the general rain of fire that came at it from the remainder of the Vanquishers. The turret moved and tried to track, but a missile from an Elemental suited trooper slammed into the turret ring and froze it in its tracks.

Then a pair of heavy laser bolts flew in from the enemy _Phoenix Hawk_. Although its armor was ravaged by the air strike, it still retained its weapons and internal equipment, and thus it managed to spear a single trooper in a Marauder suit, vaporizing the armor and flesh of the trooper in an instant.

Van Horn felt a surge of anger, and he quickly dropped his gun for his own LAW. Taking careful aim, he launched it at the _Phoenix Hawk_. His shot was true, and the small rocket, though not particularly devastating, took a small chunk of armor from the breast of the 45-ton 'mech.

The Blakest MechWarrior ignored it, realizing that the heavier Marauder and Elemental suited troopers were more of a threat. But before van Horn and Sierra squad could again leap out to rip the armor off of the enemy 'mech, a wave of missiles and lasers hit it from behind. The _Phoenix Hawk_'s rear armor couldn't stand up, and a gout of flame poured from its back as its engine shielding was breached, though unlike the _Centurion_, the reactor shut itself off before it could explode, and the 'mech fell drunkenly forward to crash into the hole in the walls.

Van Horn blinked, as he thought that battle fatigue had gotten to him. _Am I seeing triple?_ He thought, as over a hundred blue icons clustered in his HUD. Then he blinked again as he realized that the other two battle armor platoons had finished their drop.

"C'mon you apes! Get off your asses and onto the field!" Vickers called over the platoon frequency. "You want the Army to say they saved out asses while we were hiding?"

"No SIR!" The entire platoon replied as one, van Horn included. As one, they leapt out and raced to join with the other one hundred six troopers now sending the enemy into a panic.

Vilini had climbed to the top of the temple; to the very same spot that van Horn had used to oversee the battle. Now the lupar used the platform, along with Kanu and Alexis' brother, Reyato. The three had been the only ones willing to stand up at the tallest, and therefore most exposed portion of the town.

"Those lights in the sky must be related, somehow, to the... To the new arrivals." Reyato observed quietly, not sure on how to call the battle-armored infantry.

Kanu grunted. "I'd bet money on that." He said, and then they fell quiet again, listening to the strange sounds of a strange battle waft up from below. Their vantage point gave them a clear view of the last of the Wobbie 'mechs, an _Orion_, collapsed as two dozen troopers tore into its metal hide.

"They look like raknas attacking a zugart." Vilini mumbled quietly, comparing the small, native scavengers to the battle armored troops as they sliced into the hide of the 75-ton battlemech.

"You are sure you saw Vanhorn?" Kanu asked again for what seemed to Vilini as the thousandth time. The latter sighed and nodded. "Yes, Kanu. His face and voice are most distinctive. I am positive that it was he."

The group then fell quiet again, as they watched the troopers on the fields below slow their movements as they realized that the enemy was slain. Some then milled about, looking over the wreckage of the Blakest tanks and 'mechs, while others continued to sweep outward, looking for any threats. A few even began to round up some of the lupar soldiers that had been under the command of the Blakests. _Those that haven't fled in terror,_ Vilini thought neutrally.

Beside him Kanu shifted his weight again. It might have been from the need to keep his still-hurt leg from having too much weight on it, but Vilini knew that it meant that Kanu wanted to ask again if he was sure.

Vilini shook his head a bit. _I can't really blame, him, though_, he thought. _It's been months since his brothers disappeared with Vanhorn, the kurrnaki, and that Alexis girl. He probably gave them up for dead_.

Vilini looked over at the other two with him. _Or maybe not._ "Yes, Kanu, I'm sure." He said as Kanu opened his mouth to speak again.

Kanu blushed a bit. "Actually, what I was going to say was that we should go and tell the council about this."

Vilini sighed and took one last look over the plains. "Alright, let's go."

Van Horn walked back to the courtyard with Castellano and Stuger, a trio of captured Blakest MechWarriors walking ahead of them. The sullen Wobbies had their hands raised and placed on the tops of their heads in the ancient position that prisoners of war were instructed to take. All three of them were only dressed in the cooling vest, shorts, and plasteel boots that was the MechWarrior's unofficial, official uniform across known space.

Van Horn kept his eyes carefully trained on them, knowing that prisoners could either be hopelessly demoralized, or so determined that only death would stop them. The Wobbies, being a group of terrorists and religious fanatics, could go either way, and so he and the other two troopers walked in a shallow 'V' formation that covered the prisoners from three angles, each two meters apart.

They had walked like this for some time, how long van Horn didn't bother to guess. All he knew was that it was long enough that the captured Wobbies' arms began to droop a bit. He still kept a careful watch, however, despite his own tiredness.

They continued like this for another fifteen minutes, until they finally got to the broken front gates of Hercor's lower courtyard. There, Vickers had set up a temporary command post and checkpoint. Van Horn and the other two escorted the prisoners past where Vickers stood consulting with his two counterparts from the Desert Thunder and the Grenadiers, along with several troopers covering the area to keep their commanders safe. Walking through the gates, they also passed the triage area, where medic troopers worked on the few still-alive casualties. Castellano gave a look towards them, and van Horn knew that the young man wanted to help. "Dan, if you want, me and Stuger can take this trash in while you lend a hand."

Castellano looked back at van Horn. "You sure?"

"Just go, Dan." Stuger added in, her voice sounding tired over the radio. Castellano nodded, holstering his weapon and he turned to head for the three men and one woman who had been hurt.

_More than that were hit, actually_, van Horn remembered, _but the nature of this kind of combat doesn't lend itself to many non-fatal wounds._ He then turned and again kept a good eye on the prisoners until they got to the natives' storehouses. The M.I. had appropriated an empty one, using it as a place to keep the Wobbies under guard.

"Got three more for ya, Corporal." Van Horn called to Corporal Fakir, commander of Bravo squad, which had taken over prisoner guard duties. The addressed trooper turned from his position at the door to the storeroom, his battered Marauder armor glinting in the early afternoon light. "Just stick him in there with the other sacks of shit." He said contemptuously over the external speakers, deliberately letting the Wobbies hear his disdain for their person.

Van Horn mentally shrugged. "Right." With that, he and Stuger herded the three prisoners into the room, joining the single MechWarrior from the _Phoenix Hawk_ and the members of the Vedette Tank's crew to sit on the floor of the empty room. Van Horn and Stuger then stood back, letting the pair of Bravo squad troopers move back to cover the captured Blakests with their heavy pulse lasers.

With that, van Horn and Stuger then saluted Fakir, who returned the gesture, and the two scout armored troopers turned and walked towards the natives' barracks building, in the lee of which stood or sat several M.I. troopers checking over their armor and weapons.

Amongst the group was the massive bulk of Jonathan Osis, easily recognizable in his Gnome heavy armor. Even though there are other Gnome troopers, Osis stood taller than them, as his armor didn't have to be resized to fit a smaller frame.

He turned as van Horn and Stuger arrived. "Glad to see you made it, Earl. You too, Private." He said over his external speakers.

"Same here," van Horn replied, and Stuger nodded. "We've been out collecting the trash. Any news?"

Osis shook his head, though he had to exaggerate it so that his large helmet would move. "Not much. The aerojocks are still circling, but they don't see anything nearby. The Lieutenant is comparing notes, and we're just waiting for any word from above."

Van Horn sighed and nodded. "The other transports are still inbound?"

"Yeah, another few minutes and we should see them." Osis replied.

"Van Horn, get over here." Vickers' tired voice came over the platoon frequency. "Yes sir." Van Horn replied and nodded again to Osis and Stuger. "If you two will excuse me, duty calls."

Osis' chuckle rolled from his helmet. "When does it not?"

Van Horn shrugged, and then turned and trotted over to the front gates. In a few seconds, he stopped near where the three lieutenants stood and saluted them. "Specialist van horn reporting as ordered, sir."

Vickers faced van Horn and returned the salute. "Enough of that, van Horn, we don't stand too much on formality in my unit."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir. You rang then, sir?"

"Heh, funny." Vickers said quietly and paused. Then he spoke again, louder. "We have some shuttles coming in from the _Rodger Young_ right after the 'mechs and tanks land. They'll be carrying the advance Seabee teams and their equipment, so that we can start setting up a runway for the aerodynes." Vickers then pointed up to the town on the spire above. "Since this is not our land, technically, I'd like some permission, as well as information for the Seabees on where the best place to lay the runway would be so that we're not too much in the way. So I want you to go up there and talk to your native friends, see if we can't get some help from them."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir." He hesitated for a moment, and Vickers noticed. "Anything you'd like to ask, van Horn?"

The addressed nodded. "Yes sir. Do you know if the other mission specialists will be on those shuttles?"

Van Horn could almost hear the grin in Vickers' voice. "Oh yeah. They've been away from home long enough, I think."

Van Horn nodded. "Then I respectfully request permission to delay my mission until they arrive, sir. They will be an immeasurable help."

Vickers nodded. "All right. Just wait over by that ramp, then, and make sure that none of the natives try to stick their noses in before we're done here. Have Corporal Connors give you a trooper for escort." He saw van Horn stiffen, and Vickers spoke again to cut off the attempted protest. "No challenge on this, van Horn. It's SOP, no matter where we are."

Van Horn paused, and then nodded. "Of course."

Mikula held onto the armrests of the Assault Transport as it bucked a bit in the upper atmosphere of his homeworld. _And my stomach hasn't even settled from the battle in orbit_, he thought. He decided to try and distract himself by looking around the cabin at the other people there.

Unlike before, he sat in the upper cabin of the transport, which had some decent seats for carrying non-armored personnel. The seats were aligned along the walls like the bench seats of the lower hold, but these at least had some slightly more comfortable padding and armrests. In front if Mikula, along the opposite wall, four men and a woman sat buckled into their seats, talking to each other quietly, and glancing over at the three natives often. To his right and left, Alexis and Pavlo sat, respectively, still clad in their light body armor and still carrying their weapons, as they had been warned that they were traveling into a war zone, and it was always best to come fully prepared.

For his part, Mikula wondered if he was truly prepared. He worried over what they would see when they got to Hercor, as he had seen recordings of humanity's past battles. _Not that I particularly cared, at first_, he remembered. _But they made us watch several of them before they would give us permission to learn how to use their weapons._

Mikula sighed. _After a while, though, I realized why. They wanted to make sure that we knew what we were getting in to. Their way of fighting wars is devastating, terrifying. More often than not, people end up dead before they realize that they're under attack._ Mikula remembered the recordings well, as they were remarkably similar, yet astoundingly different than the few battles he had seen in person before the Wobbies came. _Similar, because they always left bodies everywhere. But different, because they aren't completely orderless melees_. The last had given him some hope. _These humans don't fight wars like us. Their organization, tactics... They all revolve around inflicting maximum casualties against their enemies, while losing as little of their own people as possible_. He felt as if he could trust them. Trust them to not throw away lives casually, or let thirst for glory interfere with their duty.

But even as he remembered those thoughts, he again went back to the recordings he had seen. _Another thing much different is the way the land is affected. Almost everywhere they fight, the land is devastated_. He thus worried over what had happened to Hercor, and his friends and family.

Then Alexis placed her left hand over his right, bringing him from his thoughts to face her. She smiled a bit, and nodded slightly.

Mikula smiled back. _She knows what I'm thinking. Probably even has been thinking about it herself._ He turned his hand so that he could give hers a gentle squeeze. _Whatever happens, we face it together._

The intercom on the cabin wall then burst into staticy life. "We're approaching the LZ. Hold onto your hats, boys and girls, we'll be goin' vertical in five." The pilot of the shuttle reported and then cut the speaker off so she could concentrate on her approach.

Mikula silently thanked the pilot for her warning, as he knew that the transition from horizontal flight to vertical flight was a bit unsettling. That thought then brought up another in his mind, one that set up an epiphany. _How much I've changed_. He spent the next few minutes mulling over that idea. _Look at me... I not only understand their language, can speak it, but I even am used to the idea of flying through the air, of changing that flight so that we can land straight down, traveling between worlds, between stars... So many changes._ Mikula began to wonder just how deeply he had been affected.

The transport lurched suddenly, and Mikula had an instant of fear that the ship had been hit. Then he felt the forward motion of the craft slow, his own body's inertia fighting the change in directions, and he knew that they were beginning their descent to the surface of the planet.

"I wonder if anything's left..." Pavlo muttered. Mikula turned to his brother and shrugged. "We can only hope."

Pavlo turned and nodded slightly, but he didn't speak.

Mikula wondered at that, but then he felt the gee forces from the ship's thrusters increase, and then the thump as the assault transport landed on the ground.

_We're home._

Mikula, Pavlo and Alexis had all waited until the Seabee engineers had moved out, taking the small jeep that they had managed to fit into the lower hold of the transport. After they left, though, the three had climbed down the access ladder and then walked out of the bow doors of the transport.

Now, however, they all stood transfixed at the surrounding terrain. Mikula gaped over the holes that had been carved into the walls of Hercor, and especially at the large battlemech that lay dead in the large gap. Beyond, he could see the shapes of the two heavy APCs, and the unmoving forms of numerous dead bodies lying on the ground next to them.

Then he turned and looked at the fires burning up part of the plains, though by now they were being fought by soldiers in Salamander armor, who dug up firebreaks with their suits' wicked-looking claws. Shattered husks of tanks and other 'mechs lay at various positions along the plains near the town, and he saw a large grouping of lupar like himself being marched to a holding area by several troopers in Elemental armor.

He shook his head at that. _I know, they might've been coerced... Or maybe not,_ Mikula thought. _Either way, I hope not too many were killed._

A soldier bounded over the wall, coming to land a dozen meters from Mikula and the others. They turned and saw the trooper take off his helmet to reveal himself as van Horn. Mikula smiled a bit, glad that his friend had come through the battle safely. _Though with those gashes in his armor, it must've been pretty hard fought_.

Van Horn waved the three over to him, and they complied. They also remembered that they were still in a combat zone, and so the best-equipped natives on Bowman's Planet held their weapons carefully at guard.

Van Horn smiled a bit as they approached, even as he looked over their weapons. "Glad to see that you took your training seriously."

Mikula nodded. "Always. How did it go down here?" He asked trepidly.

"Better than we feared, worse than we hoped," van Horn replied. "Anyway, I need your help. All of you."

"What for?" Alexis asked with a slight frown of puzzlement.

Van Horn turned and pointed towards the town above. "They'd just seen a rather nasty battle, and they might not be too trusting of any human, even me." He turned back to the three natives. "I need you three to go u there with me so that we can talk to them and let them know that we're here to help."

Mikula nodded. "Your reasoning is sound. Let's go."


	23. Chapter 23

They strode up the ramp, not quickly, but not too slowly, either. Van Horn had insisted on taking the lead, and he had placed his helmet back on so that he could be ready for anything, though even he admitted that 'anything' at this point was probably just a native trying to smash his head in.

Behind him came Pavlo, then Alexis, and then Mikula. Trailing them was Private Stuger, who didn't have anything else to do, had been sent along as van Horn's backup. She too, scanned the area, though she was more diligent at scanning the plains below, looking for a Blakest infantryman with a sniper rifle.

Van Horn doubted that any Blakest still alive would both to do anything but run away from the sight of tanks and battlemechs from the NeoTokyo grenadiers disembarking from their DropShips, but he didn't bother to tell Stuger that. At the thought of the Guardsmen, van Horn spared a look over at the plains to the east.

Sitting on the plains were the four spheroid DropShips that belonged to the National Guard unit sitting in a diamond pattern. The older _LST_ and _Confederate_s creating an arc in front of the town and the single, newer _Apollo_ transport.

Between the landing area and the town, the three armored infantry platoons had set up came, just outside of Hercor's ruined walls. Next door, was the landing area fro the two assault shuttles that had ferried down two Seabee survey teams and the three natives that had taken the "wild ride," as most M.I. troopers liked to call a hyperspace jump.

Almost as soon as they had landed, the 'Mechs and Tanks had rolled out, taking up positions around the town, including a light lance of 'mechs that had used their jump jets to establish a perimeter just beyond the set of wooden buildings on the other side of the river. Van Horn didn't know if the town was half-completed, or had been battered by the Blakests toying with the natives, but it looked as if half the buildings were missing key parts.

Van Horn sighed. _No matter what, these sights must be scaring the living shit out of the Hercorians and our friends from the caravan_, he thought. _I hope Vilini has taken the time to explain that we're the good guys._

They rounded a slightly sharper turn in the ramp/road, and the upper gates came into view. This time, they were open, and Vilini was standing there, along with the Maegister, Shaman Forbasa, and more than a few other locals. Van Horn recognized Tiana, Kanu, Alexis' family, amongst others.

"Van Horn, what's up?" Stuger asked over the radio as she passed the three natives behind van Horn. She was slightly nervous at the numbers, if not the technology, of the locals.

"Don't worry, Dianna. They're just the welcome wagon." Van Horn replied. "Just don't shoot them, mm'kay?"

"No problem." She replied coolly, still a bit concerned, but knowing to trust the guy who had spent months on the planet.

Then they came to the gates, and Forbasa strode ahead. "I do hope that you are friends." He said quietly.

Van Horn once again reached u and took off his helmet, and Forbasa smiled as he recognized the human. "Ahh, Earl! So Vilini wasn't mistaken like some had feared."

Van Horn grinned and nodded. "No, he wasn't. And there's some other people with me." He stood to the side, since he and Stuger's bulk had blocked the view of the three natives behind them.

"Mikula! Pavlo!" Tiana shouted, and she raced out, unconcerned with the two heavily armed and armored humans. Reaching her two sons, she leapt halfway and reached out to hug them both.

"Alexis!" Another call came, and van Horn turned to see the gatón's mother racing out as well. Trailing in her wake was her husband and two other children, all happy to see their family member return.

Van Horn stepped slowly ahead, motioning Stuger to follow. They subtly moved away from where the small families were reuniting, and approached where Forbasa and Maegister Varner stood, along with Kanu, who had simply stayed still when he saw his brothers.

_I can guess why_, van Horn thought as he approached. _That leg's healed up nicely, but it's gotta still be painful for him to walk on._ Then he and Stuger reached the small group, which stood a bit away from the curious onlookers from the town itself.

Forbasa shook his head slightly, a grim smile on his face. "Earl, when you said that you'd be bringing friends... I never imagined that they'd be so... Flashy." He said after finding the right word.

Van Horn chuckled. "Indeed. Shaman, Maegister, it's good to see you two again and in good health." He turned and indicated Stuger with a waved hand. "This is a friend, Private Dianna Stuger, of the Mobile Infantry Platoon, 'Vickers' Vanquishers.' You have her and her comrades to thank for the defeat of the army on your doorstep."

Although van Horn spoke mostly in Lupari, Stuger could tell when she was being introduced, and she took off her helmet to reveal her short-cut blonde hair and regal face. _I wish I knew what the Hell he's saying_, she thought and smiled politely for the natives.

The three natives at their front blinked hard. "A... A female?" Kanu sputtered out.

Van Horn then frowned. _God, I forgot about their bias. Time to nip this crap in the bud_. "Yes, a female." He turned and pointed to the ruined hulk of the _Firestarter_ on the plains below. "A female who helped to rip the metal off of that combat unit." He turned back to the natives. "And one who will rip the living guts out of your belly if you treat her anything less than an equal."

The natives looked over at Stuger, and she smiled again, a bit wider this time. She had intended it to be friendly, but after what van Horn had said, it appeared predatory. _Oh thank God that she has brains enough to play along,_ van Horn thought and stifled a grin._ I couldn't have planned that out better myself!_

Forbasa cleared his throat. "Well, if you say so, Earl, then I don't see a reason to doubt your request." He said, and then reached out with his hand towards Stuger.

Stuger smiled, and she reached out with her own, armored hand and lightly shook Forbasa's hand. She said something that Forbasa didn't understand, and he turned to van horn for translation.

"She said, 'pleased to meet you.'" The latter spoke. He then turned to look behind him and noticed that the families were starting to walk towards the town. "In any case, Shaman, Maegister, I think we need to talk." He said and turned back to face the two he addressed.

Varner nodded. "We most certainly do."

Alexis felt a great sense of warmth and joy when she saw her family rushing up to her. Then she embraced with her mother, and she didn't think about much anything at all.

"Oh, Alexis, my darling daughter," her mother spoke quietly. "We thought you were dead."

Alexis felt a pang of guilt, and a bit of phantom pain from where the bullets had torn into her months ago. "Oh, mother... I didn't mean to worry you all so." She sniffed out.

"Hush, child, hush." Her mother whispered. "I'm just glad you're back."

Alexis squirmed a bit. "I know, mother, but I'd like to see everyone else."

Her mother sniffed and stood back, allowing her father to come in and give her a hug as well. "Alexis, what ever possessed you to go running off like that?" He asked.

Alexis shook her head a bit, but kept her smile plastered over her face. _Dad will always be dad._ "I went off to help." She said, and took a step back. "But no matter, where's Reyato? And Shaya?"

"Right here, Alexis." Reyato said from behind their father. Shaya just bounded up and hugged Alexis's waist, saying nothing.

It was then her mother finally noticed something. "Alexis, what in the world are you wearing?"

Alexis blinked, and then she remembered that she was wearing the combat grays and body armor of the Republic. "Oh, this, uh." She self-consciously reached up and touched her helmet. "Protection. The town was under attack, after all."

She could see that her mother passed it off as nothing important, but her father and Reyato had something akin to suspicion in their eyes. _Well, let them be suspicious_, Alexis thought. _Not like they can do anything anyway. I'm my own person now_.

"Mother, please, I can't breathe." Pavlo muttered after his mother had grabbed him and his brother into a bear hug.

"Oh." She drew back, and her relieved face replaced with one of concern. "Just where have you two been?! You gave me the most terrific scare."

Pavlo winced, and Mikula shook his head slowly. "Mom, I'm sorry. We just had to go and help, and, well..." His voice trailed off and he turned to where van Horn and Stuger stood talking to Varner and Forbasa. "We got sidetracked."

Tiana looked around to follow his view, and then she turned back. "Well, hopefully that would explain where you got those fancy looking clothes you're wearing." She said, apparently so happy that she even teased her sons.

Pavlo grinned, and Mikula shook his head again. "Yes. In any case, I think we have lots of catching up to do." The latter said. "Van Horn, specifically, needs to speak to whoever's in charge. Unless you've gotten soft, I think that might include you." He finished with a slight smile.

Tiana frowned a bit, but the twinkle in her eye showed that she appreciated the light jab. "Well, I suppose that it would do with all the noise and light from that most strange battle?"

Mikula scratched his head. "In a way, yes..." He saw that his mother was a bit puzzled. "No matter, mother. Let's just go over, and we can talk about this."

Tiana continued to frown, but she nodded her head in assent. "Very well. I suppose there is much to speak of, given today's events." She then turned and walked off to where van Horn and Stuger stood with the others, Mikula and Pavlo quickly following. The former spared a glance towards Alexis. He caught her eye, and she nodded, and quickly made excuses to her family and they soon began walking back up as well.

Van Horn turned around and noticed them, and then turned back to speak to Forbasa and Varner again. _I wonder how he's going to ask?_

They had walked past the crowd at the gates, Alexis, Mikula and Pavlo getting almost as many stares as the two humans, and went for the temple. Van Horn had felt that the top would be the best place for Varner and Forbasa to point out any areas that they wanted the new forces to set up.

He hadn't mentioned this, of course, simply suggested it and asked that he explain along the way. Now, however, they were deep into the town, and van Horn still stayed quiet, wondering just how he should start. _I'd better think of something soon_, he thought,_ because they're getting a bit restless_. With that, van Horn cleared his throat and began.

"Maegister, Shaman, as you'll see when we get to the top of your temple, there are some... Things that my people might need." He said as they walked along. When Varner and Forbasa remained silent, he continued. "Mind you, it won't be anything from the town, specifically, but rather, our forces need some space."

"What kind of space might that be?" Varner asked.

Van Horn sighed a bit. "Space to set up a fort, of sorts." He shook his head. "Our armies need a lot of... I don't think your languages have a word, so let me add one; 'logistics.'"

"What is that?" Vilini asked with a frown.

"It's a word that refers to the science and art of supplying a military unit," van Horn spoke after a second's worth of mental translating. "The more complex our weapons, the more they need to be supplied."

Varner nodded, but then posed his own question. "Why do you need a fort to do this, then? Mind you, I do not mind the fact that you won't be using our town for such things, but I also do not think anyone would begrudge your use of our lower courtyard - well, what's left of it."

Thank you," van Horn replied with a nod as they reached the square in front of the temple, "but my people find that our needs far exceed anything a small town like yours can provide. No offense."

"None taken, though I wonder why we need to speak of this when you say you don't need our town itself." Varner replied as they came to a halt in front of the temple. Many of the natives who had taken refuge inside during the battle had left with the all clear, but a few still lingered. Mostly, they were the gatón and lupar that had come in the caravan, their mini town across the river abandoned for the safety of Hercor. They still didn't feel safe to leave, and so they crowded the temple now.

Van Horn looked over them as he took a second to frame his reply. "Well, Maegister, the problem is that technically, this isn't our land." He turned and looked at the two leaders. "This is your peoples' land. We don't feel like just taking it without asking for it. Not to mention, we would also like some help to know where would be best for us to set up, so that we won't be intruding too much."

Varner blinked. "Really?" He asked, and van Horn nodded in reply. "After that display below, I didn't think that you would care to ask. You are, after all, so much more powerful than us."

Van Horn nodded again. "Yes, but just because we can, doesn't mean we should. So I'm here to ask, on behalf of my commander, if we can set up in the vicinity of your town, and if so, where would be the best place for us to set up where we won't be too bothersome?"

Varner just stood there, trying to absorb the import of their conversation. Forbasa, however, just smiled. "Well, Earl, I can't speak for Julius here, but might I ask if you have any good ideas where your people would like to set up?"

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Sort of. We'd definitely like to be able to set up with defensive positions beyond your town. The current landing area of our DropShips is a good start, but we need to be able to set up positions from which we can detect the enemy."

Vilini frowned; puzzled at the phrases van Horn was using, but understanding them in part. "You think they will come back? After the trouncing you gave them?" He asked.

Van Horn sighed before replying. "Unfortunately, we only defeated a small portion of their forces here today. Most of their equipment is still located around the Lupar cities to the east and north. Once they know we're here, they are sure to come back and try to remove us."

An elderly lupar that Varner had introduced as council member Verst spoke up then for the first time. "If what you're saying is true, then you've surely doomed us all!" He said, waving his cane about.

Van Horn shook his head. "You really have no idea what we just stopped here today, did you?" He asked the lupar, and stared in his eyes. "The Wobbies are barbarians. If you had fought back, like you certainly looked like you were going to do, they would have flattened your town, killing more than half of your people, that is for certain." He spoke quietly, full of menace. "And then, the would have sent their local agents, the lupar from the cities, in to swarm over and take you all as their slaves." Van Horn paused to take a breath. "IF you had surrendered, you'd be little better off... Just less of you dead."

The gathering then fell silent at that, and van Horn regretted that he had laid it on heavy. _I just can't stand the whiners, the little pansies that complain no matter _what_ you do. Nothing can satisfy them, and they will always bitch, even though they couldn't do any better if God gave them a helping hand._

A small sigh from Varner broke the ice. "Well, Vanhorn, I suppose that the past is past." He drew himself up a bit. "I, as Maegister, give permission for your people to set up wherever you like, outside of the town walls."

Verst gave Varner an angry look. "Have you lost your mind?"

Varner apparently had had enough. He turned around and snarled at the elder lupar. "Mad? These people just saved us from a defeat that would have killed many. They have kept us free, and they even _ask_ for permission to even stay near us! What's more mad is not having them nearby to help us!"

Verst glared at Varner. "You say they saved us, but how can we know that? All we have is his word that things would turn out like he said. How can we know that these 'Wobbies' would not have been the scourge that he claims they are?"

"Because they trust him," he pointed to Forbasa and then to Tiana, "and because my own son reported that Vanhorn himself actually ran into a storm of attacks that could have killed him, all to keep our town from being overrun." Varner glared at Verst, his ears lying back against his skull. "He and his friends have done more for this town than you have in the past twenty years!" Varner paused while Verst took stock of that quote. "I want you out of my sight, Verst. And I don't want to see you until the next council meeting."

Verst looked like he wanted to complain, but Varner's face was one of rage, and so the elder lupar frowned, then turned and walked off in a huff. Varner stared at him until he walked around a corner and disappeared. He then turned and sighed. "My apologies, for that display. Verst has always been my worst critic and opponent on the town council." He said to everyone around.

Van Horn smirked slightly, just enough to move a corner of his mouth up. "Well, so long as it's settled. Anyway," he turned and looked up at the top of the temple. "If you'll join me up there, Maegister, Shaman, then maybe we can find out a place that would best suit both of our peoples' interests."

"Very well," Varner replied with a slight grin of his own. "My son told me on how you flew before, so I don't think you'll be needing to take the stairs."

Van Horn's smirk grew into a small smile. "No, I guess not. If you'll go on ahead, I'll wait for you there." He said and waved to the temple with his free, left hand. Varner and Forbasa nodded politely, and they turned and went towards the temple.

As they left, van horn turned to Stuger, Alexis, Mikula and Pavlo. "Alexis, I'd like you to come up there, as well," he said in English. "Stuger, you stay here with these two troublemakers, and just keep from making a scene, okay?"

Stuger razzed him a bit. "You make it sound like I'm trouble. Beside," she looked around at the numerous faces staring at the group, "even with my armor, I don't want to tick off anyone that out-numbers me if I have a choice."

Van Horn smiled again. "Good."

"Earl, why do you want us to stay down here?" Pavlo asked, a bit puzzled.

Mikula turned and answered his brother for van Horn. "Pavlo, we can't all fit up there. And Alexis is the smallest and admittingly, the most diplomatic."

All the English-speakers grinned a bit at that. "All right, so stay out of trouble." Van Horn said and turned to Alexis. "Ready?"

She frowned a bit. "For what?"

"I'll give you a ride up," van Horn replied with a grin. Alexis blinked as she realized what he meant. "Wouldn't I be too heavy?"

"Nah. I carried Vilini around, so I can take you up on a short hop." Van Horn replied as he put his helmet back on, needing the biofeedback sensors in it to help maintain his gyros' balance on the trip up.

Alexis nodded. "Well, if it's safe."

"Oh, it's not safe." Van Horn replied with a chuckle. Then he grabbed Alexis and walked a few meters away from the dispersing group of locals, Stuger, Pavlo and Mikula standing back out of foreknowledge.

Then van Horn hit the jets, and he and Alexis flew the three stories up to land on the same platform that van Horn had used earlier. Alexis gasped at the movement, and then at the view. "It's so wonderful," she said as van Horn released her.

"A bit, yes." Van Horn replied, and then he turned to look over the fields to the east. _Looks like all the 'mechs and tanks are out, good. They'll be unloading the supplies next, and then maybe we can get a temp base going so that we don't have to wait on the Seabees_. Van Horn was naturally eager for some rest after the short, yet long day.

Varner and Forbasa finally arrived then. "Well, I thought I heard a noise." The former observed as they climbed the last few steps from the roof of the main temple. Then both took a moment to look out over the field of battle.

Van Horn gave them a minute, and then he took off his helmet and cleared his throat. "Well, as you can see, we have a temporary area set up just beyond the lower walls." He pointed as he spoke. "We don't necessarily need to be there. Most especially because it's your crop lands that we're sitting on." He grimaced a bit. "I am sorry for that."

Varner sighed, and Forbasa spoke up. "It is of no matter. Most of the food had been harvested early, anyway, when we heard of the Wobbies' approach." He turned and looked west, over the mini town on the other side of the river. The others followed his view, and van Horn finally noticed that several fields were plowed just beyond the expansion. "Those fields were just planted with crops that will grow during the winter season, albeit slowly. They should feed us for a while."

Varner nodded. "Yes, but it would be better if we could have more. No matter," he said and waved a hand dismissively, and then he turned to van Horn. "That area would be better if we could have it back again, yes. Since you asked where we'd like you to not be, just about anywhere within the field markers."

Van Horn frowned slightly. "Field markers? My apologies, but I didn't know you had any." He turned and looked out to where the Seabees were driving their jeep across the terrain. "I suppose you can see them from ground level?"

Varner nodded. "Yes, though some may be overgrown, or worn with age." He peered out, as if to verify this with his own eyes. "If you wish, I can find the farmers who till those fields furthest from Hercor, and they can show you where their markers lie."

Van Horn frowned again. "Well, the help will be appreciated, but I don't think that I can do all of that. Fortunately," he turned and laid a hand - gently, given his armor - on Alexis' shoulder. "Alexis here, and Mikula and Pavlo below, know my people's language now. They can go with your farmers and be interpreters."

Forbasa looked a bit surprised. "Is this true Alexis?" He asked. When she nodded her head, he smiled. "You always did have a talent for languages."

Alexis blushed. "I didn't have much choice, really. Traveling in the company of Earl's friends lends one to the task of picking up their language quickly."

"Well, getting back to the matter at hand," Varner politely interrupted. "Those are the basic areas that I would like you to avoid. Shaman? How about your people across the river?"

Van Horn turned to see Forbasa shrugging. "Basically the same. Anywhere outside of our town and the fields, and it should be fine for us."

"'Your' town? So the settlement there is not really part of Hercor?" Alexis asked with curiosity.

Forbasa shook his head, and Varner replied for him. "No. The council was most adamant about your friends in the caravan leaving, and yet with all the strange events, they didn't feel like going too far without more wagons." He sighed. "We unfortunately didn't have time, and so we came to the conclusion that they could settle the far side of the river as their own town, since Hercor doesn't lay claim to it anyway."

Forbasa nodded his head in assent. "Indeed. We have been building up a small town. Strange though it is, mixing lupar and gatón." He said with a small smile. "These events have truly changed us all."

_More than you know, Shaman_, Alexis thought.

Down below, Mikula and Pavlo stood next to Stuger, who shifted uncomfortably. The former noticed this. "You seem uncomfortable." He said to her.

Stuger faced him and shrugged. "Just being around strangers. I never liked big crowds..." Stuger's voice trailed off, and she took another glance around the square again.

Mikula could certainly understand her predicament, having been in a similar situation himself for the past several weeks. "Well miss, if there's any consolation, you're making them as nervous as they're making you."

Stuger smirked a bit. "Good, I guess. Then we'll both be too scared to do much."

Mikula frowned, and was about to ask what she meant, when his mother entered the square. Behind her trailed Kanu, who had slowed them both with the necessity of limping along to keep his leg from being hurt again. Tiana had insisted that she trusted Varner and Forbasa to do any negotiating, and so she had stayed with her eldest son as they fell behind the group.

Now, however, they approached slowly, partially due to Kanu's leg, partially due to wariness of Stuger in her battle armor. But soon, they were close enough to speak. "Hello again, you two." She said to her sons. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're up there." Pavlo said, pointing to the platform on top of the temple. Tiana and Kanu tilted their heads up, and they quickly spotted the group on top. Or rather, what they could see of them, as part of the temple's roof interceded their line of sight.

"Well, I hope they aren't selling the entire town out." Kanu grumbled.

"What?" Mikula asked, surprised. "Don't tell me after today, you still have suspicions about-"

Kanu's wave cut him off. "I'm joking, Mikula. You do remember that word, don't you?"

Mikula blushed a bit. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry then. I just..."

Pavlo cleared his throat a bit. "Someone called 'Verst' was being rather suspicious about van Horn's motives not too long ago, so we're kind of on edge about that."

Tiana grumped. "That asshole. Older than dirt and has less uses." She snorted. "I hope you told him off?"

Mikula smirked a bit. "No, van Horn and the Maegister did. You should have heard it, too."

Pavlo chuckled. "Definitely. If that Verst comes back again, he should get armor like hers." He said and pointed his thumb over his shoulder to point at Stuger.

She saw that gesture, however. "What are you two talking about?" She asked with a bit of mischief in her voice. "You'd better not be saying I eat babies or something."

Mikula and Pavlo chuckled aloud at that, which prompted funny looks from Tiana and Kanu. "Well, Miss Stuger-"

"Oh jeeze, call me Dianna, or Private." Stuger grumbled.

Mikula nodded, trying to filter out Pavlo's explanation to their other family members. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't have to be sorry, son, just do it." Stuger replied with a small smile.

Just then, they heard the rumble of jump jets, and they looked up to where van Horn was descending on a column of light and smoke, soon coming to rest in the square. Again, he had donned his helmet for the short trip, and again, he took it off once he reached the ground.

"You're just one flashy sonuvabitch, ain't ya?" Stuger said as he walked up.

Van horn shrugged. "In a way, I guess. In any case, we need to get back down below. I need to speak with Major Kujira." He said, referring to the overall commander of the ground forces on Bowman's Planet.

Stuger frowned, but didn't protest. "Well, we'd better go then. He's probably gonna be gettin' out of his 'mech soon."

The day passed quickly from then on. Mikula, Alexis and Pavlo had gone out with the Seabee advance teams, picking out field markers so that they could be entered into the improving map of the area. Alexis, especially, had been fascinated at how they used positions gleaned from a series of micro-satellites that the Seabees' ship, the USS _Cheops_, had launched to provide a partial global positioning network.

The main military forces moved on as well, and patrols of 'mechs and battle armor soon swept through the forests just beyond the edge of the plains. A lance of small, light Manta Hovertanks belonging to the Guardsmen stood on alert, ready to speed out and engage the enemy in a delaying action.

Van Horn, however, was taking some time to rest, as were the rest of the Vanquishers. They had borne the brunt of the fighting, and had lost five troopers to it. So now, they got some time to rest, and to mourn their fallen comrades. Official funerals wouldn't be offered on Bowman's Planet, but instead the five bodies had been bagged and sent up to the _Rodger Young_ so that they could be frozen and returned to their families.

With that thought, van Horn sighed and shook his head. _I didn't know those five very well, but my friends did._ Marks had been especially hurt by the loss of one private, whom had been a friend from their homeworld. The entire platoon took the deaths in stride, however, knowing full well the risks they took when confronting the enemy. _It doesn't make the pain any less_, van Horn thought, _but it does let us focus and remember that there's a duty to perform_.

He sat quietly in a field tent, one of many brought to the surface by assault transports doing supply runs. The normal supply craft needed a runway, and until the Seabees finished one, the over-sized troop transports filled the role.

The tents had been set up just outside of the courtyard's ruined walls, smack dab between them and the DropShips to the east. Thus, van Horn could still easily hear the sounds of modernity: the ringing of metal on metal, the whine of engines and actuators, and the thump of 'mech footfalls.

With a sigh, he stood up and left the empty tent, its other three occupants being rather busy visiting their families inside Hercor. With a grunt, van Horn pulled on a light coat to ward off the chill of the coming night - autumn was beginning to come to this part of the planet - and walked out of the tent's flaps.

Around him stood several dozen tents, all lined up in neat military precision, the Mobile Infantry's field camp. The line of the 'alley' went roughly parallel to the half-blasted walls, so that in one direction, Hercor stood upon its rocky spire, and in the other direction, one could see the dim outline of a 'mech sentry a good distance beyond the camp. Van Horn turned right, towards Hercor, and walked along the line of tents, heading for the dome structure that had been set up as the camp's temporary command shelter. It only took a few moments, and soon van Horn presented his ID to a Grenadiers guard, and then opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior of the geodesic dome was dominated by a small holotank in the middle, and the attendant computer control systems it needed to operate. A circular console to the side contained a communications suite, and another corner had a small rack of assault rifles, in case of sudden attack. The final portion of the small dome was taken up by a regular table that had a map laid out on it, and it was here that van Horn saw Major Kujira, his head infantry and tank commanders, the commander of the 5th Marauders' infantry platoon, and of course, Lieutenant Vickers.

Van Horn walked slowly up, which let the others reach a pause in their conversation as he approached. "Something we can do for you, Doctor?" Kujira asked neutrally, though his eyes bespoke the fact that he disliked the intrusion.

Van Horn ignored it, however. "Yes sir. I know you ordered us to stand down, but I can't really rest. So I respectfully request permission to begin some limited debriefings on the locals we captured from the Blakest army today."

The annoyance in Kujira's eyes evaporated, as he approved a person who wanted to work. "If you feel up to it and your Lieutenant doesn't object." He turned to Vickers then, handling the ball off to him. Though the highest-ranking officer on Bowman's Planet, Kujira technically didn't have command authority over Vickers' platoon, as it was a different service branch.

Vickers, however, nodded tiredly. "I don't have a problem, so long as you get back by 2200 hours."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Yes sir. Thank you sirs." He saluted.

Kujira and Vickers returned the salute, though Kujira cleared his throat a bit to indicate that he had something else to add. "One more thing. I want you to take my mech unit's second in command with you. She's quite adept at languages, and since we might be here a while, it would help if you could get her started on the locals' language."

Van Horn frowned slightly. "Of course, sir, though I warn you, I'm no miracle worker."

Kujira waved him off. "I know, I know. Just teach her some basic words, so she can begin to interact when you're not around."

"Yes sir. Where will I find this officer?"

Kujira flicked his thumb in the direction of the DropShips. "Her name's Captain Tanaka, and she'll be workin' on her 'mech, if I know her any."

Van Horn saluted again, and again, Kujira returned the favor, and then van Horn turned and left the command dome, pausing to take in the smooth night air. He looked up at the stars, and searched them carefully for the small one he knew to be the star which his homeworld, Desmonde, orbited. Unfortunately, the lights that came with humanity's presence blanketed out some of the dimmer stars, and van Horn decided not to bother trying to look for the markers he had used in the past.

With a sigh, he turned east and walked towards the greatest sources of that light, the grounded DropShips, and walked. It took him about ten minutes to cross the short strip of mashed grass that separated the encampment of the infantry from the large transports.

Soon enough, however, he was among them. Again, he showed his ID to a sentry who challenged him, and then he waded into the pool of light. Van Horn walked slowly, moving between small crates of supplies sitting on the ground, and avoiding the busy ship crews as they tried to unload more.

He soon approached a man standing between the _Apollo_ and the right-hand _Confederate_ who seemed to be directing things. He walked up carefully, and lightly tapped the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, crewman, but where can I find Captain Tanaka?"

The man dressed in navy coveralls turned and gave van Horn an annoyed look. "Captain Tanaka's in the _Silver Pagoda_," he said, pointing casually to the _Confederate_ on the opposite side of the landing zone. "Now, unless you want to be squished by a guy in an exoskeleton, I'd suggest you get to the _Pagoda_ and leave me alone."

"Thank you," van Horn said curtly, and then turned and walked away. _Jack off_, he thought of the gruff crewman as he moved between some more crates and crossed the landing area. His boots crunched the grass that had been dried, but not burnt, by the exhaust of the DropShips' fusion engines, and soon approached the USS _Silver Pagoda_.

_I wonder why they call her that?_ He wondered naturally. _The old thing looks like a pagoda the same way I look like a Lupar_, van Horn mused as he reached the large unloading ramp that lead into the cavernous 'mech bay.

At the bottom of the ramp, another crewman stood, tapping almost lazily over his noteputer. This man, however, heard van Horn and turned as the latter came up to meet him. "I'm looking for Captain Tanaka. Major Kujira said she'd be here."

The crewman, whose nametag read PETERSON, nodded. "Yeah, her 'mech had some actuator problems, so she's helping her techs get it fixed." He looked over van Horn's uniform, clearly trying to get his name. "And who might you be?"

"Someone who wants to see the captain," van Horn replied tiredly, as he had gotten tired of the small amount of fame he had garnered as the man who had practically started the counter invasion. "Did I need to make an appointment?" He asked caustically.

The crewman gave van Horn a sour look, but shrugged. "Whatever. She's in 'mech cubicle one, just up this ramp." He replied and pointed casually. "Just don't try that tone on her, or you'll wish you could walk home to New Honshu."

Van Horn just nodded and started up the ramp. At the top, he paused to let his eyes adjust to the still-brighter lights inside the ship's cramped 'mech bay. The _Confederate_, though large by early spacefaring standards, was a small ship by modern practice, and so a good portion of its lower hull was dedicated to the carrying, repair and resupply of a lance of Battlemechs, leaving little room for anything else, save the main drive systems. The four cubicles took up a space of three decks, and each opened up to the exterior of the ship through a massive bay door, one of which van Horn had paused in. As his eyes adjusted, van Horn remained still, as he looked up in quiet awe at the shape standing before him.

Captain Tanaka's ride was an impressive _Guillotine IIC_, a seventy-ton 'mech that was based off of the Star League-era 'mech of the same name. The massive, humanoid war machine looked almost manlike, until one noted that its arms ended not with hands, but with the massive barrels of an Extended Range Particle Projection Cannon in the left arm, and two Large-caliber Pulse Lasers in the right. Van Horn also knew from memory that the design mounted two ER Medium Lasers and an SRM launcher to boot, making the design one of the fiercest available for 'mech-to-'mech action.

Van Horn whistled appreciatively, which caused the group of three people around its left knee joint to turn their heads and see who was making the noise. He blushed a bit, and waved. "Sorry. I'm looking for Captain Tanaka."

"I'm here," one of the people said. She wore coveralls for the dirty work, and so van Horn hadn't noticed her before. Now she said something to the other two workers, and then climbed down the stepladder from the work platform. "And who might you be?"

This time, van Horn felt no reason to hide. "Specialist Earl van Horn, Mobile Infantry," he said, using his reactivated title. "Might I have a quick word with you?"

Tanaka's face showed recognition at his name. "I'm kind of in the middle of repairing my 'mech. Can this wait?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Van Horn sighed. "Depends. I was going to interrogate some of the native prisoners we got from the Wobbies' force here. I mentioned this to Major Kujira, and he asked that I take you along so that you can learn a few things about speaking to the locals."

Tanaka rolled her eyes. "The Major can be a real jerk at times," she said, and then sighed. "But he is usually right. Just wait here while I go change into something a bit more suitable."

Van Horn nodded. "Alright." With that, Tanaka turned and went back to the repair platform, made her excuses to the techs, and headed for the elevator at the center of the 'mech bay.

Fifteen minutes later, van Horn and Tanaka were walking back towards the infantry encampment. Though this time, their goal was the barracks that had served the guards of Hercor. Now, it was surrounded by razorwire and several guards, and inside were the several score of lupar that had surrendered to the Republic ground forces after being trapped between the various battling forces earlier in the day. The whole area was a smallish compound, almost, as the barracks wasn't large enough to hold all of the prisoners, and so a number sat in lean-tos that the Republic infantry had hastily constructed outside the building for the prisoners to use.

Van Horn grimaced a bit at the arrangements. _I know that it's SOP, standard operating procedure, but it still rankles me, 'cuz I know most of these folks were just coerced, or just didn't know any better_. He sighed then as they approached what amounted to a gate into the captives' area. _On the other hand, I do know that there's always going to be assholes who did it for something far baser. It's those little creeps we gotta lock the rest of these folks up for_.

It was these happy thoughts that followed him as they showed their IDs to the guards, and then passed through the two rows of razor wire. On the other side, van Horn felt nervous, as he had neglected to bring a sidearm.

Tanaka did, however, and so he felt a little secure in that. _Well, that, and the fact I out mass these fellas, and the guards are crack shots._ Still, the memory of Pavlo and Mikula using their jaws to frightful effectiveness brought him a slight discomfort.

Van Horn banished that though, as the eyes of the natives were now firmly upon the two. "Just follow along, and if you have question, please ask. Though my recorder will be getting the audio for later analysis." He spoke quietly to Tanaka.

She nodded in reply. "It's your show, Doc. Just let me know if these guys decide to get nasty."

"Will do," he replied, and then took a breath so he could speak over the group's mutterings. "Attention," he began in Lupari. "We have come to ask questions. Who here is the highest-ranked individual?"

The natives mumbled amongst themselves, until one walked forward. "I am a unit commander. Why do you ask?" He said.

Van Horn paused a moment to look over the lupar. He stood about the same height as Mikula, though was maybe a centimeter or two shorter. Unlike Mikula, he had a stern look on his face, and van Horn remembered the conversations he had had with his friends. _'Unit commander,' if I recall correctly, is something like a captain, or maybe a major_, he mused._ A good find, if he's not lying_.

He nodded to the lupar. "I ask because we seek information on how you became dragged into this conflict." He waved off in a direction that had fewer lupar. "If you would like, we can discuss this in some form of privacy."

The lupar frowned at van Horn, and then shook his head. "You people make no sense. Attacking us, and now wanting to talk like we're some sort of buddies?"

Van Horn shook his own head in reply. "We didn't attack you, not directly."

"Then why are we prisoners if we were not attacked?" The lupar asked gruffly.

Van Horn looked incredulous. "You were brought here for protection... Ours _and_ yours." He turned and pointed to one of the battle-armored guards. "Did you see people dressed like him today? The way they fought?" He paused, and the involuntary shudders that many lupar in the area had confirmed that they had indeed seen the M.I. in action. "You saw what they did to the 'metal giants,'" van Horn used the local term, not wishing to overcomplicate things, "we can do that to you. The fact that we haven't should speak volumes." He raised an eyebrow, a gesture that could still be seen in the dim light. "Or, it would, if you have enough brains to listen."

The lupar unit commander stood mute, and then sighed. "Fine. Let's talk."

Van Horn waved again towards a corner of the yard, and the lupar nodded and gave some hand signals to some of the others in the group. Van Horn caught them, but not being of their army or species, he didn't know what they meant. _Probably any number of things. Ah, well, can't worry too much_. With that, the lupar walked over and stood in the indicated area, a good five meters from any other lupar. Van Horn followed, and stood before him, with Tanaka studiously taking a position from which she could watch her and van Horn's backs.

"Now, what do you want, furless one?" The gruff lupar asked.

"First off, what is the nature of your relationship with the first set on invaders?" Van Horn asked, after tripping his recorder on.

The lupar frowned. "Relationship? Is there a relationship between slave and master?"

Van Horn's skin crawled a bit. "Technically, that is a relationship, yes, as dirty and disgusting it is."

The lupar raised an eyebrow slightly. "Indeed. In any case, that is how they treat us. They blasted large portions of our cities, and killed many troops before they finally learned enough of our language to tell us what to do." He sighed, as the memories came back. "They want us to treat them as their rulers, or to die. And so we do what they want."

Van Horn frowned at that, but he went on. "Why were you and the other lupar here sent with their military units on this campaign?"

"Because, powerful as the invaders are, there aren't too many of them." The lupar responded with a grunt. "Though, from what I've seen, there's a lot more than the ones you killed today."

Van Horn had to restrain himself from nodding. "Indeed. How many would you say there are?"

The 'interview' had gone on for a bit of time, before van Horn finally let the lupar go. He went back to his fellows, and van Horn paused, trying to think of what to do next.

"You know, you're really not helping me as much as I thought you would," Tanaka said, toying with the flap on her pistol holster.

Van horn looked up at her and gave her a slight grin. "I ain't, am I?" He said, and then sighed. "It's just that I get carried away. Sorry."

Tanaka shrugged. "No matter. So what did the fuzzball say?"

Van Horn raised an eyebrow at her, but decided that her tone wasn't condescending. "Basically, he confirmed what we think we know. Good amount of Wobbies, stretched over the eastern and southern cities of their race, but concentrated in a few. Generally, the cities are being run as normal, so far, so the locals have gotten used to them, as if they were just another jackass set of warlords."

He paused for a breath. "From what I've read up on Wobbie activity back in NeoTokyo, this is the Wobbies' regular M.O. Move in, shake things up enough so that the populace won't feel like they can cross you lightly, and then slowly start to bend them." He sighed. "I think we got here before that bending."

Tanaka looked puzzled. "What makes you say that?"

Van Horn waved a hand back towards the lupar. "Because they still hate the Wobbies. Every time I mentioned them - well, I called them 'the Invaders,' but same difference - anyway, every time I did, I could see something in his eyes. He hates them for what they've done." Van Horn sighed again. "Unfortunately, they also see us as the same kind of people, since we're the same race, and have the same kinds of toys."

Tanaka sighed as well. "So that means we won't have full support from them? Greeaaat."

"Well, not at first. But they'll probably turn around. At the very least, if we act decent, they'll just tolerate us and hate the Wobbies all the more for their lack of decency."

"Sounds like a plan," Tanaka said, smirking at her own half-joke. Van Horn returned the smirk and shook his head. "Indeed. Anyway, I thought about doing more, but we got lucky, and met a decent, informed chap." He stretched a bit. "Let's go back. I could use the sleep, and I'm sure you want to work on your tin beast."

Tanaka elbowed him in the ribs. "Watch it, joker. I could have you sit outside while I do my work, and recite native words to me."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "I'll be more careful then." With that, he started off towards the entrance, and Tanaka followed leisurely.

They only got about halfway there when one lupar detached from a group watching them, much to the consternation of his fellows. He approached the two humans slowly, palms outward. Tanaka reached for her pistol, but van Horn held out an arm across her path and cleared his throat. "Hello. You want to talk with us?"

The lupar stopped about a meter away. "In a way," he said. "I was more wondering, if... Well..." His voice trailed off a bit and he shuffled his feet a bit.

Van Horn raised an eyebrow. "What is it? We do not have all night."

The lupar reached up and scratched his chin a bit. "Well, a friend of mine was hurt during the fighting earlier. We didn't ask for any help because he thought it was nothing, but now he can't walk on his leg, and he's in pain. I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, maybe getting him some help?"

Van Horn frowned slightly. "If your friend is hurt, all you have to do is bring him up to the entrance, and the guards will call a doctor over."

The lupar scratched his chin again. _Why does that seem so familiar?_ Van Horn wondered as the lupar spoke again. "He's... Suspicious. He doesn't think that you would help him, and would punish him for asking." The lupar tuned a bit and pointed towards the barracks. "He's just inside the main entrance. You can see he's hurt for yourself."

Van Horn frowned. "One moment," he said to the lupar, and then switched to English so he could translate the conversation for Tanaka.

When he was done, she shook her head. "It's a trick. They want us, or one of us, to go in where their buddies can drop on us and capture us for a hostage, or even just to distract the guards and get them to come inside the barriers and possibly leave the gate open."

Van Horn sighed. "I know, it sounds like that, doesn't it?" He asked, and then rubbed his forehead. "But these people don't have cheap holodramas, where the hero escapes the enemy's clutches by feigning illness so he can trick and subdue the guard."

Tanaka shrugged. "True, but then, that idea had to come from somewhere in our past." She said, and looked at the lupar, who waited nervously. "Isn't it just as likely that they can have the same ideas as a human?"

_More than you know, Captain_, van Horn thought wryly. Aloud, he said, "You have a point." He sighed again, through his nose this time. "If it'll make you feel better, I can go alone, while you let the guards know that something fishy is going on."

Tanaka shook her head. "You're nuts. Well, if you're adamant, then we should alert the guards, and I'll go in with you."

Van Horn smiled a bit, and nodded. "All right. Go warn them while I speak with this one here." He said. Tanaka nodded and started off. "Oh, and tell them to get a medic," he said a bit louder to her retreating back. "Either way, we're gonna need one."

Tanaka looked over her shoulder and gave van Horn a wry grin, and then she went off to see the guards. Van Horn then turned back to the lupar and switched to his language. "All right, give her a moment, and we'll go and see if your friend is hurt or not."

The lupar's face lit up. "Oh, thank you, sir. Yes, I'll wait."

Tanaka came back a moment later, and they walked off to the building together, the lupar leading the way. The captain was edgy as they approached the barracks building, and she had her hand resting on the handle of her pistol, the holster's strap unlatched so that she could whip it out in a second.

For his own part, van Horn felt that it was a trap as well. But he had also taken it upon himself to help the natives of Bowman's Planet, and that meant that he wouldn't let himself pass up an opportunity to do just that, trap or no. _Still, even an unarmed soldier is still dangerous_, he mused, reflecting over the various martial arts techniques that his drill instructor had burned into him years ago.

Soon, they were at the building, and the various captured lupar stared at them as they passed by. The one leading them made a few comments to the others, mentioning their purpose, but saying little else. Van Horn wondered at threat, but then they passed into the barracks, and he paused, tensing and he looked around nervously.

Tanaka also paused and scanned the area around them, but despite their trepid feelings, they saw nothing more than two more lupar, one laying on his back in the entranceway, the other kneeling next to him. Their guide stopped next to them and waved them over. "Here, my friend is hurt, like I said."

Van Horn looked at Tanaka, motioning with his eyes. _Stay here, watch me_. She took the meaning and nodded, before turning to scan the area again.

With that, van Horn turned back and went to kneel next to the lupar lying on the ground. "All right, where are you hurt?" He asked him.

The lupar looked suspicious, but he sat up a bit, wincing as he did so. "My left leg. Something flew into it, I think. It bled for a bit, and I could walk on it before, but now I cannot." He said, and touched his leg. Van Horn carefully bent over and pulled up the trouser leg of the native.

What he saw was a nasty little wound created by a piece of shrapnel. He sucked air through his front teeth in sympathy. "That looks nasty. Why didn't you say anything when you were caught?"

The lupar's ears laid back against his skull. "The last time someone got hurt in my company, and I mentioned it to one of your people, the wounded one was shot." He said with a growl.

Van Horn felt a pang of regret, briefly, over the fact that the Wobbies hadn't been stopped sooner. However, his honor had been insulted. "Those aren't 'my' people. The ones that had you come out here are filthy, Godless barbarians, and I will not rest until their blood waters the soil on which they have tread." He replied in a low voice himself. "So don't you, ever, and I mean _ever_, compare me or my friends to those murderous bastards again, or when you're healed up, I'll kick your goddamned ass from one end of this world to the other."

The three lupar sitting, standing, and kneeling around him blinked in surprise, and the wounded one squirmed a bit. Van Horn chastised himself for the breech of temper. _It's too fucking late, and I'm tired._ He sighed and looked over the wound again. "This needs to be taken care of right away, or it'll get infected." He then turned to look at Tanaka and switched back to English for her. "Captain, it's a real problem. Could you go and tell the guards that we need a medic here?"

Tanaka looked at van Horn like he was crazy. "You sure? From the way you sounded in that talk you just had with them, it sounded like they're none too friendly."

Van Horn sighed, again regretting his lapse. "It was nothing, a mere misunderstanding." She looked unconvinced, and he shook waved a hand. "Just go. I'll be fine, so long as you don't dawdle."

Tanaka sighed herself and nodded. "Alright, I'll be back soon. Just holler, and I'm sure that the guards'll come back ASAP." With that, she turned and walked out of the barracks, and headed in the direction of the 'gate.'

With that, van Horn turned back to the wounded lupar and looked over the wound again. "Hmm..." He murmured, as he looked it over again.

The lupar that had guided him there cocked his head. "What? Is there a problem?"

Van Horn shook his head at that. "No, not really. Just trying to figure out where this came from." He frowned in the night, as the darkness conspired to keep the full details of the area from his eyes. "Looks like shrapnel, possibly from a missile warhead." Van Horn said, mixing in the English words into his Lupari. He then looked up at the face of the wounded lupar. "Were you close to any of the explosions?"

The lupar blinked, trying to understand what the human was saying. "Do you mean the bright balls of fire?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. Those are called 'explosions.' Sometimes, the weapon that makes them throws out metal in all directions." He looked down at the wound. "Usually, it's a good idea to duck when you see a weapon like that coming at you."

The wounded lupar gave him a sour look, but the other two chuckled slightly. "A prudent choice, I would imagine." The guide lupar said. "Perhaps Luger here could remember that better this time."

The wounded lupar - Luger - scowled at the still-standing one, and van Horn frowned a bit. "'This time?' You were told this before?"

The guide nodded. "Yes. Your- I mean," he caught himself before he could offend van Horn again, "those other people. They told us a bit about their weapons. Mainly to stay out of their way, and try not to be anywhere near what they're attacking."

Van Horn grunted. "Really? I'm surprised. Those stuck-up little trash bags actually warned you."

Luger blinked. "Why would they not? We were helping them, after all."

Van Horn frowned again. "Yes, well. I _did_ say that they were Godless barbarians, didn't I?" He asked, and then leaned back to keep his back muscles from cramping. "Given what they planned to do, I wouldn't be surprised if they were willing to kill their own children."

The lupar kneeling next to Luger tilted his head in puzzlement. "You can't be serious? What could they have planned that would make you think so bad of them?"

Van Horn, caught off guard by the question, thought of the vast stockpiles of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons that the Republic had found on Terra and on other Blakest base worlds. He shuddered involuntarily as his imagination filled in scenes from the First Succession War. "Something that would give you nightmares if you knew." He lowered his head and shook it. "I still get them, occasionally."

His words, tone, and the way he had shuddered served to silence the three lupar for a while. Van Horn simply stood and leaned back against the wall of the entranceway, while the three natives sat down next to each other, and they waited. Finally, there was a bit of commotion outside, and Tanaka returned, followed by two men. One was clearly a guard, and he was dressed in his Marauder armor. He gave the building a wide berth, and the lupar did likewise for him. Tanaka and the other man, however, walked over to where van Horn waited.

The latter grinned, recognizing the man as he drew close. "Danny boy. Got tired of sleeping, did ya?"

Castellano grinned a bit. "Naw. Not so much tired of it, as that I wasn't as tired as the other medics." He said and looked over the three natives on the ground. "So, what's the problem?"

Van Horn motioned with his hand, and he kneeled by Luger. Castellano followed, and van Horn showed him the wound. "Missile fragment, I think. Can't be too sure, however, 'cuz the light's so bad."

Castellano shrugged and took out a small flashlight from his shirt pocket. "Let's have a look, shall we?" He flipped it one, which made the three lupar flinch in surprised.

"Don't worry, he's just going to look it over and then take care of it." Van Horn said in Lupari to them, trying to sound reassuring. The three natives still looked suspicious, but they held still as Castellano looked over the wound. "Yeah, glad you brought me. This could've been nasty enough that even our docs would have to saw the limb off." He said and turned to open his medikit. "Fortunately, we got here early enough, I think."

Over the next few minutes, he worked quietly, cleaning the wound and removing the fragment of shrapnel after giving the lupar a local anesthetic. Van Horn made sure to explain things to the three natives as Castellano went along, and finished up by sewing the wound together with biodegradable stitching that would be absorbed into the lupar's body as his skin healed.

Finally, Castellano closed his medikit. "That should do it for now." He said as he stood up, van Horn rising as well. "I think that we got to him before any infections could take hold, but I'd like to come back and check up on him tomorrow evening." The former said as he stretched.

"Thanks a lot Dan." Van Horn said with a small smile, and he reached out his hand and waited for Castellano to shake it. "The more of these folks we help, the better off we'll all be."

Castellano smiled back as he shook van Horn's hand. "Well, so long as I didn't screw anything up." He withdrew his hand and used it to cover a yawn. "Excuse me."

Van Horn stifled a sympathetic yawn. "No problem. We're all tired. Now get your ass out of here before you scare these people anymore with your pasty skin."

Castellano turned and walked out quietly, casually flipping the bird at van Horn as he walked past Tanaka and rounded the corner. Van Horn laughed a bit at the gesture, and then he turned to face the three lupar, the two non-injured ones having stood up. "Well, you should be feeling better soon. And my friend there will come back tomorrow to check up on you."

Luger nodded slowly. Although he was still wary, he no longer viewed the human with total suspicion. "Thank you, very much."

Van Horn waved a hand. "It was nothing. My friend did all the work, and your friend brought us here." This time, van Horn had to yawn, as relief caused his mind to relax. "Excuse me. Well, I must be going." He nodded to the three. "Good night to you all." With that, he turned and walked out of the building, Tanaka leading off as soon as he got to the entrance.

They walked for a bit, and then Tanaka paused between the last group of prisoners and the entrance to the yard to holster her pistol. It was then that van Horn realized that he didn't see their guard anymore. _Must've gone back with Dan, once he realized that it was a genuine situation,_ he thought. _Still, should have mentioned something... Or maybe he did to Tanaka_.

His thoughts were cut short when Tanaka turned and faced him. "Sorry about that. Just didn't want to walk up to guards with a loaded weapon."

Van Horn shrugged, and was about to say something, when Tanaka tensed up a bit. He turned and saw a figure approach. _Good gravy, not another problem_.

But then the figure got closer, and van Horn recognized it as the lupar that had brought him to the wounded one. "Sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to thank you myself."

Van Horn shrugged. "Your friend thanked us already for helping him. It was nothing big."

The lupar shrugged as well. "I know, but I meant I wanted to thank you for listening to me." His ears then went down a bit in embarrassment. "Even in some of my own people's units, such a complaint might not have been heard."

Van Horn sighed. "That's sad to hear. But, you are welcome. And if you need help, ask. I and my people aren't here to treat you badly."

The lupar tilted his head quizzically. "Why do you lock us up, then?"

Van Horn grimaced. _I'm way too fucking tired for this shit_, he thought and sighed. "We lock you up, because although we believe that none of you particularly want to hurt us, there are a few that would gladly sell us - and you - out to the invaders for personal gain."

The lupar's eyes lit up with understanding, and then dimmed with sadness. "I see your point." He sighed himself. "So how long will we be here? Now that I'm free of those invaders, I want to go looking for my family."

"Well, that depends of a few things. Mainly, though, you'll be here until we can interview every one of you. That way, we will be able to better decide who's what kind of person." Van Horn said, fumbling a bit over the words. "Excuse me if I do not make much sense. It's late and I'm tired from the battle."

The lupar raised his head and ears questioningly. "You were in that battle earlier? I did not see any one of your people. Just those..." His voice trailed off and he indicated one of the armored guards standing beyond the razorwire.

Van Horn laughed, startling both the lupar and Captain Tanaka. The latter gave him an odd look, and he waved her off. "Look, Captain, you don't have to stand here. I'm only a few meters from the entrance. I'll be fine."

Tanaka gave him another sour look, but then she nodded her head. "You're a crazy one, Doc. But I need to work on my 'mech, so I'll take your invitation." She turned and walked towards the entrance, but paused to look over her shoulder. "Just don't get yourself killed, or I'll have to kick your ass in Hell." And with that, she walked away.

Van Horn shook his head and looked at the lupar. "Women." He said casually. The lupar grinned broadly at that, since the idiom seemed to translate well. "Indeed. In any case, why did you laugh?"

"Oh, that." Van Horn yawned again. "Excuse me. Anyway, those things are people like me. They are just wearing a special kind of armor." He raised an eyebrow and decided to try for some information. "Didn't you see anything like that with the invaders in your city?"

The lupar shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Only their metal giants and the metal wagons." He turned his head and looked at the armored infantrymen at the entrance. "It seems that your race likes metal a lot."

Van Horn shrugged. "It's useful. In any case, it's rather late, and as I've said, I need rest." He grinned sheepishly. "It was a pleasure talking to you." He then held out his hand.

The lupar gazed at it. "This is what you did with your friend before." He looked up at the human. "Does this mean you consider me a friend?"

Van horn grinned a bit. "Well, it's a greeting. It can be a greeting between friends, or strangers, depending on how one does it. I'm now doing it so that we can properly introduce each other."

The lupar looked at van Horn's hand for a second, and then reached his own hand out to clasp van Horn's. "Now what?" He asked.

"Now is the introduction. My name is Earl van Horn." Van Horn replied, dropping the doctor title for the sake of simplicity. "And you are?"

"Senmar Farkas, from Tanzano." The lupar said, and then he paused as he felt and saw van Horn freeze. "Excuse me? Is something the matter?"

Van Horn pulled his hand back slowly. "Could you repeat that for me again?"

The lupar frowned. "I said I'm Senmar Farkas. Why do you react so?"

Van Horn shook his head as he got his thoughts under control. _No, wait, might be a bastard tryin' to assume his name_, he thought. _Or did the Wobbies plant him? Do they know more than we realize?_ These thoughts disturbed him.

_It's too late, and you're too tired. Make a note of it and go to sleep._ He looked at the lupar. "Sorry, just your name sounded familiar to... To a friend I have from another world." _Not strictly a lie, since he _is _from another world than my own_.

The lupar nodded. "All right. Well, I will not delay you any more. Good night." He said and bowed slightly.

"Good night," van Horn replied, and he turned to walk away as the lupar did so. But he couldn't help but steal some glances over his shoulder, especially as he passed through the entranceway to the enclosure. Once beyond, however, he turned and walked to a guard. "Private Hamsfürder," he said to the man, reading his name and rank off of his breastplate. "Do you see that lone lupar there?" He asked, and pointed to the one he had spoken to.

The guard turned to look, and van Horn could almost hear the whirring of optical enhancement sensors coming online. "Yes sir. Why? Is he a threat?"

Van Horn shook his head a bit. "No... Well, probably not." He sighed. "Just watch him for any unusual activity. But don't go ballistic if there is any, just notify me or Major Kujira."

"Yes sir," the guard said and saluted, careful not to hit van Horn with the muzzle of his pulse laser. Van Horn returned the salute, and he turned and walked for his tent. _I need to chat with the Farkas clan in the morning..._

Van Horn wandered back to his tent after dropping off his recordings and notes into the camp's command computer, thus allowing any Republic officer with enough clearance to gain access to it via the communications network that had been established by secure radios. With his duty discharged, van Horn had finally been able to head towards sleep.

It was not to be, however, when he opened up the tent flap and saw Alexis sitting on a cot, head bent over, as if she as thinking. She looked up at the movement and noise. "Oh, Earl," she spoke quietly. "I didn't know where you were, so I waited here for you."

From her words, she seemed nonchalant, but van Horn could hear the hitch in her voice. _Oh God, what now?_ It was his first, involuntary thought, and he soon pressed it back into the dark part of his mind that spewed it. _Shut up asshole, and see what's the matter_, he mentally chided himself as he walked over to sit on his cot, which sat facing Alexis' own seat across the cramped tent.

He sat down and looked up at the gatón. "What's the problem, Alexis?" He asked. "I thought you were up with your family, were going to spend the night with them."

She nodded slightly. "That was the original idea, yes." She sighed. "But it's so crowded up there, and I didn't want to take up any space, not when there was a place for me to sleep down here." Alexis motioned to the cot she sat on.

Van Horn frowned a bit. "Alexis, we may not have known each other for very long, but I can tell when something's bothering you."

Her ears twitched back and her tail curled a bit around her ankle. "Wh- what do you mean?"

He shook his head slightly. "Well, for starters, since Mikula and Pavlo aren't back here as well, that means that the crowding can't be too bad. Not for one night, at least, and no one in their right minds would begrudge you and your family the little extra space to become reacquainted." Van Horn paused for a breath, and then continued. "Not to mention, I can hear it in your voice that something's the matter. Now," he leaned back. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I'll respect your privacy. But if you want to talk to me about it, then I'm here to listen." He sighed. "Just don't lie, Alexis. If you are down here because of a problem, just say so, and if anyone asks what, you can tell them to 'butt out.'"

Alexis nodded, and even managed a ghost of a smile at van Horn's idiom. But it soon faded and her face fell "I... I guess..." She sighed, and van Horn realized that she had been holding back tears.

"The problem, strangely enough, is my family," Alexis said, shaking her head. "Do not get me wrong, I'm deliriously happy that they're alive, and that I can see them again... But..." Se paused, and van Horn waited patiently for her to begin again.

After a moment, Alexis sighed and continued. "We were finishing up dinner with two other gatón families from Kuamket, and the lupar family that is sharing a house with them until it's safe for them to go back to their homes in Shulana."

"Shulana?" Van Horn asked quizzically.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's what the new town across the river is being called. It means, 'new beginning.'" Alexis replied, a bit of light returning to her features. But then it left as she continued to recount her tale. "In any case, they were all sharing what supplies they had, and we all ate like a banquet, with all the food on one big table, and everyone getting their food from the table, rather than being served.

"So we ate, and I asked my parents on how the town was, how were things being run, did they have a farm yet." She sighed happily, recounting the evening. "It sounds really nice. There have been almost no problems with the lupar, either the ones from Tanzano or from Hercor."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Coming under fire from a third party usually helps people get over their differences," he said. Then he dropped his smile. "But I interrupt. Please, go on."

Alexis nodded. "So, it was nice, hearing about their stories, so when it came time to tell them what I was doing, I hardly felt like holding anything back. I told them just about everything, from the ride out to the kurrnaki village, to the firefight we had." She sighed. "I should have noticed it then, the looks in my father's eyes, and the eyes of most of the other males." Alexis shook her head, and took a breath. "But I liked the attention, I guess, so I ignored it, thinking that they just didn't quite believe me about your weapons.

"In any case, I told them about the fierce fighting, how Pavlo got hurt, and then I got wounded." She shuddered a bit at the memory. "I didn't really tell them how bad it was, not quite, but I did let them know that I was so wounded that I couldn't wake up until we got to your world. But I did tell them what Mikula told me what happened after I was hit.

"Then I moved on to NeoTokyo, about how I woke up, so happy to see Mikula..." Her voice trailed off and Alexis shook her head again. "That's when I first realized that they might not like everything I'd have to tell them, so I started to gloss over details."

Van Horn nodded. "Understandable, Alexis. So what happened next?"

She shrugged. "I told them about NeoTokyo, about how wonderful it was, all the miraculous wonders. The tall buildings, the vehicles moving everywhere, the untold amounts of people." She sighed again. "They stopped frowning at that, and so I thought that whatever had irritated them was past. But then I began to tell them about how you and your people began to help me, Mikula and Pavlo to learn how to fight, so that we could come back and help." Alexis bunched up her shoulders and lowered her head. "That's when my father stood up and asked to see me outside the house."

_Uh-oh_, van Horn thought. _I can see where this is heading_. But he stayed quiet as Alexis continued, her voice growing quieter. "We went outside, and my father asked 'what sort of silly ideas I had gotten into my head this time?" She shook her head. "I told him they weren't silly, and asked him why he was making a big deal out of it.

"He then told me that I was not acting very ladylike, and that he wanted me to come back to the family and stop trying to do things that I wasn't meant to do." Her voice grew very quiet, and it cracked a bit as she fought back tears. "'You can start by changing out of those ridiculous clothes,' he said, telling me that I had no right to wear a family name until I was married." As she spoke, Alexis moved one hand almost unconsciously to where her family name had been stitched into the right breast of her uniform, both in English and Gatonese characters.

Van Horn felt a large firestorm of guilt roil in his gut. _I did this. I taught them all about our culture, our ways, and they took to them so easily that I forgot that they came from another set of values entirely_. He realized, too late, that there might be some problems as the modern moors of his people clashed with the medieval ideals of the locals. He looked at Alexis as she sat quietly on her cot, trying not to break down in tears and thought; _I'm just as guilty as the Wobbies in causing her pain and misery_.

He sighed a bit. _Stop it, Earl. This poor girl needs someone to talk to, not a bank of self-pity_. He reached out his left arm and laid his hand on Alexis' shoulder. "Alexis, I'm sorry..." He began, but no words came to him and he paused.

Alexis shook her head a bit. "That was bad enough, but then I countered. I was so angry, angry that he didn't care about my feelings or what I knew." She sniffed. "I told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was ignorant about how the world was changing. How I was changing." She paused, choking back a sob. "He just stood there for a moment, and told me that if I didn't listen to him, then I would be dead in his eyes and the eyes of the family. I told him that if it wasn't for me not listening to him, or anyone else with his views, he and our entire family _would_ be dead."

Van Horn took his arm away as Alexis shuddered with a sob. "He yelled at me. Told me to never come back, or that he'd personally beat me... So I left, and came here..." With that, she began to cry softly.

Van Horn shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the sound, which was fortunately quiet as Alexis fought to control herself even then. _Damnit, she doesn't need me, she needs Mikula,_ van Horn thought, even as he gave thanks to Alexis' inner strength at keeping her from bawling loudly._ Where is that fuzzy bastard when you need him?_

He decided to just wait, and he stared at the floor of the tent, pretending to not notice Alexis as she slowly stopped crying and regained control of herself. "I'm... I'm so sorry." She said after a few moments of sniffling.

Van Horn brought his head up, and then shook it. "You don't have a thing to be sorry for, Alexis." He said, and he again put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "You don't have a single, damned thing to be sorry for. You haven't done anything wrong."

Alexis just hung her head. "I... I suppose... But I just..." She sniffed. "I was just so angry at him, at my own father. All because he wouldn't understand..." She sighed. "He's usually so open, so nice. He didn't blink when the lupar from Tanzano came, and he didn't complain when we left the ruins of our village and traveled here." She looked up, not at van horn, but just out. "And he balks at _this_?" Her voice rose, taking on a bit of shrillness. "He's upset and uncaring at my own feelings and desires?" She shook her head. "I... I just feel betrayed." She paused for a few moments, rubbing her running nose, and then she looked back up at van Horn. "But I guess that sounds stupid."

Van Horn frowned. "Alexis, it sounds perfectly natural. And it's certainly nothing a stupid person would say." He replied, reaching into a shirt pocket. He pulled out a tissue, and he handed it to Alexis. "Here, use this to dry your eyes and clear your nose."

Alexis gracefully accepted the article, and she dabbed ad the wet fur around her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," van Horn replied, and he sat a bit further back on his cot. After Alexis blew her nose. "I... I just can't get over the way my father reacted." She said quietly. "Why? Why doesn't he care?"

Van Horn sighed, bringing her attention back to him. "Alexis, it's not that he doesn't care... I don't think," he said, pausing for the right words. "It's more like the fact that people tend to have a limit at how much change they can have at one time. Your family has been through a lot in the last few months, and though they're smart people, even they have a limit where they say 'no more.'" He sighed. "It's... Sad, tragic, even. Because if you're anything like the rest of your family, then they're good people, and they should be as accepting as you. But they haven't had the same experiences as you, so they can't see that these more recent changes, most especially the ones in you, are for the good. They just can't see it now, but they will, someday."

Alexis sniffed again. "I guess... At least, I certainly hope so. "She sighed. "I just feel bad now..."

Van Horn nodded. "Well, I didn't say you wouldn't. Arguing with family isn't something that one is content with," he said and stood, stretching a bit. "Trust me, I know from experience." He gave her a light smile.

Alexis gave a ghost of her own smile back. "I suppose. But where are you going?"

"Oh, me? I'm just going out to stretch a bit before bed," he lied. "I'll be back in a little while. Unless you don't want to be alone?"

Alexis hesitated, but then shook her head. "No... No, I think I'll be fine until you come back."

"Alright then," van Horn replied with a nod. "I'll see you later." She just waved, and he stepped out of the tent and walked towards the command dome.

He sighed as he moved along the line of tents, hoping that no one would be up and about at the hour. _Alexis may not have been in a fight, but she's been out riding and translating all day_, he thought. _That's tiring enough, and combined with that tiff she had with her father, she's going to be emotionally drained, as well_.

He circled around the inner perimeter of the camp, careful not to arouse the sentries, and then headed back for his tent. He carefully crept up to it and lightly opened the entrance flap.

Inside, as he suspected, Alexis slept. She lay curled on her cot, with her tail circled around her horizontally. Van Horn couldn't help but smile a bit at the peaceful scene, even as he stepped back and closed the flap. He walked away slowly, heading for the command dome. _Hopefully, some of this crap will be cleared up tomorrow_, he hoped.


	24. Chapter 24

Dawn broke over the Hercor plains, washing light over the Republic encampment and the town above. Though the activity of the camp never stopped, it increased now as soldiers woke up to the blaring notes of Reveille.

Inside the command dome, however, van Horn slept behind the holotank control console, his jacket bunched up underneath his head. The two NCOs on duty during the night hadn't minded him when he had explained that his friend had needed some time alone, and so he had gotten an uncomfortable, but acceptable night's sleep on the plastic undercoating that served as a crude floor to keep dirt out of the dome.

A sudden, light kick to his ribs, however, woke him up with a start. He rose right off the deck and had a combat knife unsheathed and at the ready as he used his momentum to roll himself into a crouch.

Standing in front of him was Lieutenant Vickers and behind him, Major Kujira. Van Horn blushed and stood erect, sheathing his knife. "Sorry 'bout that," he said and saluted. "Sirs."

They returned the salute. "Enough of that, Doc," Kujira said bemusedly. "Now, what were you doing sleeping on the floor in my command shelter?"

Van Horn blushed again. "Uh, well. It's kind of a long story..." He rubbed his sore neck and pondered for a second. "Uhm, Alexis, she had some sort of fight with her family, and slept in the tent. I figured she needed to be alone."

Both of the officers nodded, knowing looks on their faces. "Well, so long as you can perform your duties, I don't care if you sleep upside down," Kujira said in an amused tone. Then his face went blank, and his voice turned into that of a commander. "So, Doctor. I understand that your little chat with the prisoners last night went worse and better than you had hoped?"

Van Horn shrugged. "Sort of. I really should have waited until this morning to do any interviews, but at least we have a beginning of an understanding for the locals under the Wobbies' thumb."

Kujira harrumphed, and he walked over to the plotting table, which prompted Vickers and van Horn to follow. The latter noticed that the two noncoms from last night had been replaced with the morning watch, and that these new arrivals had brought a pot of coffee in with them. _Must've been unpacked last night_, van Horn thought as his stomach growled a bit. _Lucky bastards_.

The three soon stood around the table, and Kujira placed his noteputer on it. "There's the info you uploaded into the battlenet last night. Now, is there anything else that you'd like to add?"

Van Horn's mind was a bit fuzzy still from waking up, and he blinked. "Uhm... I don't think so... Wait." He shook his head. "There was this one lupar, I asked a guard to keep watch on him."

Kujira nodded. "I was hoping you'd remember that, because my man sure did." He tapped his noteputer. "How come that isn't in here?"

Van Horn frowned. "That was after I had turned my recorder off, after Dan- Err, Corporal Castellano had treated the wounded native." He took in a deep breath, trying to concentrate, despite the alluring smell of coffee. "The lupar that had come up to get my and Captain Tanaka's attention came back out, and thanked us both for actually listening to him, unlike the Wobbies." He smirked a bit, but then that expression faded. "Captain Tanaka left, and I introduced myself to the lupar. His own introduction left me... Suspicious."

"Oh?" Kujira asked with a raised eyebrow. "How so?"

Van Horn reached up to scratch behind his head. "Well, he introduced himself as one 'Senmar Farkas.' I hope you'll recognize the last name."

Kujira nodded. "A relation of your friends?"

"Yes. In fact, if he's telling the truth, he's their sibling... Who was supposedly killed during one of the early Wobbie assaults." Van Horn replied.

At this, both Kujira and Vickers raised an eyebrow. "Well... That is an interesting claim." The former said.

Vickers frowned. "Is it possible, Doc?"

Van Horn tilted his head, confused. "It might be. When I talked to Mikula and his family, they said that a family friend had seen a piece of stone fall on him," van Horn said with a shrug. "But who knows, it might have missed him."

"Or the Wobbies have an informant of some kind, and this is an attempt by them to get an agent in." Kujira said in a monotone.

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir. That was my initial worry last night, and that's why I had Private-" He paused and frowned. "Well, I honestly can't remember his name now. But I asked him to keep an eye on that lupar."

Vickers nodded. "Good thinking on your feet," he complimented van Horn, and then turned to Kujira. "Well, Major, what do you think?"

Kujira frowned slightly and crossed his arms over his chest. "I am not sure. I frankly don't see how the Wobbies could have found out about this dead relative, known that he was, in fact, a relative of someone tied into our command structure, _and_ find a native trustworthy enough to implement it."

Van Horn nodded again. "Yeah. I kinda thought about this last night... But you can't be too careful."

Kujira nodded. "Oh, certainly. Your order was sound," Kujira said, but then frowned a bit. "However, next time, please inform an officer in the chain of command, so that we can tighten security."

Van Horn blushed slightly and angled his view at the card table, embarrassed at missing that idea. "Yes sir."

Vickers sighed. "So, what do we do about this little problem?"

Van Horn looked up. "Well, we have a simple way of seeing if he is who he says he is."

Kujira blinked. "Of course. His family - alleged family, anyway - is right here."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir. I was going to have either of our two lupar friends come and help me with the debriefings today, since a friendly face might help the locals loosen up."

Kujira nodded. "Very well. Get started on that right away. In the meantime," Kujira looked over at the comm. station. "I will have the patrols increased and the garrison at the detention area doubled."

Alexis woke up, her mind a jumble. Images of half-remembered dreams flashed through her mind as she sat up on the cot and gathered in her surroundings. Then her memory came back, and she sighed deeply. _It wasn't a dream... Or nightmare_, she thought sadly as she stood up and stretched. Then she realized that she was alone in the tent, and wondered where van Horn was.

_Might as well go look for him_, she thought. She didn't know what else to do, save go look for Mikula. _But he's in the town, and I don't want to go there_. So she felt over her uniform, making sure that it wasn't in too bad a shape, and then she tried to straighten her hair out a bit.

Alexis managed to get her hair decent, and then she bent over to the small footlocker that the _Rodger Young_'s quartermaster had issued her. She still marveled at how much her new friends strove to help, or even at the fact that they had so much material wealth that they could just assign stuff to her.

_Earl says that it's temporary, and as soon as I am no longer helping them, they'll take most of this stuff back_, she remembered as she reached into the locker and pulled out a service cap that had also been given to her. _Not that I'd mind. I certainly don't need all of this just to be a-_

Suddenly, she stopped, half erect and the cap sitting on her head between her triangular ears. What _was_ she going to do now? Alexis turned and sat on the cot as she pondered this. _After what happened last night... I can't go back to that_, she thought with a mixture of emotions. _Not just my family, but also that way of life. What's the point? Spend all my time farming, running a house, when there are so many strange, wonderful things to see? To learn?_ She shook her head. _But then, what else is there?_

Then she thought of Mikula, and sighed. _I do love him... I know that's not just a product of events and circumstances. And I know he loves me... But what does that mean, in the long run?_ She thought sadly. _Could we really have any sort of future together, when our two races are forever distrusting each other?_

She stood up and shook herself a bit to get her fur underneath her clothes to lay more flat, it having been mussed up during the night. _But then, who could have thought that lupar and gatón could have cooperated together to form a caravan, and move all this way, and then build a town together?_ These thoughts gave her a bit of hope as she walked out of the tent and into the sunlight.

Alexis paused in motion and thought as she let her eyes and ears adjust. Quickly, however, she could see around her, and noted the other tents' flaps were open, and their insides empty. The sound of machinery working came from the east, and human voices rang all around.

Alexis heard one set of voices clear, as they sang in concert with each other. Intrigued, she walked away from the command dome and to the end of the tent rows. Once there, she let her ears guide her eyes to the source of the singing.

What she saw was Vickers' Vanquishers being led around by their sergeant on a cadence run. Alexis then remembered that she had seen the human soldiers at NeoTokyo doing the same thing, and then remembered why they were doing it. _To stay in peak physical shape_. She watched them jog around the perimeter that was marked with standing battlemechs, passing the clan-tech-upgraded _Centurion_ that stood two hundred meters south of the encampment.

Alexis spent a few moments looking at the troopers as they jogged, and she wondered what _they_ did before joining the army? What would they do afterwards? She sighed and turned around, intending to see if van Horn might be in the command shelter. _I wonder... What _did_ they do? What did their families do?_ She decided to ask Dan or John or even Jennifer, if she was feeling better.

Then she reached the dome. At the door, Alexis reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her ID and gave it to the guard to verify. The man scanned it as a matter of routine, and smiled as he handed it back. "You're clear, Miss Hurano."

"Thank You." She said and stepped through the doorway. Inside, she again paused to let her eyes adjust to the different light level. Soon, she made out the room, and saw Lieutenant Vickers, Major Kujira, and two other officers that she didn't recognize standing around the small holotank.

Feeling trepid, but unsure of where else she could go and not be too much underfoot, Alexis walked up slowly. The three men and one woman turned as she approached. Alexis saluted, since she had seen van Horn do it a lot when he was in the presence of these kinds of officers.

The startled looks and smiles she got from the group confused her, but she got a return salute from Kujira. "Specialist Hurano. Is there a problem?" He asked.

Alexis felt her stomach twist. _I really have no idea what I'm supposed to do_ she thought with a tinge of panic. _Why didn't I just wait in the tent?_

_Because that's what father would have you do_. The thought hit her, and she paused for a moment, stunned at it. Then Kujira repeated his question, and she blinked. "My apologies. I was looking for Dr. van Horn, since I have no orders for today."

Kujira and the two unknown officers nodded slightly, seemingly approving of her initiative. Vickers didn't nod, but spoke next. "Well, he went up to Hercor to bring back Mikula and Pavlo back down so they can help interrogate the lupar who were with the Blakest army."

Alexis' heart fluttered a bit, hearing that Mikula would be back soon, _even if he is going to be busy_. "I see. Well, should I go and wait for him somewhere?" She asked, and again the thought of what her father would approve of entered her head, and it made her add something else. "Or, is there a way I can be of help right now?"

Kujira nodded slowly. "Indeed there is." he turned to the woman and indicated her with a hand. "This is Captain Tanaka, my second-in-command," he introduced her, and then turned to face Alexis again. "Since there are only four interpreters between us and your people, we're kind of nervous that some misunderstanding might arise and one of you might not be close enough to help. So I want you to help the good captain to learn some basics of the languages here on this planet."

Alexis saw Tanaka give Kujira a dirty look, which he seemed to ignore. He then continued. "However, she is still working on her 'mech, so she can't be in two places at once. Therefore, I want you to go with Captain Tanaka and try and get her to learn a few words in between her grease-monkeying."

Tanaka gave Kujira another dirty look, and this time the Major deigned to look at her and giver the captain a small smile. Tanaka, however, broke off her look with a sigh. "All right, major, if you want this so bad." She turned to Alexis. "But she'll have to do some grunt work while she's there. After all, I can't be concerned with everything while I'm doing two things at once. I wonder if she's up to it?"

They paused, and Alexis realized that they were giving her a chance to back out. _But then, how could I? I already said I wanted to help out in some way, and I won't go back on what I've said._ She took in a breath. "That sounds fine to me, Captain."

Kujira and Tanaka nodded. "Very good," the former said. "You'll leave with the captain after she's done with our little planning session here. For now, go get some breakfast in the mess tent."

Alexis nodded. "Yes sir," she said and then, because it felt right, she saluted again. Again, Kujira returned it and Alexis turned about to walk out, not realizing that she had breeched a bit of military code by not waiting to be dismissed. Fortunately, Kujira wasn't too much a stickler for regulations, depending on the circumstances.

Thus, Alexis stepped outside the shelter, and took in a deep breath of fresh morning air as her eyes readjusted to the brighter light outside. As she let out her breath, Alexis felt a bit of weight lift off of her shoulders.

She realized that it was because she had made an important decision without having to consider anyone else's views, and that it was only the second time in her life that she had truly been able to make one. _The other time was when we were heading out to catch the kurrnaki, and Earl asked me whether I wanted to go back or not_. Now, just as then, she had acted for herself, and it felt good.

Then her stomach growled, and Alexis decided that she would need time to think about her circumstances anyway. _I might as well be eating while I do so_, she mused and headed off to find the mess tent.

Van Horn walked up the ramp that led to Hercor proper. He knew the upper gates had to be open, because youngsters from the town, lupar and gatón alike, were strung up and down the ramp in little clusters, staring at the new things sitting at their figurative feet. They all gave him wide-eyed looks as he passed by, apparently impressed that any of the men below would bother to walk up to see their town. Occasionally, he would pass a parent either dragging their kid back up to town by their tail, or one heading downwards in a huff looking for said child. They gave him a wide berth as much as possible, and van Horn wondered if any of them even recognized him from when he had been at the town before.

He reached the gates after a time, and saw that they were indeed open. A pair of lupar guard, in their full armor, stood on either side. They had their usual spears, but they didn't even bother to move them as van Horn approached. Instead, they simply nodded a greeting to him and stood at their usual posts.

_So, I guess some people _do_ remember me_, van Horn thought as he smiled in greeting at both guards and then walked through the ornate gates. On the other side, the upper courtyard was mostly empty, save for a set of guards in armor. They were just sitting, however, at the far side, apparently stationed for extra security, but relying on their comrades up front.

_Sloppy_, van Horn thought. _We'd never have that kind of standing guard like that_. He shook his head slightly as he picked an alley that would lead to the Maegister's house, where he knew that, once again, Forbasa and Tiana would be quartered until the locals could go back to their own, new town.

_Which ought to be today_, van Horn realized. _Nothing much in the way of any threats, so far. The Wobbies won't be coming after us too soon, not until they know what's here_. He sighed a bit. _Well, first thing's first. Get Mikula and Pavlo, get them down to the prisoner compound, and see if that's really their brother._ He had already decided to not tell them, since they might become too hopeful and prejudiced if he said anything.

After a bit, he came to the Maegister's house, and saw that it had more than just the Farkas family boarding there. Several lupar and gatón he didn't recognize walked in and out of the two entrances, and he could see a couple more inside the windows upstairs and down. _That Varner guy did strike me as a decent sort_, van Horn thought as he walked towards the building, making a few last minute adjustments to his gray M.I. uniform.

As he closed with the building, the natives around him straightened up and moved to give him a wide berth. Van Horn sighed mentally, and just walked into the foyer just past the main entrance. Inside, as he expected, he found more locals moving about. One lupar paused near him, and van Horn spoke. "Excuse me, boy, but can you tell me where Tiana Farkas is staying?"

The lupar looked a bit surprised but nodded. "Yes, she's upstairs, to the right, at the end of the hall." He said and nodded his head. "Now, please excuse me."

"Thank you," van Horn said and stood aside so that the lupar could pass. He made his way up the stairs carefully, as they were, of course, a bit smaller than he was used to. He made his way to the top landing, and turned right and walked into the hall.

And he nearly ran into Mikula as he came from the opposite direction. "Oh! Earl, what are you doing here?"

Van Horn smiled a bit. "Well, sorry to bug you, but duty calls." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "I need you and Pavlo to come down with me and help with the debriefing of the lupar that we caught helping the Wobbies. Just so that we can be sure that none of them will want to fight us, you know."

Mikula nodded. "Well, we were just about to leave, anyway, as Mother wants us to see what kind of home she has now down in the new town." He shrugged. "But no matter, it can wait."

Van Horn sighed. "The story of the soldier's life. 'It can wait.'"

Mikula chuckled as he turned around. "Indeed. Well, let me get Pavlo and make our excuses to our mother, and we'll be coming along."

Some time later, Alexis grunted as she lifted a piece of myomer and handed it to one of the technicians working with Tanaka. Her hands and lower arms got covered in the red grease that myomers come packed in, but she didn't care at the moment, having to worry about what Tanaka would want her to do next.

She didn't have to wait long. "Alright then, Alexis, what's the phrase for, 'I understand,'" Tanaka asked as she held open a release catch for the two techs as they worked to install the new myomer bundle.

Alexis wiped some of the grease off of her arms. "In Lupari, it's 'Kyo charru.'"

Tanaka nodded. "Kyo charru," she repeated back. "Well, I have to admit, at least this language isn't too hard to learn."

Alexis raised an eyebrow, but waited until the techs had finished and Tanaka could stop straining against the catch. "Why do you say it's not too hard?" Alexis then asked.

Tanaka wiped sweat from her brow before responding. "Because, unlike some languages, this 'Lupari' seems to have the same syntax structure as English," she said as she stood up and stretched her back. "It makes it easier because I don't have to rearrange the order of words in my head."

Alexis nodded. "Yes. The similarity also helped me and my friends learn how to speak English."

Tanaka reached into a toolbox and pulled out a roll of paper towels. She pulled several off of the roll and then tossed the roll to Alexis, who easily grabbed it. "Well, I'm glad that you did. Learning a new language always helps when you're talking to a person who knows it better than you." Tanaka said with a chuckle.

Alexis gave her a wan smile as she pulled off some paper towels and began to wipe the red grease from her arms and hands. "Yes, it does," she said quietly. "So, are you done here?" She asked in a louder voice.

Tanaka looked at the two techs, which were sealing up the actuator joint. "Hope so. We think we finally found the problem in that myomer bundle. Wasn't contracting properly." She shrugged. "So they'll seal it, and then I'll go up and run some tests from the cockpit. Maybe even take him out for a run if it looks good."

Alexis tilted her head and let an ear droop. "'Him?'"

Tanaka grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well, it's a thing with us humans. We like to name our equipment sometimes." She turned and indicated the _Guillotine IIC_. "In this case, I call my ride a 'him' and give it a name."

"Oh?" Alexis was curious now. "What is 'his' name then?" She asked with an amused tone.

Tanaka looked back at Alexis. "The name is 'Ikaiyou.'"

One of the techs, an obvious native of New Honshu, almost choked, and then laughed. Alexis looked from Tanaka to him, and then back to the captain. "Uhm... Is that a joke?"

Tanaka grinned broadly. "It is. But never mind." She went over to the laughing tech and lightly kicked him. "Hey, laughing boy. Are you done yet, or are you going to just going to keep wasting oxygen?"

The tech sat up and cleared his throat. "Sorry captain. We're not quite done, but by the time you get to your cockpit, we'll be ready."

Tanaka nodded. "Well, get to it then." She turned and walked back over to Alexis. "Well, since you're here to teach me a few words, why don't you come up to the cockpit with me? That way you can keep talkin' and I'll have more time to listen."

Alexis shrugged, unsure of the protocol for the moment. "Uhm, alright, I guess," she said unsurely. "So long as I'm not in the way."

Tanaka shrugged. "I'll let you know what not to touch, and where to sit, so you shouldn't be in the way if you listen." She said, and then turned to walks towards the ladder off of the service platform. Alexis quickly moved to follow.

After stepping off the platform, they turned and went to the rear service gantry, which was a fixed part of the 'mech cubicle. There, they boarded a small, cage-type elevator that then lifted them to the top level of the gantry. At the top, Tanaka opened the cage doors and walked out, trailed by Alexis, who looked down over the cubicle, soaking up the view of the entire 'mech bay.

A series of tones sounded from where Tanaka stood next to the back of her 'mech's head, and Alexis turned to see her punching in a series of numbers on a keypad. As she finished, the cockpit door made a clunking noise. Tanaka pulled the door open, and then turned to Alexis. "Wait until I say you can come in, because it's cramped and I need to sit down and unlatch the jump seat first."

Alexis nodded, and Tanaka disappeared into the back of the 'mech's head. The gatón was curious, however, and she walked over to the opening and looked inside.

What she saw amazed her as much as any other technological marvel. Tanaka slowly settled into a command couch that dominated the center of the small space, and in front of it was a bank of controls, consoles, and displays. Above the command couch was a large projection, and Alexis wondered what purpose it served.

Tanaka quickly reached around to her right and leaned out of her seat to open a storage locker. Once it was open, she pulled out a bulky vest and then closed the locker before turning around to sit in her seat. Alexis was puzzled for a second, but before she could ask what Tanaka was doing, the female mechwarrior unbuttoned her uniform overshirt and pulled it off to reveal her chest, which was only covered by a sport bra.

Alexis blushed a bit, intruding as she did on another's modesty, and she turned and walked away from the door.

She heard Tanaka laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry Alexis, I forgot that you don't come from the same culture. You can come back, I'm decent now."

Alexis, still blushing, turned and looked back inside, and she saw Tanaka had settled the bulky vest over her chest and had fastened it up the middle. Tanaka turned at the noise of Alexis' movements, and she gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry again. People where I'm from are a little less fazed over a little skin."

Alexis frowned a bit, unsure of what to say. Finally, she shrugged. "Well, it was nothing too bad. I was just surprised and wanted to respect your privacy."

Tanaka shrugged herself as she reached around to her left and leaned out of her chair again, this time to reach a small panel on that side of the cockpit. "Well, I thank you for respecting that, though you don't have to turn away if you don't care not to." She flipped off a couple of latches and then let down the fold-up jump seat. "You can sit there, by the way, while I run the diagnostics and take this boy out for a spin." Then she remembered something, and then turned to look at Alexis. "Uhm, there is one thing. Could you stand outside for a moment and close the cockpit door?"

Alexis tilted her head quizzically. "Well, alright. But may I ask why?"

Tanaka motioned to the control console with her head. "To start this up, I need to enter a few codes, one of which needs me to speak out loud. It's a private code, and so no one else knows it, thus making sure that only I can operate this 'mech."

Alexis still looked puzzled, but she nodded. "Alright. I'll wait for you outside, then." With that, she reached up and grabbed the cockpit door, and pulled hard. It was much heavier than it looked, and Tanaka frowned. "Wait, I'll help. I forgot you're not as strong."

Alexis shook her head. "It's fine, I can do this." She grunted and pulled harder, and soon the door moved on its oiled hinges. Alexis stepped aside as momentum took over, and the door swung to thump shut.

She breathed heavily at her exertion. _I may be small, but I can be strong, too_, Alexis thought with a warm feeling of pride in her chest. She did wonder why Tanaka hadn't remembered about her differences; until she remembered that she herself had been treating every human she met like another gatón. _I suppose that it only makes sense that they'd return the courteously, which means they'll also forget my physical aspects_. Alexis felt good with this thought, and she was a bit puzzled why.

Then the door clunked again, and Tanaka pushed it open from a couching position she had. "All right, you can come in right after I sit down," she said and turned to do just that.

Alexis nodded to her words, and then waited patiently for the captain to again settle herself into the couch. After the human had done so, Alexis trepidly stepped inside the door, moving towards the seat. As Alexis sat down, she was startled when Tanaka stood up abruptly, turned and reached behind to grab the door handle to the cockpit and yank it shut.

Alexis grumbled a bit as Tanaka sat back down. "I could have gotten it again." To which Tanaka shrugged. "I know, but you're a guest, so it would be rude of me not to help," she said and flashed a brief smile, and then went about fastening herself in. Alexis took the cue and reached for the safety straps she knew to be there.

As Alexis had strapped herself in, Tanaka reached up and behind her, into the protrusion that Alexis now realized was a shelf of sorts. Tanaka pulled down a large helmet that encased her entire head, and even rode down onto her shoulders, where the captain latched it to her vest. Alexis watched with fascination as Tanaka went through the typical MechWarrior's startup routine, attaching medical monitoring patches to her upper arms and thighs, and then pulling their connecting wires through loops on her vest and connecting them to her oversized helmet. After that, she connected two plugs, one from her vest and helmet, into two ports on the console to her right.

Alexis marveled at the amount of effort needed to simply pilot the machine. _No, not even control it, but just to get ready to do so_, she realized as Tanaka then finally flipped a few controls to open a radio channel. "This is Silver One to bay control, reporting ready to begin shakedown."

The radio cackled to life, and Tanaka turned on the cockpit speakers so that Alexis could listen in. "Bay Control to Silver One, this is Technician Riley. Took ya long enough, Captain."

Tanaka shrugged, despite the fact that the other couldn't see her. "Just getting the cobwebs out. I'm sending telemetry over taccom 29." As she spoke, Tanaka typed in a few commands into a console near where Alexis sat, the latter simply staring quietly.

As soon as Tanaka finished, the radio came back on. "Alright then, Captain. We're getting the feed. Everything looks normal on the joint, so go ahead and get that bad boy moving."

Tanaka smirked. "Moving out, Control." She said and then looked to Alexis. "You strapped in good?" Alexis just nodded and Tanaka returned the gesture. "Okay, you might wanna hang onto the seat edge, anyway."

Alexis did so as Tanaka pressed another control, and then gripped two control joysticks on either side of her seat. Alexis felt the machine sway slightly, and she simply watched with great interest as Tanaka moved her left hand onto a throttle control and pressed it forward ever so slightly.

The _Guillotine IIC_ swayed again, but this time, it didn't stop swaying as Tanaka moved the machine gently away from the rear gantry and then down the ramp leading to the plains below.

Alexis couldn't help but twist her head and stare out the canopy of the 'mech as the seventy ton beast moved with far more grace than the gatón could ever imagine it could have.

The cockpit speakers crackled again. "Alright captain, the joint still looks good, Take it up to cruising speed around the perimeter. We've already notified the OOD."

"Roger that. Moving to cruising speed," Tanaka replied with a calm, business-like tone. She pressed forward more on the throttle, and Alexis could feel the thumping of the 'mechs legs increase. The young gatón was jostled with every step, and yet she couldn't take her mind off of the view.

Below, on the plains, she saw the various humans working around their ships, and then one of the armored sentries posted around the immediate area. _They all look so small from here!_ Alexis marveled at the change in scale that she experienced riding in the 'mech.

"So, you're quiet," Tanaka said to Alexis without keying her radio. The latter turned from her view and looked at the human, only to see that she was still looking out the canopy herself. Alexis shook her head a bit. "I'm just so... Amazed." She turned her head and looked out the ferro-glass again. "You sit so high, and command such a powerful machine from here, all by yourself." She sighed, "the idea is staggering. All that power in one person's hands, how do you keep the wrong people from using it?" At the last, Alexis turned to face Tanaka again.

Tanaka frowned a bit, and she slowed the 'mech as if it was herself slowing to ponder the question. Then she sighed and replied. "Alexis... I've read Dr. van Horn's report. I know about your town..." She waited a minute to see what Alexis would say, but meeting silence, she went on. "The answer is, that we can't always keep the wrong people out. It's like every other kind of power... You're always going to find someone who will abuse it. The key is to make it so that anyone who abuses power can be removed from that power."

Alexis nodded, but then paused as another thought hit her. "How do you stop someone with the kind of power you have at your hands, right now?"

Tanaka's face twisted into something that Alexis couldn't recognize too clearly. "That, Miss Hurano, is what my people are doing now, with this counter invasion.

"Basically, Alexis, you have to kill them."

The small group had walked down the ramp rather slowly, as the various children had by this time been thinned out a bit, only to be replaced by adults with an equal amount of curiosity. They slowed van Horn, Mikula and Pavlo simply by being there, presenting a series of jams that only got worse when they turned to stare at the three dressed in their unnaturally gray uniforms.

Mikula shrugged mentally as they threaded through a group at the base of the ramp. _At least they're not being ignorant about it_, he thought as they moved from the ramp towards the prisoner enclosure. _Things could be much worse if they decided not to trust us_. He sighed as they rounded the front to the entrance. _Fortunately, despite the usual distrust of outsiders, everyone seems to be taking the changes well... But for how long?_

Mikula put his thoughts aside as he and the other two closed in on the entrance gate. Already there were two soldiers in Elemental armor this time - guards from the 5th Marauders' infantry compliment - and two naval officers that Mikula didn't recognize. "Earl, who are those two?" Mikula asked of his friend in Lupari.

Van Horn grunted and responded in kind. "They're from Naval Intelligence. They're here to interrogate the Wobbies and get information from them that we might not be able to get from anywhere else." He said and waved the group waiting for them as they walked up, and his voice dropped. "They'll be running the debriefings. You and Pavlo are basically translators, but you can also help guide them to what questions might yield the best results."

Then they reached the group, and the higher-ranked officer - a Captain - nodded to van Horn. "Giving your friends a rundown on us spooks?"

Van Horn blinked a bit, but he regained his composure. "Oh? What makes you think that?"

The captain just smiled. "I wouldn't be a good Intel officer if I didn't notice things."

Van Horn returned the smile. "Indeed. Well, shall I take it that you're briefed on the locals?"

The officer nodded. "Oh, yes. Don't you worry, we know that these folks aren't the enemy, so we'll try not to be too harsh."

Van Horn frowned. "You really are good, aren't you?"

The captain shrugged. "I just read ahead in the script," he said, giving the usual spooks' joke. Van Horn smiled a bit, and then nodded. "Well, let me introduce you. This is Mikula Farkas, and his younger brother, Pavlo." He said, indicating the two lupar.

The captain nodded. "Charmed. I'm Captain Smith, and this is my associate, Commander Black," he said, indicating the other man, who was indeed, black.

Van Horn raised an eyebrow. "You Intel guys don't fuck around, do ya? Cheesy pseudonyms and all." He shrugged. "Alright, well, let's go in then," he said and indicated the enclosure. The two Intel officers nodded and they waited until van Horn turned and led the small group to the first 'gate,' which was swung open by one of the armored troopers. There they waited through the cumbersome process of opening up the inner 'gate' to the main prisoner pen, and then walked out of the entranceway.

The interred lupar had been watching the scene with great interest, given the appearance of the Farkas brothers as apparent friends and allies of the new set of invaders. Van Horn felt a twinge of nervousness run up and down his spine at the sight of all the wolf-like lupar staring at him, but he soon forced it away by sheer force of will. He then turned and faced the other humans. "So, how do you two want this run?"

"By the book," Smith answered with the tiniest of shrugs. "We'll take over a small room inside that barracks building, and then have these folk come in one at a time. We already have our recorders, so-"

A sudden commotion from the group of lupar off by the barracks building caught everyone's attention as a single lupar forced his way through the mass of his fellows. Everyone from outside tensed up, but soon they heard the lupar calling. "Mikula! Pavlo!"

Pavlo was the first to realize who it was. "What? That can't be!"

"Senmar?" Mikula asked, his face displaying shock as he too, remembered the face and sound of his brother.

"Mikula!" Senmar yelled as he crossed the distance and slammed into Mikula, nearly knocking them both to the ground, and madly hugged his brother. "Damnit you zugert! I thought you were dead!"

"We thought _you_ were dead!" Pavlo replied, as Mikula was just in quiet shock. "Jaka told us that you were smashed by falling stone!"

Senmar pushed himself away from Mikula and then reached out and then hugged Pavlo, though not quite with the same fervor as a few seconds ago. "That blind fool? All he saw was a rock land near me, and he ran away!"

Pavlo pulled himself free of his little brother as he replied. "Yes, but we didn't hear from you, and when me and Kanu went to check, your entire company was either dead or had run off! We knew you wouldn't run off, so..." Pavlo's voice trailed off as he implied the obvious.

Senmar, standing back a bit, nodded. "I can see that. I didn't run, no, but I instead joined another company. It was complete chaos in the city- Well, I'm sure you know. Old maid Feena told me that's one of the reasons you guys and mother left Tanzano with half the clan."

Mikula finally shook himself out of his stupor. "Senmar... My Gods, I'm glad to see you." He said, and smiled broadly. "And here I thought that I was going to have to put up with Kanu and Pavlo alone."

Senmar chuckled while Pavlo rolled his eyes. "You? Hell, I thought the same way when we heard that you were missing after those giants attacked your camp." He looked up and down his two brothers as he continued. "How is it that you've survived, and you two are dressed like the invaders?"

Mikula gave his characteristic grin. "It's a long story. And we'll tell it to ya in a bit. Right now, though," his grin disappeared and he turned to look over to where the three humans had withdrawn a few feet and began to confer. "We have a duty to perform, and help translate for our friends."

Senmar frowned. "But... So you are working with these people?"

Mikula just nodded and Pavlo spoke up. "Trust us, they're different from the Wobbies that attacked Tanzano."

"Wobbies?" Senmar looked even more puzzled. Then his face lightened and he shrugged. "No matter. I'm just glad I found you two, and alive to boot!" The young lupar's face then twisted in sudden fear. "What about mother? And Kanu? What about the group that you left in?"

Pavlo shook his head a bit. "Don't worry, they're fine. Mother and Kanu are up in the town, and I'm sure that you'll be able to see them soon."

"Just as soon as we're done here." Van Horn said as he walked up to the trio. "I'm sorry Mikula, Pavlo, but we still need to work."

The three lupar turned to van Horn at his words, and Mikula nodded. "Yes, of course," he then turned to his younger brother. "I'm sorry, Senmar, but a soldier's duty needs to be done."

Senmar still had a look of doubt in his eyes, but he nodded and grinned a bit. "All right then. Can I help, any?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes. Spread the word amongst your fellows there," he waved to the mass of lupar still watching from a distance, "and let them know that the more they cooperate, the sooner they can be released."

Senmar nodded. "I'll do that then."

Alexis climbed out of the cockpit of the _Guillotine IIC_, soon followed by Captain Tanaka. The two took a moment to stretch on the catwalk access to the 'mech's head after the short but still somewhat rough ride. "Oooh, aahh." Tanaka mumbled as she worked a kink out of her neck. "Damned old fashioned neurohelmets. I can't wait until we start getting the new stuff after the front-line units are upgraded."

Alexis looked quizzically at Tanaka. "Nu-ro-helmet? What is that?"

Tanaka shrugged as she started for the elevator. "It's that big helmet you saw me wearing. It's protection and necessary to operate a 'mech, but the older models like mine are bulky and heavy. Can leave a crick in your neck if you're not careful." She rubbed the back of her neck as she closed the elevator door when they both were inside. "I guess I wasn't too good on seating it properly this time," she said as she started the elevator moving back down to the deck. "I hurried a bit, thinking all I needed to do was a test run. That'll teach me to not rush things again."

Alexis nodded at Tanaka's words as the car reached the bottom deck and they stepped out. "I see. Might I ask, though, why it's so large? The helmets I've seen everyone else using are much smaller." Alexis spoke as she followed Tanaka over to a central elevator that would take them up into the ship. Though she didn't know where they were going, Alexis didn't know what else to do and so followed along.

Tanaka shrugged as they reached the door to the elevator, and she pressed the call button while she replied. "Well, that 'mech we were in is quite large and heavy. It also stands up on only two legs, so it's inherently unstable as it moves."

"It is?" Alexis asked incredulously. "It didn't seem that way from where I was sitting."

Tanaka smiled a bit as the elevator doors opened. The two had to pause in their conversation as they pressed back against the side of a 'mech cubicle to let out two crewmen carrying a large crate out of the car. They simply nodded to the captain, since to salute would mean dropping their cargo, and moved on, allowing the two females to enter the elevator car.

"Well, it may not look unstable, but that's because of the neurohelmet," Tanaka said as she pressed the button for the bridge, and then paused for a moment to enter her pass code into the number pad next to the deck selection controls. "See, anything that walks on two legs, whether it be 'mechs, humans, or your own people, is unstable."

Alexis shook her head a bit. "I don't feel unsta- whoa." She had to interrupt herself as the elevator started upward with a jerk."

Tanaka chuckled a bit. "See? You had to balance yourself there for a moment. If you were totally stable upright, then you'd not need to do that. But then again, if you were totally stable, you'd be awfully hard to move. Instability is the advantage of bipedal- Excuse me, two-legged creatures such as you or I." Tanaka caught her breath and then went on. "We don't feel unstable because we have advanced stability controls built right into our bodies.

"But 'mechs like my _Ikaiyou_ don't have a complete system. The fine motor control just cannot be completely duplicated by machines, so we wear those neurohelmets, which uses our own sense of balance to help the machines in the 'mech balance it."

Alexis frowned a bit in concentration. "How does it do that?"

Tanaka waved her off as the elevator stopped. "I'll explain in a little bit, Alexis," she said as the doors opened onto the life support deck just below the main bridge, the latter sealed off from the rest of the ship so that a vented atmosphere won't affect the command crew. "I've got some work to do now. But ask me some other time." She said and stepped out into the cramped corridor.

Alexis hesitated at the elevator's threshold. "Should I go somewhere else then? I don't want to be in the way."

Tanaka paused and looked back at the gatón. "Nah, you can tag along. When the ship's on the ground, the bridge ain't so busy, and so it won't matter too much that you're there." She grinned a bit. "Just don't touch anything," she said with a wink.

Alexis returned Tanaka's grin and followed her out of the elevator and through the narrow corridor to the stairs that led to the bridge. Ascending the steps took only a moment, and soon Alexis was looking over the bridge of the _Silver Pagoda_.

It was different from the bridge of the _Roger Young_, in that instead of it being a decent-sized box room with remote viewing equipment, it was a cramped circular room with reinforced ferroglass windows providing a 360-degree view out the bow/top of the _Confederate_-class transport.

Alexis saw Tanaka walk over to the communications console, where her 'mech's tech sat reviewing the data. As Tanaka began her conversation with the man, Alexis took to heart Tanaka's advice to not touch anything, and so she just stepped aside from the top of the access stairs and next to the empty captain's chair in the center of the bridge.

The various controls of the ship were similar to the ones she had seen aboard the _Roger Young_, and so Alexis wasn't too interested in them, though she was fascinated in the differences. Also interesting to the gatón were to two other crewmen on the bridge, both apparently doing nothing but sitting back and only lazily monitoring their consoles. One was even reading a small paperback book, which struck Alexis as unusual, having gotten used to the taught routine of the _Roger Young_.

But the view outside of the ship caught her attention the most. To the south, west, and southeast sat the other three dropships of the counter-invasion force. The old _LST_-class transport was lower than the _Silver Pagoda_, which interested Alexis, as she seldom had chance to look at another one of the spherical craft from above. Turning her head, Alexis could then see the other _Confederate_-class transport to the south, its bridge level with her position, but the tinted ferroglass windows let no view of the inside escape. Along the side of the ship's hull Alexis could make out the USAF's diving eagle insignia, along with the sword-and-shield insignia of the National Guard. Some writing was there as well, but Alexis couldn't read it at the distance, and so she turned to look at the fourth ship.

The _Apollo_-class combined-arms transport stood higher than the _Silver Pagoda_, and its position blocked the lower courtyard of Hercor from her sight, though the town itself was easily visible. Alexis took a moment to look at the town, which was still higher than the smallish transport she stood in.

Alexis couldn't help but feel a snap of emotions from the night before, but she forced them down through an exercise of willpower. _Not here, not now._

"You okay Alexis?" Tanaka's voice intruded on Alexis' internal monolog, and the gatón started a bit. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied as she faced Tanaka. "I was just... Thinking."

Tanaka grunted a bit. "Well, you looked like you had swallowed something nasty there for a minute, and I just wanted to make sure that you didn't eat Bill." The captain said with a wink.

"Bill?" Alexis frowned. "Bill who? Why would I eat anyone?"

The others in the room all chuckled at that, and Tanaka cracked a smile as Alexis blushed a bit. "Bill's the ship's mascot. And I don't think you'd really eat him, I was just joking."

"Mascot? I have not heard this word before." Alexis said, puzzled.

Tanaka's smile slipped off. "Oh, sorry. Well, a mascot is like a figure that represents something else." The human frowned a bit. "That's not a very good description, I guess. But what it means, is that some groups of people, be it a ship's crew, or a city, or a sports team, will often adopt certain creatures, either real or made up, as a representation of their group."

Alexis frowned a bit. "Real or imagined?"

Tanaka sighed and shook her head as the other three it he room chuckled again. "I'm not too good at this. How about I just go show you Bill?" She turned to look at one of the ship's crew on the bridge. "Ensign, where's Bill this time of day, anyway?"

The man sat upright automatically at the use of his rank. "Bill's usually napping in the mess, though with all the activity, I wouldn't be surprised if he's sitting on a 'mech catwalk and enjoying the view."

Tanaka threw up her hands theatrically. "Everyone's against me!" She said in mock exasperation, eliciting smiles from the other humans, and another puzzled look from Alexis. Seeing this, Tanaka shrugged and turned to head down the stairs. "Riley, I'm going down to the Major's command tent. Call me if you find anything buggy in the data." The indicated man nodded as the captain began to disappear down the stairs. "Will do, Captain."

Alexis, still confused, followed Tanaka off of the bridge. _Strange how I keep running into some new custom with the humans. Especially as they seem to get weirder every day_, she mused, and then smiled as she thought on. _Kind of funny, and somehow, comforting. I wonder why that is?_

Just as soon as she thought it, another voice popped into Alexis' head. _Probably because it shows that they're not some great super beings or gods. They're just people, with their own strange customs, just like you and the lupar._ With this thought, Alexis felt less confused and more interested in the strange human customs.

By this time, Alexis and Tanaka had started to ride the elevator down in silence, which prompted Tanaka to look at Alexis. "You're quiet all of a sudden."

Alexis turned and looked up at Tanaka, giving her a small smile. "Just thinking again. I am sorry if I am not the best of company for the moment..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered last night again. "I'm just... A bit distracted."

Tanaka raised an eyebrow. "Well, try not to be too distracted," she said as the elevator reached the 'mech bay deck, and its doors opened. She continued as her and Alexis walked out and towards one of the ramps leading to the outside. "In a war zone, being distracted can get you killed."

Alexis nodded sagely. "Yes, of course." She sighed. "So, what next?"

"Next, we go to the command tent and see what else needs to be done today," Tanaka replied as they walked into the late morning sunlight. They paused in motion to let their eyes adjust, and then carried on. "Also, we need to find you something else to do. Like the old saying goes, 'idle hands are the Devil's workshop.'"

Alexis' face twisted in puzzlement. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that I understand that phrase."

"Oh," Tanaka said as they strode towards the Republic ground encampment. "It means that it's better to keep everyone busy than to goof off."

Alexis didn't reply, and Tanaka just continued on as she led the gatón towards the command shelter. They paused for a second as the roar of the Seabees' special amphibious jeeps grew out of the distance. Two of the distinctly shaped vehicles came around from behind Hercor's rocky mount and raced over towards the encampment, though they slowed to a stop so that an armored sentry could jump over and make sure that it was they.

"Well, they seem in a big hurry," Tanaka commented. "Almost didn't stop in time. Woulda been a bad day for them if that trooper had to open fire."

Alexis shivered at the idea, having heard tales from other gatón in town about the battle the day before. "They would really do that? Even if they're the same people they know?"

Tanaka frowned a bit, and then she turned to walk off. Alexis, surprised, had to rush a bit to catch up so that she could hear the human's reply. "Well, that depends. Maybe not today, since those jeeps have been in plain sight across the river all morning, so there's no possibility of them being switched or coerced by the enemy." She sighed a bit as the two approached the command shelter, "But if they had been gone beyond our sight? Most likely, they'd be shot to ensure that it wasn't a trick."

Alexis felt a bit cold at the reply. "Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"Not if you consider that this is a war, and in war, you had better be careful." Tanaka replied as the jeeps again started up and raced towards the temporary motor pool, which at the moment had only a single Assault Transport and the four Guardsmen Manta Hovertanks as its only compliment. "Remember what I aid about being careful in such places, Alexis. Because in War, the enemy isn't going to sit back and let you kill them. And sometimes, when you're dealing with a band of psychotic zealots like we are with the Wobbies, you can't ever be too careful."

Alexis didn't have anything to say to that, and so she simply kept following along behind Tanaka as the two of them headed for the command tent. They passed the outermost tents of the small encampment, and soon reached the dome-shaped semi-permanent structure. With only a simple nod to the standing guard, Tanaka stepped through the doorway and inside the structure. Alexis followed, wondering if the guard would challenge her, but not surprised when he didn't.

The interior of the shelter was much as the young gatón remembered it, save that only Major Kujira and the two sensor/communication techs were inside at the moment. The latter simply sat at their consoles and worked, speaking softly into headsets as they helped to coordinate the activities of the Republic forces.

Kujira, however, had ample time to look up from where he had managed to place a 'campaign' chair next to the conventional table, turning it into a makeshift desk. Alexis was puzzled over that, wondering just why the Major would need to do any of the 'paperwork' that van Horn and other humans spoke of so often. _Shouldn't he be leading, or devising new tactics like I saw him doing earlier today?_ She wondered as she followed Tanaka over to where Kujira stood up from his chair.

As she reached the table, Tanaka saluted, and Alexis quickly aped her. Kujira's eyes seemed to flash a bit of amusement at the gatón, but she ignored it as Kujira returned the salutes and dropped his hand, allowing the two females to follow suit. "So, captain, I expect that your mount is fully operational now?" He asked without preamble.

Tanaka nodded. "Yes sir. The joint doesn't show any more problems, and my tech is satisfied with the readouts he got from my test run just a while ago," she replied, her voice having an undertone of eagerness. "My lance is now fully operational, and I request further orders, major."

Kujira raised an eyebrow. "How fortunate that you arrive here now, then. Commander Schmidt radioed in that he and his team have finished their survey," he said, referring to the leader of the Seabee detachment. "He will be here momentarily, from the sounds of the jeeps I heard earlier."

Tanaka tilted her head a bit. "You want me here then?"

"Yes. I want your opinion on whatever the good commander is planning. A difference in perspective is sometimes helpful."

Tanaka only had a chance to nod before the door to the shelter opened and the aforementioned commander walked into the dome, followed by two other construction and engineering specialists. Schmidt was the tallest of the three, though his lithe frame seemed to give lie to his profession and posting. The woman and man who followed behind him seemed more likely to be combat engineers, their muscular bodies seemingly radiating strength, despite the air of quiet contemplation that the trio had about them like a cloak.

Alexis and Tanaka stood back from the table as the three walked up to Kujira and saluted. The latter returned the salute quickly. "So, Commander Schmidt, do you have good news for me?"

Schmidt frowned slightly. "Good, and bad, Major," he said with caution in his voice. He then looked over his shoulder. "Might we move to the holotank? It would help me make my report more easily."

Kujira simply nodded, and he walked from around the table to lead the small group over to the indicated device. Like many such portable devices, the interior of the tank's display area was small, and could only hold two people within its image generation area, which Kujira and Schmidt took up easily. However, the tank had two large entrances, which let the others look on to the images that were created after the other male Seabee sat down at the tank's controls and fed data into them from his noteputer.

Alexis had seen holographics before, and even the advanced holotank technology that let a person stand amidst and manipulate the images, she was still amazed at the display. She thus watched with rapt attention as a holographic display of the plains around Hercor grew up from the floor. Hercor itself, along with Shulana and the Republic encampment and ships were all represented in miniature as well, and Alexis couldn't help but cringe slightly and automatically when Kujira shifted his position and 'stepped' on the image of Hercor.

Then Schmidt began to talk, and Alexis was all ears. "This is a crude demo, as we built the last of it on the ride back here, but since time is of the essence..." He let his voice trail off and turned to gesture at the man sitting at the control console. With that, the map of the area rotated to align itself with the actual orientation of the real land around them. Schmidt then continued. "As you can see from the red area now being shaded in, we've surveyed the area in a one kilometer radius from the town." As he spoke, the area did indeed begin to have a red shading to it. "We've located several geologic anomalies, which we think is related to the town's natural spire-"

Kujira silenced Schmidt with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure this is interesting, Commander, but please do cut to the chase."

The Seabee leader nodded and made another gesture to the tank operator. "In any case, we've found that the best place for a landing strip is not on this east side of the river, but on the west side." The red shading disappeared as a long blue rectangle overlaid the terrain north of Shulana and west of the river. It angled roughly east-west, though it seemed slightly askew from that exact line to Alexis.

Schmidt went on as more blue rectangles next to the runway overlay and east of Hercor appeared. "Support facilities for the airfield will be minimal, of course, but we can make them with minimal impact thanks to the local geology. The other lights to the east of the town represent possible locations for fortified positions." He paused as another shaded area appeared, this one a rough square north of Hercor, on the east side of the river, appeared. "This area here looks to be the best suited for any forward firebase construction. Not only is it closer to the airfield's future location, but it should also present, again, minimal impact to the surrounding terrain and inhabitants."

Kujira grunted slightly. "That river's not an insubstantial obstacle, and Intel from our friends," he paused to glance at Alexis, which prompted everyone else to do so as well. She simply blushed and said nothing as Kujira continued, brining attention back to him and Schmidt again. "The river is supposed to flood in local spring. That may be a few months from now, but I'd rather not gamble on beating the enemy before then."

Schmidt nodded at Kujira's concerns. "Yes, sir. The river is a deterrent, but we feel that we can bridge it easily, again, thanks to local geology. The volcanic nature of the area works to our advantage, as a lava flow covered the area recently- well, geologically speaking." He paused and waited for the tank's operator to initiate the next image group. "In any case, this means we have good, strong bedrock close to the surface, which means that we can drive in some good pylons to anchor a bridge. As for flooding, we took layer samples and found that it appears to be a gentle flood, much like the Nile on Terra." As Schmidt spoke, a red icon representing a low-slung bridge appeared across the river, connecting each side. Then blue shading began to spread from the river and reached three-quarters of the way to the airfield and firebase icons on each side. "From our sampling, we've determined this to be the highest stage twenty-five year flood. As you can see, the main concentrations of construction are untouched, and the bridge, as I've mentioned, will be well founded."

Then the Seabee commander fell silent, and the group around him and Kujira soon followed, as the latter appeared deep in thought. Finally, the black-haired leader looked up. "How long for all of this to be done?"

At this, Schmidt hesitated, and Alexis could see in his eyes that he was thinking hard. "That's one of the more unrefined portions of our report. The airfield, at least, is fairly simple, and it should be done in about two weeks, maximum. The firebase is less certain, as we need to know what you want, sir, in the way of defenses and permanent structures. Hopefully, not more than six weeks.

"As for the bridge, while we are certain that we can make it sturdy, we don't know how long it will take." Schmidt licked his dry lips as he considered further. "The geology appears beneficial, but we've not had too much time nor equipment to study it to make sure. For all we know, we might puncture an empty lava tube."

Kujira's countenance took on a tired air. "Please, Commander, a rough estimate barring unforeseen circumstances?"

Schmidt paused again, briefly, and then replied. "At least four weeks, perhaps six or even eight." He reached up with his arm and rubbed the back of his neck. "However, we do have a couple of pontoon bridge kits in the _Cheops_, so we can establish a temporary bridge until the permanent one is completed."

Kujira thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. Refine your plans some and give me a more detailed version tonight, and send one up to Captain Ladavic."

Schmidt nodded. "Yes, sir. Might I request that the _Cheops_ be allowed to ground, sir? The sooner they're down, the easier it'll be to conduct better surveys and be ready to move as soon as we've decided on the best course."

Kujira nodded again. "Very well. I'll call Ladavic and have your ship land."

Some time later, van Horn stood just on the inside of the holding pen's entrance, watching the Farkas brothers embrace their younger one last time. The two naval intelligence officers had left already, and they would surely be preparing to depart for the _Rodger Young_ soon, having gathered all the information they could from the lupar.

But that didn't matter to van Horn at the moment, as Mikula finally released his younger brother. "We'll be back soon, Senmar, and we'll see about getting you and everyone out of here," he said.

Senmar smiled a bit, and van Horn was only half-surprised to see a lopsided grin similar to Mikula's pop up on his face. "That would be good." The grin disappeared. "Will you let mother and Kanu know that I'm all right?"

"Of course," Mikula replied with surprise. "You think I'd hide this from her? I would like to live until old age."

The three brothers shared a chuckle at that. "Good. I hope I'll be able to see them soon, and you two, as well. I would especially like to hear on how you've managed to work with these new invaders."

Mikula frowned a bit, but then willfully dismissed the expression. "A long story, and we will be able to tell it soon. But now, we need to go."

"And if you need anything, speak up," Pavlo chimed in. "These people are generous enough if you but ask."

Senmar couldn't help but glance to van Horn, who still stood nearby, before giving a small smile to his brothers. "I'll remember, and maybe old man Reyger will listen." He then sighed. "Or perhaps not. He is still miffed at how easily everyone was captured, even accounting for their weapons." He gestured to the pair of armored guards standing on the other side of the entranceway.

Pavlo grunted. "Well, it's better than going back to the Wobbies, isn't it?"

Senmar nodded a bit. "If you mean the first set of invaders, then yes, I suppose it is." He sighed again. "But what now?"

"Now," Mikula broke in, "we go and help our friend here make the case to let all of you go." He gestured to van Horn briefly. "So we should leave now."

Senmar nodded. "Aye. Give my best to mother."

"As always," Mikula said, and he and Pavlo gave a final wave to their brother as they turned to follow van Horn as he walked into the open entrance 'gate.' They waited in quiet as the guards then opened the outer barrier, and soon they were heading for the command shelter.

Van Horn checked his watch - a programmable watch that could be made to adapt to local planetary rotation cycles - despite the fact that anyone could clearly see the sun descending towards the western horizon. _Still like to know the exact time, though_, he thought as he read the clock face. "Well, we've been at it all day," he said and turned his head towards the two lupar as they followed him. "If you want, y'all can go and get some food while I dump this info into the computer."

Mikula and Pavlo shared a look, and then turned back to van Horn as the latter halted next to the ruined section of the courtyard's wall. "That's very polite of you. You truly don't mind?"

Van Horn waved them off. "Go, go. I have to do this no matter what, but you two don't have to be present when I go drop this stuff off. So you might as well stuff your faces before I get there and eat a danier's weight in food."

They shared a chuckle. "Alright then, Earl. Hopefully, we'll see you there soon." Mikula said and waved a goodbye, Pavlo simply nodded with his brother's sentiments and followed. Van Horn noted in wry amusement that Pavlo already seemed to be salivating at the prospect of a meal.

The human shook his head and leaned against the wall, its cool stone draining the heat from his back. Van Horn looked over towards the west, and noted that the sun was even lower by now, and still visible even though he couldn't look directly west. This reminded him of Bowman's Planet's seasons, and with autumn and winter coming, the sun would be dipping further south as the hemisphere tilted away.

Van Horn sighed, and then pushed himself off of the wall. _Enough dilly-dallying. The sooner I can get this data into the comp, the sooner I can eat_. The rumbling of his stomach gave him further impetus to finish with his duty.

His short walk soon ended in front of one of the command shelter's two doorways, and van Horn easily showed his ID to the guard. The woman in the uniform of the 5th Marauders nodded and stood aside after reading his credentials, letting van Horn step into the subtly lit dome.

Inside, his eyes quickly adjusted to take in the room. He noted that the holotank area was a bit crowded with men in Seabee uniforms and Major Kujira. They were involved in their conversation, and so didn't notice van Horn as he walked over to the main C5I console. The operator looked up as he came over. "Got some data for the battlenet, Intel." Van Horn said in response to the tech's unspoken question, and he held up his noteputer and recorder.

The tech nodded and pointed to two data ports. "Go ahead, then. Nothin's happenin' anyway."

Van Horn reached over and plugged his portable devices into the indicated slots. Then he looked at the tech. "Really? It seems like the Major and the Seabees have something going on."

The tech shrugged. "The Seabees finished their survey, and so they've been discussing where to put things, or so I gather."

Van Horn grunted in reply, as he pulled his devices from their slots after a small screen displayed 'Download Complete.' "Well, good. With an airfield we can get those transports down so that we can have some decent food for once."

The tech chuckled. "You're preachin' to the choir, man," he said and checked his console. "Okay, the data got routed to NavInt. That correct?" He asked, making sure that van Horn's data got sent to the location that he had specified into his recorder and noteputer's addressing functions. The latter nodded in reply. "That's exactly where it's supposed to go. Thanks, bud."

"No problem," the tech replied with a small smile. "Have a good 'un."

"You too," van Horn replied as he turned and headed for the door. Soon, he was outside and making a beeline for the mess tent. _Damn, I'm hungry_.

Alexis sat in the mess tent, eating food that was only a step up from basic field rations. _And yet, it tastes as sweet as some of the best banquet food after the work I did today_, she mused not unhappily. After her work with Tanaka's 'mech, Alexis had been sent by the latter to help the techs in the _Silver Pagoda_ after the good captain had discovered that Kujira had assigned the gatón to her company for the day. "You might as well keep busy doing something," the asiatic mechwarrior had said to Alexis.

Although Alexis had known hard work before, while being Shaman Forbasa's apprentice, she hadn't quite realized just how much more was required to keep the Republic 'mech company in working order. She had assumed that, with all the machines humans had, that they'd not need to do quite so much lifting and straining, but that's what they - and she- did. She had asked one of the techs why this was so, and the man had given her a strange look. "Well, our arms and legs work, don't they? Like the old sayin' goes, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'"

It took her a bit of time to fully decipher that phrase, afflicted as it was with poor grammar. But Alexis then realized that it meant that, though humans had so many different things, they were still loath to change anything unnecessarily. She had been again struck with the similarities between her people, the lupar, and the humans, but then had little else on her mind other than to finish with her helping to replace a charge coil on a _Grizzly_'s Gauss Rifle.

So deep in thought Alexis was, that she didn't notice someone sitting down at the same, somewhat flimsy table as her. Then with a start, the gatón realized that she wasn't alone and she looked up at the smiling face opposite her.

"Cleaning out the cobwebs?" Dan Castellano asked as he picked up the plastic flatware from his disposable tray.

Alexis blushed. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

Castellano waved a hand. "It's alright, Alexis. I'm not offended. In fact, I can go elsewhere if you want to be alone."

She shook her head. "No, that's alright. I was just surprised."

Castellano nodded as he began to pick at his food. "Well, that can happen. And certainly, you look like you've been through something to think about."

Alexis tilted her head, wondering if van Horn told their common friend about her family problems. "What do you mean?"

Castellano gestured to the coveralls she had been given to wear over her normal duty uniform while working in the 'mech bays. "You got grease all over your clothes, and some in your hair and fur. Looks to me like you were quite busy."

Alexis nodded, a sense of relief filling her heart. "Yes. I was helping Captain Tanaka's technicians work on their machines."

Castellano, who had taken a bite of food, now looked like he wanted to spit it back up. He didn't, however, and he swallowed before speaking. "What's this? We're down here only a little bit, and already those army freaks gotta start grabbin' people to work on their chain gangs?" He asked in a voice that Alexis couldn't place. She frowned and replied, "I didn't think that anything was wrong. Major Kujira posted me there for the day after I asked for something to do."

Castellano seemed to relax a bit. "Ah, I see," he said with a small grin. "Got a bit bored of stayin' in town?"

Alexis felt a bit of a chill run up her spine, but she forced it down. "In a way..." She replied. "Really, though, I just want to be useful."

Castellano chuckled. "Indeed. Once you get some real work done, you don't like to go back."

Alexis frowned again. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been with us a while, trainin' and helpin' out. You've been doing things, workin' hard, and anyone worth his salt, once he's tasted useful work, seldom goes back to a slower pace." Castellano said, a distant look coming over his face. "Not, at least, for some time."

Alexis tilted her head quizzically again, letting an ear flop down. "Oh?" She asked as a thought entered her head. _Might be a good time to ask_. "So, would you mind if I asked what did you do before becoming a soldier?"

Castellano sat back a bit, surprised at the question. "Well, I don't mind. Just a bit surprised that you'd want to know."

Alexis righted her head. "Well, I'm just... Interested in what your people do when not being soldiers." She leaned back a bit herself. "After all, your lives must be very different from the ones my people live."

Castellano smiled a bit. "Actually, you'd be surprised. Aside from a few things, we live our lives the same way. We work, we look for someone to share our life with and have children and raise them." He shrugged a bit. "I guess our jobs are different. Our technology needs all sorts of people to keep it running, for instance."

Alexis smirked slightly and nodded. "I've seen that, most especially today."

Castellano chuckled. "Well, look on the bright side. Because you've helped, those 'mechs are going to be in better condition than without your help, which means that they're more likely to work right when needed and defeat the bad guys when they come calling."

"I hadn't thought of that," Alexis admitted. "You really think I helped?"

Castellano shrugged. "If they didn't send you away to do something else, than you helped. Techs are professionals, and they won't let anyone be near their work unless they can be helpful."

Alexis felt a bit better about her efforts. Then she remembered he original line if questioning, and pressed on with that. "So, you were a tech before you joined the army?"

"Ha!" Castellano laughed, startling Alexis. The human then looked sheepish as he replied. "I'm sorry, Alexis, but I'm about as mechanically-inclined as a snake," he said with a self-depreciating smile. "No, I joined the M.I. as soon as I came of age. Been in it ever since."

Alexis nodded. "Well, do you ever wonder what you would have done if you hadn't?"

"Well, I'd probably be driving myself into an early grave working for some corporation," Castellano grunted out. "What's with all the questions, Alexis?"

She cast her eyes down a bit. "I'm just curious, that's all. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Castellano shook his head. "You're not offending me, Alexis. It's just that you seem awfully interested in my personal life, and that's kind of unusual."

Alexis sighed and looked up at Castellano. "I'm sorry, Dan. I... Really, I'm just curious about how humans live beyond the military, which is practically all I've seen of your people, save that one trip into NeoTokyo."

Castellano nodded. "I see what you mean. You're curious about humans and our culture, and you know that the military isn't always the best representation of 'normal' life." Alexis nodded to the statement, and Castellano sighed. "Well, I won't lie to you, Alexis. The military gets the best people, so you'll find most of us agreeable.

"But in regular life, there are lots of unscrupulous, uncaring people, even within my own nation." He shook his head slowly. "There's also a lot to worry about. Money, and where to get it. Whether you should change your job, or pursue more education. Lots of things to make your head ache and your hair turn gray." He looked at Alexis then, and smiled. "But in addition, there's lots of good things, and good people too. You just gotta look for them, and not be daunted when life throws you a problem."

Alexis smiled in return. "Such advice I've heard form many sources. I might even believe it someday," she added the last with a wink, prompting a laugh from the trooper.

"I see that you've managed to get Danny boy to laugh," the familiar voice of Jennifer Marks came from behind the gatón, and Alexis turned to see Marks moving over to the side of the small table. "Though it's no hard feat, to be sure. Mind if I join you two?"

Both Castellano and Alexis nodded, and Marks sat down with her own platter of food. "So, why the hyena impersonation, Dan?"

Castellano blushed a bit. "Funny, Jen. Alexis just made a rather witty comment. Pity you missed it in mint condition. Perhaps you'll find it on the collector's market?"

Marks chuckled. "Maybe, but given Alexis' wit, I'd say that another one's coming along soon."

Alexis then blushed at the compliment, though the rest of their conversation went over her head. "I was just asking Dan about what life is like in your culture outside of the military."

Marks raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Thinking about a change of pace, Alexis?"

The gatón felt like a door had opened in her head. _No, of course not... Or am I?_ She realized that part of her _was_ thinking about something other than life near Hercor, near Kuamket or Tanzano, even beyond her world.

Alexis shook her head. "No, I'm just curious," she said, trying to get herself to believe it as well. "After all, one glimpse at NeoTokyo's citizens shows that there's a lot of interesting things to know."

Marks smiled a bit, and her eyes said that she didn't quite take Alexis' statement at full value. "Well, there are some things in regular life that you don't want to know about. But other than that, I can see your point."

Just then, the flap to the tent opened and in walked Mikula and Pavlo. Alexis turned to see who it was, and then smiled as she recognized her friends. "Mikula, Pavlo, over here." She said in a voice that would carry, yet not be too loud.

Mikula turned and smiled broadly when he saw Alexis, and he waved. Pavlo too, waved, though his smile was not quite as large. Then he said something in Mikula's ear and went off for the chow line, while Mikula walked over to the small table where his friends had gathered. "Hello, all," he said as he reached them.

"Hello, Mikula," Marks replied first. "You must be hungry, shouldn't you be gettin' some grub?" Alexis felt a bit ashamed at the words, realizing that she had called Mikula over before the latter could get the meal that Alexis had had.

But Mikula shrugged the question off. "It's no matter. Pavlo offered to get both our meals. Speaking of which, might there be space enough at this table for two more?"

The three sitting nodded, and they began to sit up halfway to move their folding chairs over so that Mikula and Pavlo would have enough space at a table normally made for four. The standing lupar quickly turned and snagged an extra chair from a nearby, unused table, and he sat down next to Alexis. "So, how is everyone?"

"Oh, the usual," Castellano replied with a smile, prompting Marks and Alexis to add in their own half-spoken agreements.

Mikula looked them over, his eyes lingering on Alexis. "Well, Alexis, what were you doing today that got you so messy? I thought you were going to stay in town."

Alexis blushed a bit, and she felt some of her earlier fear about having the information about her family argument spreading rose a bit. "I didn't feel much like staying there. So I spent the night down here and I've been working all day."

"Oh?" He was interested. "Doing what, might I ask?"

Alexis just blushed a bit more, and Castellano replied for her. "She just got finished tellin' me about how she's been working with the 'mech techs for the day."

Marks looked over at the gatón. "Oh, really? Did you tick someone off, Alexis?"

The latter shook her head. "No, I just... I just wanted to be useful, so I went to the command shelter and asked if there was anything I could do to help, besides sitting around."

Marks sat back, looking surprised, while Castellano tried to cover up a grin. "What?" Alexis asked. "What did I do?"

Castellano finally laughed, and Marks cracked a grin. "Alexis, you might as well asked to be used as a target for aiming practice, or as a prop to hold up a table."

Alexis frowned. "I didn't think I was that bad."

Marks shook her head and her face turned contrite. "No, no, Alexis. I'm not saying that you're bad, or anything." Her smile returned. "I'm just saying that asking a superior officer on what you should do is an invitation to nasty, punishment duty."

"Usually," Castellano added in. "But in this case, Major Kujira seems to have been nice enough to not have you thrown to the wo- Ow!" Marks interrupted Castellano's speech with a well-timed elbow to his ribs. "Ixnay annay loboay," she said in a bad attempt at pig latin.

Alexis and Mikula didn't know what had just transpired, but Castellano's reddening face indicated his embarrassment. "Anyway, Alexis, what I meant was that the Major was nice to not give you the sort of crap he'd give another trooper who would know better."

"But you mentioned that the work Alexis was doing was also somehow a punishment." Mikula said in confusion. "Isn't that the sort of work you're talking about?"

Castellano and Marks shared a look, and then the latter turned her head back to explain. "Well, we were joking, mainly. Us in the Mobile Infantry have a rivalry going with our army counterparts, so we make up jokes like it's some sort of punishment to help them."

"Which it can be, at times," Castellano added. "Because of our rivalry, it's a form of punishment duty to be assigned to help the ones we're in the rivalry with."

Mikula nodded. "I see what you mean. Back when I was a soldier for my home city, we had different units that tried to out do each other in their duties. It was often that a threat to be transferred from one such unit to another was made to keep an unruly soldier in line."

Castellano and Marks smiled at that. "That's exactly right, Mikula," the latter replied and turned to Alexis. "So, we were only joking. What you did was important work, no matter which unit benefited."

Alexis smiled broadly at that. "Then I'm glad I was of help." Then her smile died. "But I don't know what I'll be doing tomorrow, and you two seem to agree that just walking up and asking for orders isn't the most... Tactful thing to do."

"Well, go see Captain Tanaka tomorrow," Castellano added. "Either you'll be assigned to her unit again, or she'll be able to check for you."

Alexis nodded, but stayed silent, as Pavlo now came up with two trays, and he set one in front of Mikula before sitting down himself. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Everything," Mikula said with his characteristic grin.

"Well, see if I get you any food again!" Pavlo replied in mock indignation, prompting chuckles from the group.

The five chatted and ate the last of their meals for a bit. Castellano and Marks took a cue from Alexis' earlier questions, and they talked about their families and the sorts of jobs one could have outside of the military.

It wasn't long before Castellano looked up and noticed van horn as the latter walked into the tent. He waited quietly for van Horn to get a food platter, and he listened to Marks talking about her sister, the artist, until the good doctor had left the chow line and was looking for a table. "Hey Earl! Over here." He called to his recent friend.

Van Horn looked over, and he smiled as he headed for the table. "Well, I see you two didn't waste time in getting your faces stuffed," he said to Mikula and Pavlo jestingly. "Perhaps we should pay you in food rather than dollars?"

The humans laughed at that, though the natives looked a bit confused. "We're getting paid?" Pavlo asked.

Van Horn hesitated, as he hadn't quite realized what he was saying. "Hmm... I didn't really think about that... But yanno, I think you might be." He grinned a bit. "Lemme ask the computer the next time I'm in the command shelter, and I'll see."

"Well, in the meantime, sit your butt down." Castellano said, and he stood to grab another chair for van Horn. The latter gratefully sat down next to the medic trooper and set his platter down.

"So Earl, what've you been doing all day, then?" Marks asked politely.

Van Horn shrugged and took a bite of food before responding. "I've been out interrogating the captured lupar with these two," he waved his fork over towards Mikula and Pavlo, "and a couple of Grade A spooks from NavInt." He paused to chew and swallow another bite. "Seems to have went good. We'll hopefully be able to let 'em go tomorrow, unless Major Kujira objects, or the spooks find something wrong in the interviews."

"Good," Castellano proclaimed from where he sat back. "Less people we have guarding them, the more we have ready to repel an attack." Marks and van Horn nodded in acclimation.

At this, Pavlo spoke up. "That's good, then, that they'll be released."

"Speaking of which," Mikula added. "Earl, did you know that Senmar was there?"

At his words, Alexis went stiff in surprise, having been told of the assumed-lost brother. But she didn't speak up as van Horn nodded and replied, "Yes, Mikula. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before... It's just that, I wanted to make sure that it was him, and I didn't want you getting your hopes up if he wasn't who he said he was."

Pavlo frowned, but Mikula nodded a bit. "I see." He sighed, and then smiled. "Well, no matter. My brother's alive and that's wonderful news!"

"Hell yes!" Castellano said and he raised his - non-alcoholic - drink up in a toast. "Glad to hear the good news, man!"

"Indeed," Marks added with wide smile. "You guys must be loaded with luck."

Pavlo and Mikula smiled in return. "Well, some of us have had some luck," the former said. "After all, I think I'm the only one who hasn't been terribly injured or thought dead."

The group chuckled at that, and Mikula lightly elbowed his brother. "So far, Pavlo. Just don't be doing anything that will get you to that status."

Pavlo raised his arms in a humanlike gesture. "No worries on that! I'm happy enough to not risk my fur on some of the zugert-brained schemes you've been in on." Mikula stuck his tongue out at Pavlo in reply, and everyone shared a laugh.

A couple of hours later, Alexis found herself sitting on the remains of a stone fence forty meters southwest of the Republic encampment. Like other times in her life, she had felt it necessary to go out and find a place to clear her head and think. Unfortunately, no trees were near enough to the town and encampment for her to think in, but the fields nearby were fairly empty and safe enough, and so she had wandered out after asking van Horn whether it would be okay. "It seems okay, Alexis," he had replied to her query. "Just don't go too far, or else the patrols will try and take you 'prisoner.'" He had smirked at the last.

And so, Alexis had walked out of camp and had been sitting on the partially smashed fence for over a half-hour. The old, low-slung fence had demarcated the line between a field of yusurri stalks - now empty thanks to the time of year - and a field of low-slung forjo plants.

Alexis wasn't looking at the crops, so much, as she was staring out at the plains and the forest beyond, letting her mind slowly but surely sort some things out. Of particular importance was her sudden interest into the lives of her human friends. _I'm just curious... Or so I tell myself. But what if... What if Jennifer was right? What if part of me is thinking of something beyond what I have now?_

_And what do you have now, Alexis?_ She asked herself and frowned. _You've been disowned by your father, haven't kept up with learning your apprenticeship from Forbasa, and you're in the middle of some war_.

Even as her mind catalogued the negatives, Alexis found that the positives buoyed up almost uncontrollably. _You've got some good friends, Alexis;_ a voice countered her dark thoughts. An image of Mikula then floated into her mind. _And you've got Mikula. He even has the same feelings for you. Forbasa will certainly take you back as an apprentice, disownment or not, and even if he didn't, you _could_ stay on with Mikula's family, or even..._

The last part of her thought gave her pause. _You can even go back with van Horn and his friends... Back to the gleaming cities of the humans, and find a way there_. She shuddered a bit at the implications of the idea. _But that means leaving everything behind... And what about Mikula? Do you think that he will honestly follow you about?_

Yet, the thought tantalized her. _So many things to learn, so many wonderful sights..._ Alexis remembered one of the art museums in NeoTokyo, most especially its photographic art exhibit. The images of distant and disparate worlds that made even what she had seen of her planet and New Honshu. Images of vast rivers that stretched almost to the horizon, of tall mountains and deep canyons enticed her with their ground level shots. But what had an even greater effect were the planet-wide shots. Views from space of planet-encircling deserts, of huge, tremendous storm patterns, and of the barren surfaces of many a moon.

And Alexis had wanted then to step through the images and visit them all. _They were all so beautiful... But even then, I know from seeing pictures of my own planet and lands that van Horn's people took, I know that a picture cannot compare to reality_. She sighed deeply as she contemplated the idea of seeing those wonders in person. _Imagine the feeling of standing next to a canyon that reaches over a mile down! Or gazing upon the various living wonders that crowd the shores of rivers!_

She sighed, and then shook her head. _But how would you do it? What could you do to earn the privilege, or at least he money, to travel that far? The world of the humans is a strange one, and as rough as any life here, if your friends are to be trusted in their words_.

But of course, she did trust her friends. _When have they ever lied to me? Or treated me ill?_ She sighed. _Of course, they have never. Good friends, all of them, and I'm lucky to know them_. Alexis felt warm at the thought, despite the subtle chill in the air.

Just then, she heard a snapping sound of someone approaching from behind. With the training she had received, Alexis rolled off the fence and used it to cover her as she drew the sidearm that van Horn insisted she carry when she left the camp.

The person standing a few meters away, however, stood erect, and soon Alexis could make out his features and scent. "Mikula," she said in surprise as she stood. "You shouldn't scare me like that."

Mikula chuckled a bit, though it died when he saw Alexis holstering her small needler pistol. "I see you learned your training pretty good," he observed as he walked forward. "Although I'll admit to feeling a bit of fear at the sight of someone pointing a pistol at me," Mikula said, and then smiled to rob his words of offense.

Alexis shook her head. "You don't have anything to fear from me, Mikula. Ever." She said and sat down on the fence again, facing Mikula.

The latter walked up and sat down next to Alexis. "I know, Alexis, I know." He reached out his left hand and covered Alexis' right with it. "I just surprised you, and I'm glad that you can protect yourself."

Alexis smiled and blushed at the same time. "So, if you didn't want to be shot, why did you come out here?" She asked playfully.

Mikula chuckled. "Well, I noticed that you had left to go thinking, and after a while, I just felt like checking to see if you might want some company." He turned and looked towards the camp. "If you don't want any, that's fine. I'll just go back to the camp."

Alexis shook her head. "No. No, you're welcome here. Mikula." She smiled again. "I'm a bit flattered that you remembered how I like to go out and think."

Mikula looked back at the gatón and returned her smile. "Well, I remember it from those times, back at Kuamket, when you just wandered off, and Soru had to explain your behavior to me." He chuckled slightly. "And then the night that the shamans met, and I went out to find you."

Alexis picked up his left hand and took it in both of hers. "I still remember that night, too. I felt glad that you cared enough to come looking for me, and though my mood at the time might not have shown it, I welcomed your friendly words of encouragement."

Mikula grinned sheepishly. "Thank you. Your happiness means much to me, Alexis, and I'm glad that I helped you feel better, despite my clumsiness."

Alexis chuckled lightly. "I was not too articulate myself," she replied and let go of his hand so she could lean back to rest her arms at her side. "And I think we were both scared of our feelings at the time."

Mikula now chuckled. "You too, eh?" He asked with a wide grin. "At the time, I thought that I was going insane or some-" His face froze, and then melted into shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything."

Alexis shook her head and reached out to grab his forearm giving it a reassuring squeeze. "No, Mikula, don't apologize. We were both very confused, and frankly, could you blame us?" She sighed and leaned back again. "The town had been crushed just over a week before, and van Horn with his mysterious gadgets were amazing us at every turn." She smiled a bit, remembering the good parts of their past. "I suppose that we just reached our limits of what could change we could accept." Although she spoke them, Alexis recognized the words from the talk she had had with van Horn the night before. _Thank you, Earl, for your help_; she silently thanked the absent human.

Mikula sighed. "Still, it's clear now that we both felt for each other then, and even sooner." He paused as Alexis nodded. "But it took you... Being injured..." His voice chocked up, requiring that he take a moment to calm down a bit. "It took you almost leaving me to realize what I felt." Mikula shook his head angrily then. "If only I had been wiser, or sharper in my observations, then maybe..." His voice trailed off.

Alexis sighed again. "Mikula, it's not your fault. I was as confused as you, and just as much in denial until I thought _you_ lost." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around the lupar to hug him tightly, and she purred a bit. "But we know, now, Mikula. We have both been given a second chance." She looked up as Mikula looked down at her head, and their eyes met. "Let's not waste it."

Some time later, the USS _Cheops_ landed to the north of the town and west of the river. But neither the horrendous noise nor brilliant light of its engines distracted them.


	25. Chapter 25

Mikula awoke slowly; the sounds of a new day working to lift his slumber even as the increase in photons coming through his eyelids registered upon his retinas, prompting increased brain activity.

Of course, Mikula wasn't really aware of these things as he slowly opened his eyes to look up at the underside of the tent's roof. He blinked his eyes a few times as his mind started working again. Soon, he remembered where he was, and what he was doing there.

He pushed himself up in his cot into a sitting position. Looking around, he saw Pavlo sleeping across the narrow space on his own cot. Then he turned around and saw that van Horn had already risen and departed, though a few clothes left out indicated that he intended to return soon.

But then he looked upon Alexis' sleeping form, and Mikula forgot about everything else for the moment. A wide smile spread along his muzzle as he saw how she had curled up, dragging the sheets to wrap around her body. Her tail had drifted out from underneath them, however, and it lay draped over the edge. Overall, the scene was so heartwarming that Mikula couldn't tear himself away from it just yet.

_Such a treasure, she is_, he thought warmly. Finally, though, he shook his head and turned back to get out of bed. _I've got things to do, undoubtedly, even if I don't know what they are, yet_. Their assignments were still coming in on a day-to-day basis, as the counter-invasion force settled in.

But he did know that it would be good to take care of personal hygiene. Mikula stood slowly and quietly went to rummage in his footlocker for his old uniform from the day before so that he could wear it to the WCs that the ground forces were sharing with the dropship crews. _I just hope that it didn't get too dirty from last night_, he worried. But soon the memories came back, and he couldn't help but smile and shrug off his concerns. _Alexis was a lot dirtier at dinner in her coveralls_.

After a few minutes of searching that went slow due to Mikula's desire to not wake his brother or Alexis, he found his old uniform and a fresh one that he would wear after cleaning up. The fact that he sought it automatically finally entered his head, and he paused. _I've gotten so used to being clean every day that I don't even think about the morning routine_, he mused as he began to pull on clothes over his body. _Strange, how sometimes one doesn't notice change until it's past_.

As distracted as he was by his internal monolog, Mikula didn't pay too much attention to where his foot was going. He moved it a bit too quick and it slammed against his footlocker, which elicited a grunt of pain and a muttered curse word; "Cheecoso."

A light, familiar chuckle came from off to his right, and Mikula felt his ears flop down in embarrassment. "You should watch where you're stepping, Mikula."

Mikula turned and smiled at Alexis, who propped herself up a bit in her cot. "I would have, if I wasn't blinded by your stunning image." He returned.

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him. "Surely I cannot be too arresting," she jested back. "After all, I can't look half as bad as you are now."

Mikula chuckled a bit. "Indeed. I am sorry if I woke you."

Alexis shrugged, which sent some of the covers to fall off of her chest. "I'm a 'light sleeper,' as our friends call it," she said the second noun in such a way that Mikula knew she meant the humans. "In fact, I woke up a bit when Earl got up, but since I was so very tired after yesterday, I didn't get up then." She yawned then, displaying rows of teeth. "But I'm better rested now, so..." She turned and pushed herself off of her cot and emulated Mikula in looking for clothes to wear for the trip to the restrooms and the upcoming day. The lupar was thankful that she had at least worn undergarments to bed; otherwise he'd not be able to drag his attention away from her and finish his own clothing needs.

Mikula still found her form distracting, however, and so he worked to focus his attention on the changes he had noted. _For instance, those undergarments that keep my brain from melting_, he couldn't help thinking, given his age and hormone levels. _We've all taken to wearing them, no matter how hard it was for us to get used to them in the first place_. He straightened up and ran a clawed hand through his hair to straighten it a bit. _Now I can hardly imagine not wearing them, and Alexis is positively enamored with that 'bra' thing._

Just then, he heard footsteps of a familiar cadence walking up towards the tent. Mikula turned to Alexis and whispered to her. "Earl's coming. Are you decent?"

"Yes," she whispered back, and then giggled. "Sorry, just got carried away."

Mikula could understand her small outburst. He, too, felt like he was some kid perpetrating a prank or some sort of forbidden shenanigan.

Then van Horn reached the tent and pulled open the flap slowly. He started a bit and paused when he saw Mikula and Alexis already awake and standing in the middle of the tent. "Well, there's a pleasant surprise," he said with a smile. "I thought that I'd have to wake all of you."

"Well, maybe not us," Mikula replied with a bit of a chuckle. "But Pavlo's been asleep throughout me and Alexis' waking up."

Van Horn's eyes then showed a devilish glint. "Well, shall we help him get up then?" He asked and moved to the foot of Pavlo's cot. Mikula grinned widely, understanding the human's implication. "Indeed," he replied and went to the head of the cot. Both he and van Horn then grabbed the cot and quickly turned it so that Pavlo slid out and fell to the floor in the middle of the tent.

"Oof!" The hapless Pavlo muttered when he hit. "What the hell?" He scrambled halfway up into a crouch before he saw Mikula's wide grin. Turning around, he took in the other three. "You zugerts!"

Van Horn and Mikula laughed, and even Alexis giggled. "Well, brother, if you didn't sleep like a rock, then maybe we wouldn't have to resort to such tactics." Mikula spoke as Pavlo turned and righted his cot, which van Horn helped him with. "Ah, leave him alone, Mikula," the latter said good-naturedly. "Besides, y'all need to get ready for some work today."

"Oh? Anything in particular?" Mikula asked with some interest.

Van Horn nodded. "Yeah. New orders I got from Major Kujira. Since the lupar from the cities are going to be released, he wants most of us out there to help them find some places to wait while they decide what to do with their freedom.

"In addition," he went on after Pavlo started to go through his locker, "I brought up the fact that the locals up in Hercor haven't been out for a while, so a couple of us need to go up there and let them know that it's okay for them to return to their homes in Shulana, or at least tend to their fields."

Mikula and Pavlo nodded, looking at van Horn. But Alexis froze a bit in the middle of buttoning up her uniform's over shirt. The human noticed this, and quickly added, "so I figure that you could help me with that, Mikula, since you'll want to tell your mother and Kanu about Senmar."

Alexis sighed lightly with relief, which went unnoticed by the two lupar in the tent as they smiled at the good fortune of finding their 'lost' brother. "Well, that sounds good," Mikula replied, "But might I ask why should you come? I think I can take care of it myself."

Van Horn shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just wanted to be there in case there were any questions, but I suppose I can give you a small list of things that need to be said."

Mikula's smile died then. "What sort of things?"

Van Horn looked uncomfortable and he scratched his head. "Well, since we're gonna be here a bit, the folks up there in town need to know some things, like how they shouldn't come too close to our camp, for their safety and ours. Or even what they should do if - no, when we're attacked again." He sighed. "Some other, small things too, like how to ask for help if they need it."

Mikula looked almost downtrodden, but he smiled a bit. "Well, sounds like a job, but I'll do it."

"Good," van Horn beamed. "As for you two," he indicated Alexis and Pavlo, "y'all come with me and we'll see about getting those folks out of that pen and into some extra tents that were unpacked last night."

Mikula grunted greetings to the few lupar and gatón that still came down the ramp to watch the humans do their work. They stood carefully distant of the men in battle armor and industrial exoskeletons as they dragged hunks of stone and metal to clear the courtyard, while just beyond the ruined walls, Grenadier 'mechs that had hands were helping the Seabees as they worked to drag parts of destroyed Blakest 'mechs to where the possibly dangerous remains wouldn't pose a threat to the locals or the Republic forces.

Mikula passed the other natives easily, though the looks they gave him now were more suspicious than before. He mentally sighed. _I guess it couldn't last. People are going to become a bit wary, what with all the changes._ Mikula still pressed on, though, confident that his people and the gatón would listen to their leaders, and he knew that Forbasa, Varner and his mother would be rational.

Still, he nervously fingered the items clipped to his belt, most especially the radio, which would let him relay any problems to the chain of command for a speedier resolution. He had also been given a small noteputer that was loaded up with the Seabees' second, more refined report, which laid out what the Republic officer corps wanted to do around Hercor. It was his job to relay this information so that the leaders of the natives would be informed of what was going on, and even register a complaint if they found something objectionable.

_I just hope I don't mess anything up_, Mikula thought as he continued up the ramp. _Van Horn said that this device was set up to be 'user-friendly,' which means that it should only take some simple commands from me to display the information for everyone_.

Although he felt nervous, Mikula was also proud over all the things he had learned, and as well of the trust in which Major Kujira and the other humans were placing in him. _I am essentially a kind of herald_, he thought, remembering such envoys coming from other cities into Tanzano, occasionally. _Usually, that's officers' work, and even then only to be trusted to those with experience. Well, to be fair, I _do_ have this radio, which means that I'm not going to be out of contact_, he realized, which deflated his ego a bit. _Best keep yourself grounded, Mikula, so that you don't bite off more than you can chew_. The latter phrase reminded him that though would be easily recognized in English, in Lupari it held a different meaning. _We use it to mean when someone thinks himself bigger than he is, while the humans use it to refer to someone who takes on more than he can handle. Similar, but distinctly unique_.

Mikula continued up the ramp, but now his thoughts went on less about what he was going to say than what he had realized. _Such similarity... Could that be another one of those peculiar similarities that Earl was referring to when he spoke of our names that time?_ Suddenly, the lupar realized that van Horn hadn't mentioned anything further about it since they had been on New Honshu. _In fact, he seems more and more interested in our old stories, but he seldom likes to speak about what he thinks of them_. He resolved that when he got the time, he would ask van Horn on what his thoughts were on the subject. _He _did_ promise us that he would inform us, after all, about his theory._

Just then, however, the upper gates to Hercor came into view, and Mikula pressed such speculations into the back of his mind. _Work to do._ He walked easily up to the open gates and the two sets of guards standing on either side. One of them waved, and Mikula recognized Vilini. "Hello, Mikula."

"Hello, Vilini," he replied. "What's with the heavier guard today?"

The other lupar frowned a bit. "Some people are getting anxious to leave and go back to tending their homes and crops, and so we're trying to keep them from going down and annoying your friends."

Mikula grinned in his usual fashion. "Well, then I have good news. I've come up here to tell the Maegister and Shaman about how people can go back to doing just that."

Vilini's face showed relief at those words. "Good, good. As I've said, people are getting anxious, and it's resulted in more than a few fights."

Mikula frowned a bit. "Well, I'm sure that it will stop as soon as people get to go back to their normal lives."

Vilini shook his head a bit. "What's even normal anymore, I wonder?" He said in a quiet voice, and then looked out over the plains where 'mechs trod on patrol and the towering shapes of dropships dominated the area. "Seems like everything's been turned upside down."

Mikula shrugged. "Well, in reality, there's no such thing as 'normal.' All there is is a way people live their lives to the best of their ability."

Vilini and the other guards gave Mikula a quizzical look. "I suppose," Vilini replied quietly, and then sighed. "Well, in any case, go on in and let my father know that people can leave."

"Sure, but you might want to come along too," Mikula added with a look of unease. "There are some things that people need to be told before they can go down, and you guards would be the best to let them know before they leave town."

Vilini gave Mikula a suspicious look then. "What sort of things?" The latter sighed before replying, "look, why don't you come with? That way you can hear and see for yourself."

Vilini still looked suspicious, but he nodded. "Very well. Wait inside the gates while I send for a relief."

Mikula nodded and he stepped between the ornate gate doors. He paused on the other side when he saw several bundles and even handcarts of belongings and supplies, many with gatón or lupar in attendance. They all looked up as he walked in, and stared openly. Mikula suppressed a shudder at so many eyes looking at him as if he were something stepping out from a legend.

_Less legend than nightmare, I suppose_, he thought as he stepped over to a corner of the courtyard and waited for Vilini to return. _Enough strange things have happened... And they haven't had my perspective, seeing on how Earl's people are different than the Wobbies, how they've gone so much out of their way to help_. He sighed. _I suppose that I'll have to help them see, so that they can know what I know. But I wonder how I can do that?_

A few moments of thinking eventually just gave Mikula a bit of a headache. _Let me just concentrate on my duty, then I'll have time to think of such things_. He came to this decision just as Vilini came back from near the gate area, having dropped off his sword and armor with his relief. "Alright then, Mikula, let's go."

Mikula nodded. "After you, then," he said and gestured the same. Vilini grunted appreciatively, and he walked off, leaving Mikula to walk behind him. The two walked past the small knots of natives waiting to return to the new town below, and they soon wandered through the narrow streets.

Mikula was surprised at the number of people that still crowded the town. _Of course, before everyone from the caravan was down below. Now all are crowded into this small area. No wonder some are willing to risk traveling by the forces they fear simply to get breathing room._ Even as he watched, a small scuffle broke out between to male gatón over which was sitting in a particular spot first. Mikula couldn't tell what made the spot so special, but the two youths involved had to be physically separated by their friends. Although dismayed by the needless fight, Mikula couldn't help but feel a bit good that some of the separators were lupar. _Seems everyone's beginning to break past old barriers,_ he mused. _But then, they have someone else to hate, don't they?_ He had taken to reading some of the same items that Alexis was so fascinated in, and he too found out that humanity had a sordid past. _Two parties fighting can easily turn on a third party. Our peoples are so similar that I would not be surprised if the same thing is happening here_.

That, of course, raised a new question in Mikula's mind; _What if they decide it's all humans, and not just the Wobbies?_ From the looks he was getting from some of the locals, they found even the appearance of one of their own in such foreign garb somewhat unusual, and their looks made Mikula nervously tug at the collar of his uniform's over shirt.

Vilini noticed the looks, as well. "You know, it's probably a good thing you asked me to come. The way people are getting, I wouldn't be surprised if one felt like picking a fight with you."

Mikula tried to sound nonchalant in his answer. "Well, hopefully that's what my visit here will solve, as I said." _Although I'm beginning to wish that Earl _did_ come along_.

"Well, let's hope so," Vilini replied as they made the final turn to enter the small square in front of the Maegister's house. The area was filled with people that apparently were waiting to see their respective leaders, and Mikula wondered just how long it would take for him to see the Maegister and the Shaman.

But Vilini would have none of that wait. "Come on then," he said after glancing back to make sure Mikula knew that he was being spoken to. "If it's as important as getting the town less crowded, then I'm sure that my father will not mind us cutting in line."

"If you say so," Mikula replied. Vilini just shrugged and turned around to begin the task of picking his way across the square. Mikula followed, garnering more strange looks, though apparently the people here were more tired from waiting, and so their glances were merely of the idly curious type.

Some of those glances turned to irritation or mild anger at seeing the two lupar push their way past other lupar and gatón waiting in line, though no one stood to call them out. _I suppose that it's good to be the son of the leader_, Mikula thought as he and Vilini squeezed into the front entranceway.

The foyer was surprisingly roomy, and Mikula realized that was due to the two guards in full armor blocking everyone outside. They were apparently a checkpoint to keep the Maegister's house from being overwhelmed, and Mikula felt a sense of relief at being out of the crowds.

"Hello Vil," one of the guards said. "What's this about?"

"What's the matter, Greser, don't recognize the guy who stole the danier from your watch?" Vilini said in an amused voice while gesturing to Mikula.

The guard's eyes opened wider, and then narrowed. "So? Well, he's got some fancy clothes on, then, for a thief."

Mikula felt his fur bristle at the name, but he forced himself to remain calm. _He's right, you are a thief,_ he reminded himself._ You stole for a good reason, but it was still stealing, and you can't expect people to automatically forget that._

Vilini waved his hand. "Just settle yourself, Greser. Is there anyone in with the Maegister and Forbasa?"

The guard still looked a bit angered, but he shrugged anyway, preferring to do his duty. "Yes, Priest Heyver from the temple. Something about needing people to help clean up the place, I think."

Vilini grunted and shook his head, and Mikula blinked in surprise. "It's so bad that you can't even keep the temple clean?" He asked incredulously.

The guard looked at him and sneered. "Well, maybe if you hadn't gone gallivanting around with that slut of a gatón, then maybe you could've stayed and helped."

Vilini tried, belatedly, to indicate for the guard to shut up, but it was too late. Mikula felt a rage boil up from nothing, and he practically leapt across the short space at the guard. Using the small but still decent training he had gotten in basic hand-to-hand combat, Mikula managed to deflect the guard's hand as it reached for his sword, and at the same time, grabbed the hapless lupar by the throat with his right hand. With far more force then necessary, Mikula slammed the guard back against the doorjamb and then raised him by the throat so that his feet dangled. It was an impressive feat, since the guard had a breastplate on, but strength often comes to those incensed.

And incensed Mikula was, as he used his left hand to ram a fist into the guard's diaphragm, stunning the muscle there and causing Greser to loose all fight as the air left his lungs.

But Mikula wasn't totally done yet. He moved his face straight into the guard's and with ears laid back, he growled before speaking. "If you ever, and I mean _ever_ speak that way about Alexis again, I will not hesitate to bite or slice off various pieces of your body, leaving your head and torso until the last so that you can feel every single bit of pain." He took his left hand and then used it to grab Greser's ears and yank on them to emphasize, eliciting a breathless yelp. "Then I will do nasty, unspeakable things to your corpse that will make you an outcast even in Tarnugralk. Am I perfectly clear on this, _whelp_?"

The guard's face showed clean and alarming signs of his distress, as he couldn't breathe with the air knocked out of him and Mikula's hand clutching his neck. Somehow, though, he managed a tiny nod, at which Mikula let go and stepped back. Greser collapsed, making various noises as he tried to suck in air.

A hand alighted on Mikula's shoulder, and he whirled about automatically, bringing his arms up to attack whoever had touched him. However, he soon saw that it was Vilini, and that he and the other guard were simply looking on in surprise.

Mikula dropped his arms and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Sorry."

Vilini changed his stance and crossed his arms, flicking his eyes from the still-collapsed guard to Mikula. "No matter. Greser should not be insulting guests. He learned his lesson now, methinks." With a shrug, Vilini turned and walked down the hallway leading to the Maegister's audience room. Mikula, a bit surprised at the easy acceptance, took a moment to follow, though only after looking behind him to make sure that Greser or the other guard wasn't going to try and come up behind him.

The two managed to go along without further incident, arriving just outside the door to the audience room, where another guard stood. Vilini and this new guard simply exchanged nods, and to Mikula's relief, the guard simply stood at his post, apparently bored with yet another person to see the Maegister.

Then Vilini spoke up. "Herk, why don't you go relieve Greser? I heard he had an unfortunate run in with someone he angered."

The guard's visage broke out in a smile. "Really? Asshole had it coming to him, the way he's been carrying on."

Vilini smiled darkly. "Oh, yes. In any case, relieve him and have him go fetch another guard to take your place here. I'll be staying until that one comes by, so you needn't worry."

Herk nodded. "Alright then, Vil. See ya later." He also nodded to Mikula, who nodded back, and then disappeared down the hallway.

Mikula was a bit puzzled, but then Vilini turned and leaned against the wall, looking at Mikula. "We can wait here with or without him," he said to preempt any question. Mikula simply shrugged and leaned against the opposite wall.

They stood like that for a minute, half-listening to the muted words coming from the door, before Vilini cleared his throat. "So, I take it that some of the rumors, at least, are true?"

Mikula felt his ears go down in embarrassment. "What sort of rumors?" He asked in a bluff.

Vilini shook his head. "After what you did to Greser, I should think that you'd know what I'm talking about." He paused to see if Mikula would deny it. When he didn't, Vilini spoke again. "So, unless you're so sensitive that you're gonna throttle me too, are the rumors true? You do love her?"

Mikula frowned a bit, but nodded his head. "I don't see how it's your business, but yes."

"It became my business when you assaulted a fellow guard," Vilini replied sternly. "Normally, that's a serious offense. However," he paused and scratched behind his ear. "There are bylaws that allow the protection of honor of loved ones from malicious attacks against them while they're absent. Technically, I suppose your action could be relegated as an exercise in using those laws."

Mikula smile a bit. "Thank you."

Vilini shrugged. "Don't thank me. I just want things to go smoothly between the town and those people you're working with, and that won't happen if you're arrested."

Mikula's smile disappeared. "Understood."

Vilini then looked around, and then leaned over towards Mikula, beckoning him closer. Mikula also leaned forward to hear what Vilini had to say. "That was for anyone listening in," he whispered. "In any case, good luck with her." He winked and leaned back.

Mikula smiled again as he, too, leaned back and nodded towards Vilini.

They finished speaking just in time, as they heard people standing up in the next room and movement towards the door. Both only managed to stand erect just before the door opened to let out an elderly lupar dressed in priest's robes. He passed them with a nod to each, and then walked down towards the foyer.

"Herk, send out who's-" Varner spoke as he came to the doorway, but he caught himself as he saw Vilini and Mikula standing there. "Oh. Vilini, Mikula," he nodded to both as he said their names. "Where's Herk?"

"I sent him to relieve Greser after the oaf had an accident." Vilini replied. "In any case, Mikula is here to see you and Forbasa about letting people back into the courtyard and Shulana."

Varner smiled broadly then. "Good, good. But what are you doing here?"

Mikula cleared his throat. "I asked him to come here, Maegister. Before we can start letting people go back to their routines, they need to know a few things." He looked over to Vilini then. "Vil's here since he can tell the guards, who will be in a good position to tell others as they leave."

Varner frowned as he replied. "Well, I wish you would have gone through the normal procedure." He shrugged. "No matter. Both of you come in." With that, he turned and headed back into the room.

Vilini indicated for Mikula to proceed, and waited. Mikula didn't disappoint, and he walked into the room, which hadn't changed since he'd been gone. Shaman Forbasa sat on one couch, and Mikula's own mother sat next to him.

Forbasa and Tiana stood from where they were sitting. "Mikula, how have you been?" Forbasa asked with a broad smile.

Mikula returned the smile. "I have been quite fine, Shaman. Though I've been kept quite busy helping our mutual friends."

"Good. You were always one to get into trouble when you were young," Tiana added with a bemused look on her face. Mikula felt his ears go back in embarrassment as she and the other two elder natives chuckled. Vilini refrained from verbal amusement, but he couldn't help but grin.

"Well, let us all be seated then," Varner said, and they all found seats; Mikula sat in a chair in front of the now-dark fireplace, while Vilini took another chair next to the door. Varner took his usual spot and Tiana and Forbasa sat where they had been before. "So, Mikula," Varner began. "I take it that you bring word from our friends on the plains?"

Mikula nodded. "Aye, Maegister. Major Kujira believes that clean up has proceeded to the point where it's safe for..." He paused as he tried to find a non-insulting way of putting the phrase. "For those not knowing of the threats posed to return to their normal routines."

Varner raised an eyebrow and twitched an ear. "Well, this is good news. People are getting... Irritated, with sitting in such tight quarters for too long."

"So I've seen," Mikula replied with a nod. "Though there are still a few precautions, that those returning to the plains must take to avoid, uh, problems." _Not to mention avoid getting shot_.

"Oh?" Forbasa spoke up then. "What sort of precautions?"

Mikula reached down to grab the noteputer from his belt, and he brought it up so that he could read from it. "A couple of things." He pressed a few buttons with his free hand to bring up the text. "For one, people returning need to avoid coming near the Republic forces." He looked up from the portable device. "We need to maintain a secure perimeter to keep enemy forces out."

Mikula paused, but no one said anything, so he went on, consulting the noteputer occasionally. "Furthermore, the various scraps of machines and weapons that lie about, while being cleaned up, can pose a hazard. Everyone should avoid them, and if they find anything they've missed, then they should come tell a representative. Which will pretty much be me, Pavlo, Alexis or van Horn, though Alexis is trying to teach some basic language to some of the humans."

"How are we supposed to come tell you when we shouldn't go near you?" Vilini asked with irritation.

Mikula looked over at the guard. "I'm getting to that." He turned and checked his noteputer again. "We're going to have a place where one of us interpreters will be available so that such things can be reported. Not to mention, if any problems develop from the soldiers being, well," he paused and frowned. "Being offensive, or abusing people." He shook his head. "It's not likely to happen, but even the best people can sometimes turn bad, so our friends want to make sure that the guilty parties in any such altercation will be punished fully and reparations made."

This seemed to raise a few eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's certainly unusual," Varner said. "Armies are not generally known for their politeness to locals."

Mikula raised his own eyebrow. "You'd be surprised at what these people are like."

"Still," Vilini spoke up. "It seems that they are awfully generous for an army that can just take whatever they want."

Mikula turned and gave Vilini a reproving glance. "I've traveled on their ships, visited one of their worlds. Yes, that's right, I said 'worlds.'" He had seen the other four blink almost in unison. "They don't _need_ to take anything from us because they have so much more than us already. They don't need to be here, they don't need to help us. But they are going to, anyway." He sat back a bit. "I think you can give them the benefit of the doubt."

They all sat in silence for a few moments, and then Forbasa cleared his throat and spoke up. "So, Mikula, is there anything else that needs to be said?"

Mikula checked the noteputer again. "A few things." He pressed another button to bring up the map of what the Seabees and Kujira wanted, and he stood up and walked to hand it to Varner. "This is a map showing Hercor, Shulana, and the surrounding area. The places marked in an orange color indicate structures that the Republic wants to put up."

Varner looked suspiciously at the device, but he slowly reached out and took it, looking over the map with an appreciative grunt. "Amazing. This thing even shows our fences in the fields."

Mikula nodded. "The Seabees were quite thorough."

"The who?" Tiana asked, clearly confused. Mikula grimaced slightly, realizing that he had slipped in a word with no Lupari or Gatonese equivalent. _Gods, I'm starting to act like Earl!_ "That's the name of the... The people who will build the things we need," he explained, avoiding using more English terms like 'engineer.'

"'We,' Mikula?" His mother asked with a glint in her eyes. "You're starting to speak like you're one of them."

Mikula blushed a bit, embarrassed at the truth of the matter. "As I've said, I've been with these people for a while." He shrugged. "They're a lot like us. I feel as comfortable around them as I am around all of you."

All four of the others again looked surprised. This time, though, Varner spoke up. "Well, these areas look suitable. What to you two think?" He asked Tiana and Forbasa, handing the noteputer over. Mikula returned to his seat as the other two looked over the map quietly.

Finally, Forbasa looked up. "Unless my esteemed colleague disagrees, I fond no problem." Everyone looked over at Tiana, who shook her head. "No, these are fine. But whatever do they need so much space for?"

"Well, the area to the west of the river will be a landing strip so that they can bring down supplies and base their fighter craft... There..." Mikula saw the blank looks, and again, he had the odd sensation of being in van Horn's shoes. _Did Alexis, Pavlo and I give these same looks? No wonder Earl seemed almost pained_. "Well, to put it shortly, it will help. A lot." He cleared his throat, realizing that he needed to tell them everything. "However, there is a side affect of that facility."

Forbasa looked up and raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Well, you all heard how loud their ships are when they land," he paused to let the others nod. "Well, it won't be as loud as that, but it will be loud."

Tiana and Forbasa frowned at that. "That doesn't sound too pleasant."

Mikula scratched behind his head. "Well, they can build a wall to block most of the sound, so it won't be too bad. But people will have to get used to it." He shrugged. "It will be far enough away, however, that there won't be any danger, and the sound shouldn't be nearly as bad as the incoming ships. In fact, the lack of noise is one of the reasons that they want to build the runway, since it will let the quieter ships land more often, instead of having those egg-shaped ones take off all the time." _Like they will if the strip isn't completed on time. Those supplies have to get down sometime_.

Forbasa and Tiana shared a look, and then they turned back to Mikula. "Well, what do you think, Mikula?" His mother asked. "You've been to a place that has this kind of thing, haven't you? Is it terrible?"

Mikula started for a second, surprised that his own mother would ask for advice. _She's always been the one to give _me _advice!_ He gulped and collected his thoughts. "I would not call it a pleasant place. But it is more than bearable. In fact, you even get used to it after a while. I did, since their military base is as close to that facility as this one will be to Shulana. And that one is a lot busier than this one will be." _Hopefully_.

At that, both Tiana and Forbasa nodded, and the latter leaned over to hand Mikula the noteputer. "Well, then I don't think we'll have any problems with that."

"Yes," Varner added. "And those other areas north and to the east of Hercor?"

"A firebase and defensive bunkers," Mikula replied naturally, and then saw the blank looks again. "Uhm. Well, the place where most of the forces will reside in is the large area. The smaller areas are places that will allow them to watch out for enemy sneak attacks."

Varner nodded, and then went silent a moment. Finally, he turned to the two people sitting on his right. "Well, Revalo, Tiana, do you two have anything you care to complain about?" When both shook their heads, Varner nodded again and turned to Mikula. "Alright. Your friends can go ahead, then, and do what they need to do. But I do hope you'll keep us appraised if they change anything."

Buoyed up by his success, Mikula nodded. "Oh, certainly. In fact, we can keep in contact, once we get a few spare radios down." To emphasize, he tapped his own radio, still clipped to his belt.

Forbasa blinked. "Actually, we still have that one that Vanhorn gave us to use that time."

Mikula shook his head. "An older model, not enough range, and the batteries are probably dead anyway." He shrugged. "Well, we'll get one up soon enough, anyway. Until then, just send someone down to the base of the ramp and we'll have one of us translators there. At least until we move everything after the base is ready."

Varner and the other two elder natives nodded. "All right, then. Go ahead and tell your friends that they can proceed." And then he stood up, indicating an end to the audience.

Mikula stood with the others and bowed slightly. "Thank you all for your time, then. We'll be sure to keep you updated." With that, he waited for Varner to wave his hand in dismissal, and then turned to head out the door he entered, Vilini standing to follow him out.

Once into the hallway, Vilini closed the door behind him and turned to face Mikula. "Mrs. Farkas was right. You do talk like you're one of them, rather than one of us."

Mikula felt his hackles rise. "They're good friends. And last I checked, we were all on the same side."

"Are we?" Vilini asked. Though it might have appeared to be a challenge, Mikula saw in Vilini's eyes the need to simply know the truth. "Mikula, can you stand there and tell me truthfully that these people mean the best?"

Despite knowing Vilini was only asking to be sure, Mikula couldn't help but let his voice drop to a growl. "I would think that after my friend saved your life, you'd find his people to be worth believing."

Vilini, for his credit, looked pained. "I deserve that." He sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry. I just... I just don't know anything about these people, and it unnerves me."

Mikula nodded as he calmed down. "I can see your point. I had the very same suspicions of Earl when he first appeared." He chuckled then. "I even was afraid for him to help with my leg wound."

Vilini smiled a small bit. "Well, hopefully, we'll come to know your friends as you know them. Now," he waved along the hallway. "Why don't you go speak to your friends, while I go and tell the guards about what they should let people know."

"Sounds like a plan," Mikula said and stretched a bit to ease the tension from his shoulders. _Maybe I'll even get down there in time to see Senmar relea-_ His thoughts froze along with his mind. "Damnit!"

"Huh? Something the matter?" Vilini asked, clearly confused.

"I need to speak to my mother again," Mikula replied and turned around to reach for the door. He reached out and grasped the handle before Vilini's hand clamped lightly onto his right forearm. "What's this? What did you forget?" Vilini asked as Mikula turned his head up to meet the guard.

"It's nothing important. Well, not to Hercor, it isn't," Mikula said, stumbling over his words, his features showing embarrassment at his lapse. "Well... I don't know if Kanu has told you anything, but we thought we had lost a brother back in Tanzano."

"He's mentioned it once or twice, yes," Vilini replied, a confused look on his face. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Well, no one in my family actually _saw_ him die, and yesterday, me and Pavlo found him alive in the group of attacking soldiers that were captured."

Vilini's eyes widened in surprise. "You're joking."

Mikula shook his head. "I saw him myself, smelled his scent. If that isn't my brother, then I and everyone else here must be dead and not knowing it yet."

Vilini released Mikula's armor and shook his own head in response. "That's amazing. Well, I guess then you can go in." He smiled then and patted Mikula on the back. "Congratulations, I guess."

Mikula shrugged and returned the smile, though with less width. "Indeed." With that, he opened the door.

Down in the lower courtyard, events were preceding apace. Or so it seemed to van Horn, as the lupar were slowly let out of the razorwire corral, and with the help of the three translators, told where they could go for food and to get their weapons back.

Major Kujira had initially been very reluctant on that item, but van Horn had insisted, arguing that that kind of trust would reinforce the idea that the Republic wasn't there to conquer, but to help. So far, it seemed to be an acceptable risk, as most of the lupar simply went to the extra mess tent that had been flown in last night, along with a couple of extra cooks and supplies from the _Rodger Young_. Next to the tent sat dozens of the captured lupar, who totaled seventy-six in all.

Van Horn stirred himself from his ruminations as a middle-aged lupar walked towards where he stood, watching the newly-freed soldiers sit and talk about what they were going to do next. He recognized the lupar as the same unit commander that he had spoken to on the first night, and whom Senmar Farkas had identified as one Yurko Reyger. Van Horn nodded at the lupar as the latter approached. "Unit Commander, how can I be of service?"

Reyger frowned, clearly still uncomfortable with the good treatment, as it was much different from what he had expected. "I heard it from your allies at the gate, but I have to make sure I understand this. You are just going to let us go?"

Van Horn simply nodded, which let Reyger continue. "And this after we attacked your friends?" Another nod. "_And_ you'll even help us with supplies so that we can return to our homes?" A final nod, and the lupar shook his head. "I don't understand. This is not only completely different from anything that I've heard of in all my life, but it's nothing like those other invaders act like."

Van Horn sighed, still a bit depressed and angered that his people were still thought of as 'the other invaders.' "Look, you don't really have to understand, right? You can just take the supplies, and the chance, and go home."

Reyger stared at the human, which was brave, considering the lupar didn't know van Horn and that the human had a big height and strength advantage. "So, just like that? You want nothing from us, then?"

Rolling his eyes, van Horn shook his head slightly. "No, nothing at all," he said and sighed. "But, if you feel like it, you can go and sit inside our detention area a little longer if you're afraid of walking home."

Reyger bristled, as van Horn knew he would. "I am not afraid of anything, furless one."

Van Horn smiled at that. "You're either a good liar," the smile disappeared, "or you're a fool who isn't afraid for the men under his command, afraid of losing, or afraid of seeing his home demolished and his family killed."

Those words struck the lupar as if they were a series of physical blows. "Are you threatening me?" He replied with a growl in his voice. Van Horn, however, just shook his head and turned to face to the side, towards the east. "No. There's no need to threat. I'm just pointing out that there's no need to lie or exaggerate." He turned his head to the other then. "So, are you afraid of going back home to face the invaders?"

At that, the lupar paused, and van Horn could see that his pride wrestled with his intellect and compassion. Finally Reyger looked down and replied. "I suppose I am, furless one." He said, looking back up at the human. "Those invaders came and ravaged whole sections of our city, captured many to use as slave labor, and killed any who fought back." He sighed, and looked towards the east as well. "They finally learned how to tell us to cooperate, they told us to fight for them, or many would die." He turned his head in a mirror to van Horn's own position. "If we go back, they'll kill us and our families, too, if they were sincere."

Van Horn smiled a bit, then, surprising the lupar. "What is it, furless one?" He asked in anger. "Do you find our deaths to be amusing?"

Van Horn frowned, and then shook his head. "No, never. I smiled because the Wobbies, as we call those invaders, won't be caring about your failure."

"Oh? And why not?"

Van Horn looked to the east again. "Because, they will be too worried about my people. We've beaten them before," he brought up a hand and clenched it into a fist. "We will do so again."

Reyger looked at the human with renewed interest, and he silently studied van Horn for a while. The latter, however, just turned his head to face east again, staring out towards the forest and the openings that showed where the Blakest 'Mechs had widened the normal trails towards the larger Lupar cities. _Wherever we go, we leave our mark_. The thought, familiar as it was, couldn't help but repeat itself.

Finally, Reyger cleared his throat. "So, why do you fight these invaders?"

Van Horn continued to stare off into the distance, though this time his eyes became unfocused as he gathered his thoughts. After a moment, he spoke. "We fight them because they are wrong," he said, voice soft. "Their ideas, their methods, their very thoughts... They're all wrong." Van Horn shook his head at that. "The things they've done to your people are nothing compared to what they planned to do..." Van Horn visibly shuddered, which sent a thrill of fear up the back of Reyger. "Such crimes are so large, so beyond the pale, that my own people had to invent new words to describe them. 'Genocide,' 'Mass Murder,' 'Brainwashing,'" he used the English words, but spoke them with the malice that they deserved, "they were to act not so much like men, but as _animals_."

Silence hung in the air for a moment before van Horn spoke again, his voice filled with sadness. "Their actions would have resulted in the deaths of untold billions, destroyed entire worlds, and sent my entire species hurtling back into the abyss of eternal war." His face now showed a grim visage. "For their actions taken, and the actions we knew they would attempt, we had to fight them, corral them," he clenched his fists again. "And kill them.

"Their kind of behavior is a legacy of ancient wars fought before my people flew amongst the stars. 'Holy War,' 'Jihad,' they cloak their vile betrayal of God and Man in such words, but all it really is, is _evil_." Van Horn's teeth clenched to match his fists. He then looked at Reyger, and the lupar felt as if the man would have ripped his head off right there had he been one of whom he spoke. "We will do whatever it takes to cleanse our worlds, and yours, of this lasting legacy of hatred and malice. Not because we want to do it, but because we _must_."

Reyger felt almost as if he were being battered by van Horn's very soul, so strongly had the human spoke. He turned away to face off into the distance, to think of what had been said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that nearly a dozen of his soldiers had managed to creep up on the two, and from their looks, they had heard the last part of the conversation, at least. Temporarily angered that his men would resort to eavesdropping, he turned and gave them all a glare that sent them to scurry back to the main mass of lupar troops. This brought even more looks of interest from the others than existed before, but Reyger didn't care; he turned to face the east again, to mull over van Horn's words.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, but were in fact only minutes, Reyger spoke up. "And what of us, furless one? What of my people who lie under the grasp of your enemies?"

Van Horn gave the lupar a sidelong look. "As my people say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'" He turned to face Reyger at that, prompting the lupar to mirror his movement. "If my people's enemy treats your people as their enemies, should we not be friends?"

The lupar stared for a few moments before replying. "Is that why you treat us so? Because you want us as friends?"

Van Horn nodded. "Unlike our common enemy, my people prefer to make friends, to make peace. How can there be friendship and peace if we treat you and your men terribly? How can there be peace if we elicit nothing but a desire for revenge from you?"

Reyger again stared, before he finally sighed and looked off to his side. "Part of my remains suspicious of you, and yet, your words have more truth than I've seen coming from any male's mouth." He turned then, to face obliquely from van Horn to look over his men sitting on the trampled grass of the plains, and towards the town. Turning to keep the lupar within easy viewing, van Horn noticed movement from the top of the town, and he saw groups of people beginning to leave the gates. _Mikula must've finished speaking to the Maegister and Forbasa,_ he mused.

The lupar standing near him then turned to look at van Horn, and the human returned the look out of courtesy. "I saw, from a distance, gatón and lupar working together to defend the town. Then I see such cooperation between you and your people with them, and now they walk out of their gates, seemingly unafraid of your power." Reyger paused and shook his head. "I cannot find fault with your words or your actions. I believe you, now, when you say you'll let us go." He paused a gain, seemingly collecting his thoughts, then looked up to face van Horn. "In the spirit of the friendship you offer us, I ask you if there is any way that we can return the favor?"

Van Horn blinked, surprised at the sudden turnabout. "You don't need to do anything. This is our battle with the Wobbies, the invaders. Your people simply have the misfortune of being in the way." He spoke quietly, and cast his eyes down. "It is we, not you, that needs to prove our friendship."

"But you have," Reyger replied, "you treat us with honor and compassion." He sighed. "If only more of my own kind would act in such a way."

Van Horn smiled softly. "A common lament amongst those of us who know the difference between civilized and _to be_ civilized."

Reyger smiled a bit in return. "I find myself more respectful of your people the more I talk to you. Such wisdom I have only had at the cost of a lifetime of mistakes," he said with a sigh at the end. "And yet you rattle off jewels of thought as if they were but nothing."

Van Horn shook his head. "If I sound as anything more than a simple soldier, than I attribute it to the great men and women of history. If I appear to tall with wisdom, it is merely because I stand on the shoulders of giants."

"Then your people are blessed," Reyger replied. "But to even use such words takes wisdom, and the fact that you even speak to me as an equal, rather than a lord, tells me even more." He sighed and again looked out over his men. "We owe you our lives, and now you offer us friendship. There has to be some way that we can offer you ours." He looked back at van Horn as he finished.

The human stood still for a time, and then sighed. "The only thing that you can do is go home. Go home and tell your families and friends to leave the cites if they can. Sneak out and away from the invaders, from the Wobbies. And know that this crest," he tapped the golden eagle insignia on his shoulder, turning his torso so that Reyger could get a good look, "will represent not hostility, but friendship. Above all, my people only wish to help yours. Let them know that, and our efforts in eliminating the Wobbies will go far smoother than if I have to have a talk like this with every lupar leader we meet." He finished with a smile.

Reyger actually chuckled at that, and then turned serious. "I see what you mean." He looked over towards the east again. "I will tell my men of this, of our words here today. And I will ask them the same as you have asked of me."

Van Horn continued to smile. "Then you trust us as friends?"

Reyger gave him a sidelong glance. "I'd think that you would have seen that I'm convinced."

"I prefer to ask and be sure, than to assume and create misunderstandings," van Horn replied seriously. Reyger nodded and turned fully face the human. "Then let us be clear, in that we want nothing but friendship between our peoples."

Van Horn smiled again. "Agreed," he said, and held out his hand. "This is a greeting by which my people show agreement and friendship," he explained.

Reyger smiled a bit and reached out with his own hand. "A bit of old to start off the new, eh?" He said as they clasped and shook hands. "A nice gesture, methinks," he said as they let go.

"Indeed," van Horn replied. "Let it act as it has before, to bind us by honor and in friendship."

Alexis stood near the three troopers from the Vanquishers who were rolling up the last of the razorwire. Normally, this wouldn't be reason enough for her to wait by, but the humans were wearing their armor to protect them and speed up their cleanup. This made them quite frightening to the gatón and lupar now making their way down Hercor's mount, and so Castellano - current leader of the scout squad as his commander had been promoted to fill the TOE - had managed to get her to be detached to handle anyone who might not take too well to their appearance.

For the moment, though, Alexis was only a few shades short of bored, as she couldn't help her friends, and the first few natives hadn't bothered to do anything more than stare as they walked by on their way to the courtyard's main gate. She recognized most of them, since they were former members of the caravan that had left Kuamket's ruins to travel all this distance, and most seemed to recognize her, from the way they lingered their looks over her. But as of yet, none cared to approach or call out or even wave at Alexis, which made the gatón feel a bit lonely. _I know they're probably busy _and_ not a bit intimidated by the armor, but I still feel kind of disappointed that none of them even want to say 'hi.'_ She sighed at the thought, and turned to look over where Castellano and another in scout armor were wrapping up the last roll of the wire. _I can't blame them, I guess. More important things to do than to talk to someone who's standing a bit too close to such strange things to be comfortable_. With that thought, Alexis walked a few steps over towards where her human friends were finishing up the process of securing the wire bundle. "So Dan, are you done yet?"

Castellano turned around, as he had stepped back from the completed bundle. "Alexis, you sound like an annoying sister," he replied, though he kept the tone of his voice light with amusement, eliciting a small smile from the gatón. "But in any case, yeah, we're done." He pointed off towards the main gates. "We need to take this stuff through the gap in the wall, so why don't you head out there?"

Alexis turned her head to look, and then turned it back to face Castellano. "Why there? Can't I just follow behind?"

Castellano shook his helmeted head. "We're gonna be taking a while, moving the bundles one by one, so the way we're going won't be safe for a bit. Well, unless you want to be crushed by razorwire..." He let his voice trail off as Alexis shivered. The gatón had been told what the wire could do to flesh, and though she hadn't seen it herself, she wasn't about to test the idea. "No. No, I guess it wouldn't," she said with a small sigh. "Alright then, I suppose it's back to helping Earl, then?"

Castellano nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Alexis nodded. "Alright then, I'll see you."

"Be seein' ya, Alexis," Castellano replied and turned back to help his teammates to move the large bundles of wire. Alexis just turned and wandered over towards the main gate, wondering what sort of reception the people filing back for Shulana would give her when she got close. _I may not be armored like Dan, but my own appearance is... Unusual enough_, she mused and touched her flak vest, which she had worn along with her helmet and laser rifle on the insistence of van Horn, who wanted them to follow protocol in such a relatively dangerous situation as carrying the potentially deadly razorwire. The rifle was slung over her back, of course, since she really didn't need it - protocol only insisted on it because it demanded an armed guard to watch the backs of those removing the wire. Since Alexis was the only one not doing anything with the main purpose of their little sojourn, she was told to bring her rifle along with the flak gear.

Now she wondered if that might have been the other reason no one waved at her? _Maybe they didn't recognize me... Or perhaps were just too startled by my appearance to bother?_ She then gave herself a mental shake. _Stop it, Alexis. You're not the center of the world. Those people are just tired from all the things that have happened, and not a little eager to get back to their lives_.

Still, she wondered if both explanations weren't probably right, as she continued to get looks from those who had to know it was her by now. _Well, just press on_, she told herself. _You still have duty for today, so it's just as well that no one is holding you back with idle chatter_.

With that thought, Alexis paused at the gates, which had seemed so impressive months ago, but now looked small and frail when compared to the power of the humans. Part of the pause was to think of that comparison, but also partially to let a lupar family pass through the gate, since they needed the space, what with their burgeoning brood. Alexis couldn't help but smile as the younger pups raced about, laughing in play despite the circumstances.

"Surely 'tis a nice thing to see you smiling," came a familiar voice from behind the gatón. She turned and her smiled got even wider when she recognized the bundle-carrying male who had spoken. "Jahni! How nice to see you."

The male gatón facing her smiled as well. "It has been a time, hasn't it?" He asked, and then looked her over. "You look... Different," he said neutrally, though his eyes still showed some good humor at meeting her. "Change your hairstyle?" He joked.

Alexis chuckled a bit. "Something like that," she said and reached up to take off her helmet. She undid the clasps and took the helm off, careful of her ears, and then looked at Jahni again. "But then, it's not so much the hair as what's on top of it."

"So I see," Jahni replied, impressed a bit at her easy handling of an unusual headgear. Then his countenance turned a bit more serious. "We were all worried about you, you know, when we heard that you had left with the others," he said in a quiet tone.

Alexis frowned a bit, and she felt sadness well up within her. "I didn't want anyone to worry. I didn't even intend to follow along so far." She shook her head as she remembered. "All I was supposed to do was help tie up the guards so that Earl, Mikula, Pavlo and that Kurrnaki could escape with some danier. But then some other guards caught on before we were finished, and I was stuck with them," she finished with a shrug.

Jahni tilted an ear down in a show of disbelief. "So? You couldn't come back after?"

Alexis hesitated. _How do I explain?_ "Well, to avoid capture, they had to ride hard and fast. By the time we could all stop, we were so far that I couldn't go back, not without risking my life or the mission we were on." She sighed. "Not like I wasn't given a choice, even then. Earl- van Horn, that is," she corrected herself, knowing that not everyone knew him entirely by his last name. "He gave me a choice to go on or not." She stood more erect then, feeling proud. "I chose to go forward."

Jahni looked over Alexis anew, as if he hadn't seen her quiet so well until then. "What happened? You act so different from the Alexis I knew."

Just then, Alexis noted a set of familiar faces coming towards where she and Jahni stood next to the gate, and a chill went up her spine. _My family..._ They were far enough away that she had a few minutes, especially as they traveled in the slow-moving line of returning residents, and she wondered what she should do.

Jahni looked over his shoulder to follow her gaze, and he grunted. Turning back, she saw a look of concern come over his face. "Speaking of changes... I know it's not really my business, but might I at least ask what sort of argument you had with your family?"

Alexis looked a Jahni, surprised. "How do you know about that?"

The young gatón looked a bit pained. "Well, it may be nobody's business, really, but in such a small community, everyone hears about it anyway." He said, his ears down a bit in slight embarrassment. "So, might I ask what is it about, at least?"

At one time, Alexis would have rebuffed Jahni, preferring to do things the traditional way and keep arguments 'within the family.' But lately, something had changed within her, something that even she was only just now realizing. Thus, she only spared a glance to her slowly approaching family before speaking to Jahni. "My father and some of his friends that my family were staying with in Hercor... They didn't like what I told them."

Jahni frowned. "Like what?"

"Several things," she temporized. "Things like how I was learning so many new ideas from our human friends," she gestured towards the Republic encampment at that. "And that I didn't want to go back to the way things were." She steeled herself a bit before unclasping her flak vest and moving the right side away to show her uniform. "But mostly, it was this that set him off."

She could tell Jahni's embarrassment deepened a bit, as he looked in the general vicinity of her chest, but he did look to where she tapped a finger from her right hand. When he read the words, Jahni leaned back a bit and brought his head to face Alexis.' "I don't get it, you married someone with the same family name?"

Alexis almost wanted to laugh, but she shook he head instead. "No, Jahni. I'm using my family name, without being married."

Jahni frowned, and then shook his head. "That's bad luck, you know, in-"

"In getting a husband, I know," Alexis countered as she let the vest drop back to rest against her front. "But it doesn't really matter if I'm not looking for a husband right away, you know."

At this, her friend looked even more confused. "I... I suppose. But," he looked around and lowered his voice, "don't you want a bit of luck with... Someone that might be ordinarily out of reach?"

Alexis blinked hard at that. "Wh-what?" She stuttered for a moment, but soon her confusion evaporated and she smiled a bit. "You mean Mikula?"

Jahni smiled a bit in return. "Just about everyone was wondering when you'd realize how happy you seem to be near him."

Alexis' smile faded as she tilted her head back a bit and remembered. "It was... Right after we thought him dead, out there," she gestured towards the river where van Horn's _Darter_ had been finally smashed. "But I was given a second chance when he came back."

Jahni continued to smile, though it lost some of its luster. "So, you see how some luck might help?"

Alexis shook her head, which brought her eyes up enough that she saw her family was almost upon them now. "No, Jahni. It took not good luck, but bad."

Jahni frowned. "What do you mean? How can bad luck help?"

Alexis looked up slightly again, seeing her parents fairly close now. With that she reached down and grasped her uniform where the shirt was tucked into her pants. _This will piss you off, father,_ she thought and tugged at it a bit.

Jahni's expression turned to shock. "Alexis, what're you?"

"Oh, relax Jahni," she said with more calm then she felt. "I'm not going to show you anything really special," she said and pulled first the over shirt, then the undershirt free. From the muttering coming from her left, Alexis could tell that others were noticing too. Finally, she pulled that part of her shirts up just enough to show her side above her hip. "You see those ridges under my fur?"

Jahni had initially started to turn away, but Alexis' voice caught his curiosity, and he looked. The thinner belly fur on the gatón body easily let him visually trace the lengths of her scars. "What... What're those?" He asked.

Alexis let the cloth drop; deciding that showing that much was enough. "That's where I was injured, Jahni. Injured while helping to protect this town." She raised her voice at the last, as her family was now passing by, trying to ignore her. _Well, Father's the only one succeeding. Mother stares ahead, but I can see that she's not happy, and Reyato and Shaya keep sneaking glances_. She had learned much about noticing her environment, and she catalogued her family's appearance even as she spoke to Jahni.

She paused then, to place her helmet back on her head so that she could use both hands to tuck her clothes back in. But part of her also intended it as a show of her martial abilities. Sine Jahni wasn't speaking with his mouth hanging open, Alexis continued. "I was hurt so bad that I didn't even remember anything until I was almost healed up.

"So as I thought I had lost Mikula, he thought he had lost me," Alexis said as she finished tucking her shirts in. "Through that bad luck, we've made nothing but good memories." She looked up then, facing Jahni in the eyes. "So while I appreciate your efforts to get me to have good luck, I think I'll stick with what's given me happiness so far." She turned and looked out the gates, clearly facing the back of her father. "Instead of what's given me grief over enjoying that happiness."

Jahni took a step back. "I think... I think I must be going now, Alexis." He said quietly. Alexis could see in his eyes that, unlike her father, Jahni wasn't reacting out of pure hatred of fear. _I've just given him a lot to think about_.

With that, she nodded. "No problem, Jahni. I need to be going, anyway," She said as she clasped her helmet tight under her chin. _The crowd's thinned a bit_. "After you" She said, and swept her left hand out to indicate that Jahni should go first.

The act was natural to her, having seen it used by human females all the time in the past weeks. It didn't occur to her until she saw Jahni's face and the faces of the few remaining lupar and gatón in line that she acted, again, totally out of convention. _Men are supposed to have us go first, right. Well, as Dan says, 'Screw that.'_

Jahni, apparently having enough, simply moved off in a fast walk and squeezed himself outside of the gate amongst a family of lupar. Alexis smiled at that, and despite the churning feelings of seeing her family officially ignoring her, she felt good.

Suddenly, she realized why. _I took action. But not just any action, an action totally of my choosing. It ran completely contrary to all sorts of conventions amongst my people... But I _did_ do it._ She frowned as the last gatón family moved through the gate. _Why is that important?_

And then she had it, remembering a brief conversation she had had with van Horn during one of his hospital visits. Alexis had just finished watching an entertainment vid, some fanciful story involving thinking machines called 'robots' that tried to take over the lives of humans. She had admitted to being confused over the fiction. "Surely, isn't the life that these machines provide inherently better?" She had asked. "I mean, in that story, they portrayed the 'real world' as a cold, hard place. Why would anyone choose that over a reasonably comfortable life inside that computer?"

The time it took for van Horn to formulate an answer shocked Alexis. He had just sat in the chair for almost five minutes straight before replying. "Alexis... Remember back in that ravine, where I gave you the choice to go on or not?"

Alexis had frowned. "Of course. I was - and still am - honored that you let me have such a choice."

"Even though it led to your being injured, almost killed?" He had asked in reply. Alexis had just gulped, her perspective still too close to the events to speak of it without emotion. "Even with that, I will always treasure it as one of my greatest memories."

"And why is that, Alexis?" He had asked. Not angrily, but not compassionately, almost as if he was one of the fictional machines that had started the discussion.

Alexis had frowned again. "Because, you let me have a choice, you let me make up... My..." With that, she had begun to realize.

Van Horn noticed her face change. "You see now, Alexis?" He had leaned forward then, and his voice rose from neutrality to a tone that was pleading and eager and scholarly all at once. "It's not what life you lead, it's how you lead that life." He sat back then, turning his head to gaze down at the floor with a look that told Alexis that he was not even seeing the room anymore. "Humans desire freedom, Alexis. We crave it, as a man in the desert craves water. "He looked back at her then, and she saw something behind his eyes; something that scared and thrilled her at the same time. "We, as a species, cannot live without freedom. Whenever a power has sought to exert total control over humanity, it has been defeated with such force that none of the attempted controllers survived.

"Freedom is universal. The gift from God Himself to all His creations." He waved to the tri-d then. "The kind of life those people caught by the robots, the machines, it's against freedom. Therefore, it's against God. It's _evil_."

Alexis had sat back at that, mulling the information over. Van Horn had then sighed, which brought her head about to face him. "But perhaps I grow too incensed..." He mused quietly, at a level that Alexis had been sure that had she not possessed gatón hearing, she wouldn't have noticed. "In any case, though, you do not have absolutes," van Horn had gone on, louder. "Those machines... Well, they preserved the very creatures they had once fought." He shrugged. "And so long as humanity lives, there's always the hope that freedom will bound out again."

"So what are you saying, Earl?" She had asked. "I'm not fully understanding you. First you say that life's evil, then you speak as if the ones perpetrating it are not entirely evil themselves."

Van Horn had then smiled. It was a rueful smile, one reserved for those who have seen a paradox in person, had been trapped by one, and still forced to live it out. "That's exactly what I'm saying Alexis." He shook his head. "Freedom... For all its glory, in spite of its divine origin, is not freely given. It can only be earned by those who fight for it. Sometimes, it's with great armies, and sometimes, it's just a man like that hero in the vid, fighting to free himself from chains of his own creation. Those machines in that story may have been the enslavers, but what truly makes a person a slave is to let yourself believe that you do not deserve freedom, that it's not for you because it's just the way things are."

With that, Alexis opened her eyes, realizing that she had been standing by the gates for some time. The courtyard was now mostly empty, save for native Hercorian lupar who were now checking on their wares in the storehouses, or moving out towards the fields to tend to their neglected crops. Even the sun had shifted in its position so that she now stood in shadow.

But Alexis didn't see that, not entirely. The conversation with van Horn clicked into place, like a part to some jigsaw puzzle. _Freedom... It's not just for entire peoples... It's not for any one group_. She looked over towards the east, where the dropships of the Republic force rose high into the sky, and the noises of technology melded into one low, constant din. _Not just for them... Not just for my village or Hercor... It belongs to all... To individuals._

Alexis realized then why she had felt so good. _My people's culture... It's restrictive of freedom to females like me. I feel good because by acting against it, I have freed myself._

Tears started in Alexis' eyes, threatening to crest out of her sockets and to soak her face. Part of the reason, she knew, was because she still mourned the rift in her family. _But the other part, the larger part_, she thought, _it's because I taste freedom... And it's the sweetest thing I've ever known_.

Reaching up, Alexis dried her eyes with the cuff of her uniform. Then, with lightness in heart that she had never known before, she turned and walked out the gate of Hercor, and into the light.


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: Apparently, the website is deleting punctuation like commas, question marks, and exclaimation marks from around quotation marks whenever I upload this part. Even when I edit the document via the website's integrated software, it STILL deletes my FUCKING PUNCTUATION!

So if the following doesn't seem clear, I am NOT the one screwing around here. Go tell the admins that they need to get their shit in gear, like I'm gonna do.

Anyway, if the lack of punctuation propriety annoys you, then go and read this on my Deviant Art account (http:maddog3060. And I'll see about hosting this on my own webspace, as well.

Well, enjoy the show.

-R. Andrew Szuhay, a.k.a. "Maddog3060"

* * *

The next few days were traversed without any major incident. The first wave of Operation Last Call had moved from their initial encampment to where their firebase would eventually stand, since the nature of a firebase allowed for 'improvements in place.' Nevertheless, the Seabees had built a trio of permanent buildings to protect important equipment, and erected a simple chain link fence around the area and stretching it around the dropships, which wouldn't be bothered to move such a short distance.

After this initial construction, the Seabees then concentrated solely on the airstrip, and their progress turned out to be much better than initially hoped. Only five days had passed, and already they were halfway completed, much to the relief of everyone on the ground.

Van Horn mused over these thoughts mainly because the chefs had gone down to supplementing their stocks with field rations. _By the time that strip is completed, we'll probably be having MREs exclusively_, he thought with some dismay. Looking down at his meal, he already started to pick at the few leftover pieces of a vegetable mix found in one such ration. _Carrots, chickpeas, and nellies,_ he identified the components mentally. _And they all taste like plastic_. He finally set down his plastic fork and looked up at his dinner companions to see if they, too, had his same reluctance.

Across from him sat Castellano, who was attacking his meal with gusto. Next to Castellano was Marks, who seemed to share van Horn's dislike of the added rations. Over to his left sat Osis, who had long ago finished his meal and had sat back to pleasantly half-doze in his seat.

Van Horn couldn't help but feel a smile tug at his lips. _Damn, makes me miss the M.I. Why'd I leave, anyway?_ He asked mentally, but then answered himself immediately after. _Because you love your work out in the civilian sector. And truth be told, you'd never have met Alexis, Mikula or Pavlo if you had stayed in and gone career._

Thinking about his friends from the very planet he now sat on, van Horn wondered what they were doing at the moment. _Well, I know they're having dinner at the Farkas family household._ He remembered, _but I wonder how it's going? Alexis has been driving herself hard these past few days, and doing her best to avoid going near any other native, save Mikula and Pavlo. Hell, that's half the reason they went out there tonight, is 'cuz she hasn't had a real chance to meet Senmar._

Deciding that, given the unusual quiet around the table, he'd best occupy his mouth as well as his mind, van Horn brought up another forkful of vegetables. He chewed them up, while thinking, _I know Alexis had that argument with her father, and from what she's mentioned since, her entire family and most of the gatón are avoiding her as much as she's avoiding them. I hope that going into Shulana tonight isn't going to bring out anything nasty_.

He didn't worry about Alexis; not only had she received ample training in basic infantry arts - supplemented in recent days through a sudden increase in desire on her part - but her attitude of late had been almost entirely one of a happy worker. She did her duties without gripe and found time to learn the finer points of infantry combat and firearms. And always, she had time to be with Mikula.

Van Horn smiled at that thought. _They really do seem to care for each other. Every night, they're talking, or taking some time to walk around, or..._ He left the last thought uncompleted, having been raised to respect people's privacy. _Still, it seems like kismet, the way they are_.

A voice intruded on his thoughts, and van Horn looked up to see all three of his dinner companions looking at him. "What?" He blurted in surprise.

Castellano smiled. "I said, 'what do you think of the crappy food?' But I see you had something else on your mind."

Van Horn returned the smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking 'bout some things." He shrugged and put another forkful of food into his mouth.

"Thinking about what?" Marks asked from where she still played with her leftover veggies. Van Horn, of course, couldn't immediately reply, and so she smiled and continued. "Worried about our friends out there?"

"Am I that transparent?" Van Horn asked after swallowing.

"Well, you're not exactly clear enough to read through," Castellano added with a grin, "but it's hard not to notice that you're distracted when they aren't in the camp."

Van Horn sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he said and looked down to pick over the few, stray peas on his plate. "I just worry, that's all. I kinda feel responsible for them, after all the things I've helped them with."

Osis chuckled from his seat. "You sound like my parents."

"Oh?" Van Horn and the others looked at the big man. "Uhm, no offense, but, uh..." His voice trailed off as he realized that he might not want to say anything upsetting to the child of Elementals.

But Osis just smiled softly. "Don't worry. I know what you're thinking. 'How did his parents managed to act like everyone else's?'"

Van Horn shook his head. "No- I mean, yes- I mean" His voice left as he struggled with his words.

Osis chuckled then, breaking the tension. "Don't worry, Earl! I'm used to such questions. Hell, I asked my dad himself when I got old enough to realize the differences."

Silence fell for a moment, and Osis sighed. "You guys can't even ask? Jeeze." He said in mock rapprochement. "I asked him and he told me that he and mom learned a lot from the lower castes, and then even more from their friends they made when they arrived in the Republic." He sat back and stared out, remembering. "He said that our neighbors were helpful as they could be, and soon they learned." He then looked at his friends and grinned. "'Course, it helps that I was a third child."

Laughter rolled around the table from all four of them for a moment. "You mean there's more of you?" Castellano asked. When Osis nodded, he rolled his eyes. "Great, _more_ giants with a bad sense of humor!"

Van Horn and Marks laughed, even as Osis lightly punched Castellano in the arm. "Ow!" Castellano exclaimed, overemphasizing the hit, even to rubbing his arm.

"Baby," Osis joked and razzed the lighter man. "Be glad you don't know my older brother, 'cuz he wouldn't pull the punch."

Castellano pretended to shudder. "Oh noes! Whatever am I to do?" Again, the four shared a laugh.

Afterwards, however, Marks turned to van Horn again. "So, all kidding aside, John was right. You _do_ act like a father to those three."

Van Horn smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I noticed that too." He sighed and shook his head slightly. "I mean, think about it. I've pretty much taught them everything they know about our culture, our language..." he shrugged.

Marks grinned knowingly. "I see what you mean. I always felt the same way about my younger siblings," she said wistfully. "Teaching them all sorts of things that they didn't want to learn from our parents" she rolled her eyes. "But still, you can't help but worry when you've done so much to help 'em."

Van Horn nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

"Well, if you're thinkin' the same as I," Marks replied, "then you'll know that sometimes, ya just gotta let go. Things'll be all right."

_Yeah, this isn't fun_, Alexis thought as she walked along the road through Shulana with Mikula and Pavlo. Although the twilight the day had entered had managed to chase most people indoors, more than a few gatón and lupar were out and about to stare at the trio as they walked along. Alexis wanted to attribute the looks to just the way they had dressed - full dress uniforms that were the result of the 'complete support' ideal of the Republic - but she knew better. _Not only has everyone heard of my falling out with my father, but by now, the way I acted while talking to Jahni has certainly been spread about._

Still, she wouldn't be dissuaded, and she adjusted her left arm where it crooked around Mikula's right. Noticing this, Mikula turned his head and gave Alexis a small smile. "Feeling nervous?" He asked.

Alexis returned the smile. "A bit," she said, and looked around the new town. "I know I've met your mother before, and I'm looking forward to getting to know Senmar, but..." Her voice trailed away as they quietly walked. Pavlo was more than a few steps ahead, and now he turned his head to speak to the others. "I'm going to go on ahead, and make sure that mother isn't overwhelmed with Senmar and Kanu causing trouble."

Mikula chuckled a bit. "Alright, see you soon then."

With that, Pavlo waved and he hurried off, leaving Mikula and Alexis to walk at a leisurely pace. Mikula then turned and looked at Alexis again. "So, what does have you worried?"

Alexis shook her head a bit. "Well, this is really the first time we'll be both seeing the rest of your family..." She almost stumbled over the next word. "Together."

"Ah," Mikula said, letting the word out slowly. With that, he pulled Alexis in a bit closer with his arm. "Well, you told me on how my mother spoke to you in the Maegister's house that once. I don't think she'll have changed her mind."

"I know, but..." Alexis said, and then sighed. "That was before... When I had a family, and things weren't so... Different. When _I_ wasn't so different."

Mikula just walked in silence for a moment, and Alexis wondered if she had been right in telling him about her epiphany. But soon he laid her fears to rest as he reached over with his left hand and squeezed her arm. "Alexis, you may be different, but I think that if I've only learned one thing from Earl's people - and from just knowing you - is that different isn't always bad." He smiled as he brought his left hand back. "In fact, it can be better. And frankly, Alexis, you're better than anyone else could ever be for me."

Alexis felt tears welling in her eyes, and she turned away to look at her feet. "You're gonna make me get my uniform all wet," she said, half-teasing to lighten her mood and thus keep her emotions in check. She wiped her eyes with her free hand, and then turned to face Mikula again. "But thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

Mikula shook his head. "But I do, because you mean everything to me. How can anything I say even begin to compare with you."

Alexis again felt her emotions well up, and she just stayed quiet. But she did pull herself over to Mikula, leaning into him as they walked towards his family's new abode.

By the time they arrived, Alexis had gotten her emotions in check again, and she had made sure to wipe her eyes of remaining residue. She was finished by the time they reached the small but well-built house to find the front door open in invitation. Mikula looked down at her, silently questioning her. She looked back and replied with a small smile and by squeezing his arm a bit. With that, he smiled and they went to the door together, reaching it in only a moment. Mikula indicated for Alexis to step through first, as the door wasn't wide enough for both to pass through at once.

Alexis smiled a bit and walked through, letting her eyes adjust to the lamp-lit interior as she paused to wait for Mikula. The foyer wasn't too impressive, especially with the dim light, but Alexis could see while it was still new and utilitarian, Tiana had managed to add some hospitability with an old blanket draped over a crude table that served to hold guests coats. The only exit from the small mini-room led into the small room that served as dining room, living room, and kitchen. Alexis could only see part of the room, given the angle of the door, but she recognized Pavlo already sitting down next to Senmar. Voices came through the open frame, and Alexis tensed a bit as she recognized one that she didn't expect to hear.

She turned around and looked at Mikula, who smiled. "Come on," he said and went ahead of her, pulling her along by the arm. Alexis let herself be pulled into the room where the Farkas family sat, along with Shaman Forbasa.

They all looked up as the two emerged into the better-lit room. "Well, there you are!" Tiana said as she stood up with a smile. "Come in, sit down! Oh, Senmar, why don't you take their coats?" She turned and went for the counter where food that had been cooked in an outside hearth was resting in some bowls. "I'll get the food now that everyone is here."

Alexis felt a bit strange at the way Tiana acted, and the comment about her coat reminded her that it was warmer in the small house than it was outside. The dress uniform not only had an inner and outer shirt, but it also had a jacket subtly decorated with the insignia of the Republic and the Mobile Infantry, the former on her right shoulder and the latter on her left. Military decorations and rank were missing, since she technically wasn't actually in the military, but it still looked impressive.

But it also kept heat in pretty well. While outside, Alexis didn't notice this with the weather turning cooler every day, but inside, with her fur, it made her rather uncomfortable. Before Senmar could stand, she held up a hand. "No, don't worry, I'll get them myself," she said and began to unbutton the jacket to show the simple shirt underneath.

"Nonsense!" Tiana stated even as she dipped a wooden ladle into a pot that obviously contained stew. "Senmar's hardly had anything to do, anyway."

The strained look on the younger lupar's face belied the statement, but he began to stand anyway. Mikula, however, shook his head. "No, mother, we're fine," he said and took off his jacket as well, holding out his arm for Alexis to add hers. She paused a second, and then laid it down on top of Mikula's, looking at him and giving him a wink with the eye that the others couldn't see. He smiled back and turned to go place the coats down in the foyer.

Alexis, meanwhile, faced Forbasa. "Shaman, I must say that I'm surprised to see you here." She said quietly.

Forbasa grinned as he replied. "Alexis, I haven't seen you in months, so when Mrs. Farkas invited me for a dinner that you would be at, I fairly jumped at the chance."

Alexis blushed as Mikula returned into the room, smiling along with his three brothers. "You honor me, Shaman" she replied as Mikula waved her towards one of two empty seats still at their side of the rectangular table. "Especially given my... Peculiar behavior." She blushed deeper as she sat down.

Forbasa's smile disappeared, and he nodded. "I understand you've set some tongues clicking," the smile returned to full force, "but then, if you'll recall, I've never been one to stick too much to the old ways."

Alexis felt as if her ears and tail would be permanently stuck in the blushing position. Fortunately for her, Tiana brought the first set of bowls and began to set them down in front of her family and guests. Alexis could smell the stew; it's native ingredients causing her mouth to water in anticipation. _It's been too long since I had some food from here_, she thought, forgetting for the moment the night of her fight with her father. Instead, she chatted with Forbasa a bit as Mikula spoke with his brothers.

_All in all, it looks like it's going to be a good night after all,_ she thought.

Van Horn wandered away from the mess tent in no particular fashion. Though the new camp had been laid out a bit more orderly, it still had enough twists and turns in the paths to make wandering it a bit engaging. But it was still small, and soon he came to where the chain link fence cut off the camp from the surrounding area.

He frowned as he turned to follow the fence along its length. _Not much to really keep out a determined enemy, and all it does is keep us locked in_, he thought. Then he sighed and shook his head. _Well, we can't be giving the impression that we're lax in security, now can we?_ Although it might've sounded sarcastic when spoken aloud, van Horn meant it sincerely. _Appearances can be deceiving, or they can be reassuring, or just plain warning_. The fence represented not an actually significant barrier, but rather that the Republic forces weren't going to be lax in their vigil.

Van Horn soon approached a gate, where a non-armored trooper from the NeoTokyo Grenadiers stood watch. The sentry tensed at van Horn's arrival and called a challenge. "Who goes there?"

"Dr. van Horn, Mobile Infantry," he replied. The guard relaxed a bit, recognizing van Horn's voice and soon his features in the light cast by the single lamppost that provided the central area of camp with a soft blue light. "What're you doing out here?" The guard asked.

Van Horn shrugged as he pulled up and stopped a meter away, the better to not make the guard nervous. "Just bored, so I'm walkin' about."

The sentry nodded. "Well, if you want to go outside, then you'll need a pass from the bigwigs," he said and gestured to the new command shelter, which was now a prefabricated shack that nonetheless provided better protection than the old, temporary dome.

Van Horn paused, wondering why he hadn't thought of that? With a sheepish grin, he spoke again, "well then, I won't be taking up your time then."

"No problem doc," the guard replied as van Horn turned and walked towards the center of camp, heading for the new HQ 'building.' The walk only took a few moments, and soon he stood next to the prefabricated structure. He took a moment to look it and the entire area over.

The HQ shed - he still couldn't think of it as a real building - stood about three meters tall, and it was a rectangle seven meters in length and five in width. Around the base were piled sandbags that reached nine decimeters high, and they encircled the shed-like structure, only to end where the two doors were located.

In front of HQ was an open space about twelve meters square. In the middle of this was a utilitarian combination flagpole and light pole that was the source of the pale blue illumination. Looking up, van Horn's eyes could barely discern the top of the pole past the light, but up there he knew would be where the Republic's flag would be flying in the morning.

Casting his eyes down, van Horn peered to look at the armory shed, which resembled the HQ building in texture, though it was a good deal larger. Unlike the HQ structure, the armory wasn't made up of a single prefabricated structure; but rather, it was assembled from various pieces of preformed metal composites. The Seabees had a good supply of the metal sheets, and they easily cut them to the needed size and shapes, building a custom structure in half the time of conventional means.

_But you'd never know it from seeing it_, van Horn thought. The Armory was much larger to accommodate troopers in battle armor, and so it was build with a large, five-meter height. The building was another rectangle, and its floor was a good twelve meters long by nine meters wide. Although its construction was not conventional, the Armory was hardly a pushover, and it could easily take hurricane-force winds and not even shudder. It was sandbagged like the HQ shed, and it had three doors, two very large ones on either short face and a regular-sized one in the middle of the long side facing the HQ building.

Finally, van Horn turned to look on the last semi-permanent building to his right. The Infirmary, where even now, he knew, some of the natives more injured were getting help. _Including that Soru fellow that was burned so badly_, he remembered. The day that the locals had returned to their normal routine had also brought with it a request from Forbasa for help with the severely injured. This had prompted Major Kujira to have a real infirmary put up, as the dropships were still a sensitive subject with the old-school major.

_Not that I blame him_, van Horn mused. _Rule Two of Interstellar Warfare: Protect your DropShips! Rule One, of course, being 'Protect your JumpShips!'_ He remembered from _The Proctor's Guide to Waging War_, written way back in the twenty-fourth century. Most of the ideas had been discounted, but the so-called 'rules of interstellar warfare' were still taught in military academies across the Human Sphere.

Thus, Kujira had wanted to help out in a way that wouldn't compromise the paranoid security of his transports, and van Horn really couldn't fault him too much. Briefly, he wondered if he should go and see if any of the three natives in the Infirmary would want company, but then he remembered that they would be kept under sedation for the night. With that, van Horn shrugged to himself and walked up to the HQ shack, pushing the door open as he walked in.

The interior was almost as dark as the outside, though they had a pair of the soft blue lights going to provide illumination. Van Horn silently cursed the fact that only the fickle short-wave light would preserve night vision as he walked towards where the communications console was set up.

The man and woman on duty looked up and recognized their visitor. "Hello, Doc," the senior, male soldier said. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," van Horn replied. "And that's the problem. I'm gettin' a bit antsy, and I was wonderin' if I could have a pass to leave the compound?"

The man frowned a bit. "Well, I don't know-"

A beeping on the sensor console that the woman manned cut the other duty trooper off. "What's that you got there, Shirley?"

The woman worked her controls for a second before replying. "Looks like an Assault Transport. They're coming in low from the west." She frowned. "I don't get it. If it wasn't for that outlying station the navy guys set up, we wouldn't have seen them."

"Odd..." The male officer replied as he turned to place a headset on. He also turned on the console's speaker so that the other two could listen in on the conversation. "What's their callsign?"

"Beagle Five," the woman replied, which caused the comm officer to purse his lips. He then pressed a few buttons and opened up a channel. "Assault Transport Beagle Five, this is Firebase Hotel, do you copy?"

Static came over the line before a voice replied, "Firebase Hotel, this is Beagle Five. We read you five by five."

"Beagle Five, we do not have a scheduled flight at this time. Care to explain?"

A momentary burst of static came through, then, "Damnit, didn't those assholes on the _Young_ call and let you know?"

The officer covered his microphone and mouthed to the sensor tech; 'call the major.'

As she grabbed her radio and began to dial it in for Kujira, the comm officer again keyed his mike. "I'm afraid not, Beagle Five. What're you carrying that's so important that it couldn't wait until the next flight?"

"Food, mostly," the nameless voice from the transport replied. "Captain of the _Ajax_ sent a K-1C loaded with some fresh food. I guess he thought that the assault ships wouldn't be carrying enough."

Van Horn tensed up, and he could see the other two in the room did as well. _Anyone from the Republic knows damn well we got two cargo ships sitting up in orbit_, he thought as the comm officer spoke again. "Anything else?"

The voice from the transport grunted. "Some parts for the troopers' battle armor. Other than that, we're riding pretty light."

Even as the voice spoke, the officer brought up another frequency and cut out the one with the transport. "Firebase Hotel to Spade Nine, come in Spade Nine."

"Spade Nine here, what's up Hotel?" The voice that replied was muffled a bit, and van Horn knew it was from the oxygen mask that an aerospace pilot wore that reflected the speech back into the microphone.

"We have a transport, possible bogey, moving in from the west." The comm officer replied. "We need you to move into chase position and wait for a kill order."

Static came over the line for a split second before Spade Nine replied, "You sure Hotel? I just picked that boy up as you were talkin' an' he looks like a friendly."

"I know, Nine, but he's bein' suspicious. Just move into position, over."

"Roger, Hotel. Spade Nine and Ten moving in, waiting for kill signal." The fighter pilot sounded a bit unsure, but van Horn and the others knew that he'd do his duty.

With that, the comm officer switched over to the previous frequency. "Beagle Five, we have a bit of a snafu here, it seems," he said, licking his dry lips as Kujira entered the building, followed by Captain Tanaka, both looking very civilian in their sleeping clothes. The comm officer, however, continued on regardless of the interruption. "So we're going to have to ask you to initiate Plan Nine as you come in."

Despite the situation, van Horn smirked a bit over the check signal, derived as it was from a movie that was almost painful to watch even when it was made in the early 20th Century. _Whoever came up with the codes for Last Call is a nutcase_, he thought. _Just hope they give the check signal_.

It was a simple code, based on whimsy and tongue-in-cheek humor. The proper reply to the check code was simply, 'from outer space,' and a turn away from the encampment to show non-aggression.

But it was not to be. "Roger that, Firebase Hotel. We'll initiate Plan Nine as we land. Anything else?"

The comm officer fairly slammed the frequencies to the one shared by the fighters above. "Firebase Hotel to Spade Nine! Target Beagle Five is hostile! Repeat, it's a bandit! Take 'em out!"

Spade Nine felt his hair rise along the back of his neck and his hands felt almost cold on the controls of his _F-22 Raptor Prime_. "I copy a kill order, Firebase Hotel. Request verification." Even as he called back to make doubly sure that he wasn't about to kill a friendly, the pilot, Lieutenant Frank Pelos - known as "Sparky" to his wingmates - boosted his 60-ton fighter to its maximum thrust.

"Affirmative, Spade Nine" the comm officer's voice came through clear. "Repeating: Contact Beagle Five is a hostile. Take the fucker out!"

"Roger, wilco." Pelos replied with calm determination. He watched the distance shrink as his fighter screamed through the atmosphere of Bowman's Planet, diving from his upper-level flight to fall upon the suspicious transport. Even as the distance closed, he felt a twinge of fear. _Dear God, don't let this be a fuck-up_, he silently prayed as he changed channels to his wingmate. "Willy, you been listenin?'"

"Aye," replied the pilot, his Scottish accent thicker now as adrenalin coursed into his veins. "Ye take th' lead, Sparky, an' I'll clip 'em if he doesn'ta go down."

Pelos gulped in his facemask. "Alright then, delta-right formation, cut across his stern."

"Roger," 'Willy' replied as the two fighters, both of Republic design, screeched down, reaching for their target. Soon, they were almost in weapons range, and Pelos called again to his wingman. "I want to take 'em by surprise, Willy. Keep targeting off 'til the last second. We'll make a short range pass, so switch your ATMs to HE."

"I copy that," the Scottish burr came across the radio even as Pelos flipped a few controls on his fighter's console, causing the ATM-9 launcher in each wing to switch ammo feeds from standard to short-ranged, extra-destructive ammo. Then he leaned back into his seat and gripped his HOTAS controls, arming his entire forward-facing arsenal as the range clicked down on his HUD.

He could see that the bogey craft still didn't realize the full depth of its danger. Pelos felt like his hands were shaking, but when he spared them a glance, he saw that they were as steady as stone. _It's just your nerves, boy... Just do your duty_.

"And may God have mercy on me if someone's wrong," he muttered as the range clicked down and he flipped on his active sensors. The range finally plied down, and he saw the Assault Transport buck as more power was fed into its engines.

But it was far too late. Pelos triggered the entire array of forward-facing weapons. The nose-mounted ER PPC was the first to fire, its coruscating stream of azure energy tearing into the heavy rear armor on the transport. Even as streams of armor melted off, the ER Medium Laser, also in the nose, flashed its beam, slagging armor off the rear as well.

Pelos then felt a jerk as the covers under his fighter's wings opened to reveal the eighteen missile launch tubes, reducing his aerodynamic profile. Then the Advanced Tactical Missiles slewed forth, streaming out in a wave of fire that homed in on the struggling transport. Unfortunately, the left wing launcher missed, sending its missiles to sail into the night. But of the starboard missiles, all nine hit, making up somewhat for the miss. Clusters of explosions rippled across the rear end of the craft, marking impacts.

Pelos cursed as he yanked his fighter up and into a loop that would bring him on the transport's tail again. _It's an authentic Republic-issue craft, alright_, he thought. _Lost all that armor and it's still flying_.

Even as he cut thrust to keep from blacking out, he couldn't help but take a glance as Willy's attack slammed into the rear of the transport. His particle cannon lanced another three-quarters of a ton of armor from the aft end of the craft, while his laser went off target, dispersing into a cloud. Both launchers were dead on, however, and their explosions blanketed the rear of the bogey.

Back on the ground, Kujira looked up from where he had been studying the sensor console to face Tanaka. "Captain, get your company moving," he said. Tanaka waved a half-salute as she turned and darted from the building. Van Horn was Kujira's next target, and he spitted the doctor with a look of pure intensity. "Van Horn, get your ass out and into your armor. I'll call Vickers and have his platoon out after you."

"Aye sir!" Van Horn replied and he too, raced out of the building, but not before hearing the sensor officer speak. "Major, they're not breaking off, but are accelerating."

Van Horn shuddered even as he ran for the Armory. _Oh, Dear God, it can't be!_

Pelos swept his fighter in from the port quarter, and he again raked the bogey with his full weapons compliment. His PPC scored the armor deeply, while his laser flensed even more of it off above the cut of the particle weapon. His missiles streaked in and spread dirty-orange flowers of destruction across the entire rear end of the craft. He pulled his fighter away, cursing that his attacks still hadn't breached the armor. _The damn thing keeps going!_

Then Willy attacked, his ER PPC blasting another 750 kilograms of armor away, while his laser cut sheets of metal loose and his ATMs pulverized more into metal dust. Then something flashed beneath, and Pelos realized that they had breached the armor at last as the starboard jets died on the Assault Transport. Without the stabilizing effect, the 185-ton craft pitched out of control, hurtling towards the ground.

Pelos brought his fighter around from his turn, and he briefly wondered if he should dive and make yet another attack on the craft. However, the falling transport's pitch shifted and it went almost straight down until it slammed into the ground, exploding in a huge fireball of plasma and burning hydrogen fuel.

Pelos sighed heavily. _Please, God, don't let me have sent good men to heir deaths_.

Van Horn was out of the Armory just in time to tune in to hear Spade Nine's report. "That's affirmative, Firebase Hotel. Target is down, and he ain't gettin' back up. We'll continue to orbit at close range for now."

He heard the comm officer's reply, but he didn't care to pay attention. The transport had been brought down uncomfortably close to Shulana; so close that van Horn worried that the fires burning might spread to the town's crops, and even the town itself. With these unhappy thoughts, he raced out of the camp and then proceeded to leap across the plains, 120 meters at a time. He was the first, he knew, but in a few seconds, he saw the first members of the Vanquishers begin to file onto the plains, all rushing forward to join van Horn at the crash site.

Van Horn tightened his grip on his Heavy Gyrojet Gun, wondering why he should have bothered to bring it. _Bah, too late now,_ he thought. _Just get there now!_

Alexis stood with the entire Farkas clan and Shaman Forbasa out the back of the Farkas house. The cracking booms of fighters and their weapons, plus the lights they put off, had brought them out just in time to see the transport plummet to the ground and explode into flame. Around them, behind other homes, the natives of the new town piled out to stare at the strange pyre.

"Ye Gods!" Senmar exclaimed. "Could anyone have survived that?"

Alexis frowned. _Not bloody likely,_ she thought, and was about to say so when her eyes saw a small shadow flicker to the side of the burning pyre. He blood raced as she realized what kind of silhouette she had seen. _A man with a parachute..._

She turned and raced back into the house, entering the back door where it opened next to the outside hearth. Alexis heard her friends exclaim in surprise and shouted questions, but she ignored them as she went for her coat.

One of the reasons that she had been reluctant to let Senmar handle her jacket was because she had felt embarrassed that she had brought along her small Hold-out Needler pistol. _I guess I was being paranoid, thinking that there'd be trouble,_ she mused as she rifled through the coats. In a second, she had grabbed the lightweight pistol and yanked it free of the small holster she had for it. With the Needler in hand, she turned and jogged back out to where the others stood.

Mikula was the first to see the tension in her body. "What is it, Alexis?"

"I saw a man land with a parachute," she said, cocking back the action and priming the weapon. "Since our friends have the air cordoned off, anything shot down would be most likely an enemy."

Mikula nodded sagely, and Pavlo followed suit, even as the others looked on in confusion. "What's a parachute?" Senmar asked.

Mikula turned and waved him off. "Not now Senmar!" He snapped and turned back to Alexis. "Look, we don't have to do this," he spoke in English to her. "I'm sure that the others can take care of it."

Alexis gave him a stern look. "Mikula, you know very well that someone can sneak away before the others come," she replied in the same language, turning to face the distant wreck. "I'm going, so are you coming along or not?" She asked, turning back to give him a look.

Mikula sighed then. "All right, Alexis," he said and turned around. "Pavlo, are you coming along?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Pavlo responded with a small grin.

"Good," Mikula replied and switched to Lupari as he turned to face his mother. "We're going to go and take a look."

Tiana frowned. "What is it? What were you talking about?"

Alexis shook her head. "We've no time," she said and practically leapt away. Mikula and Pavlo waved a simple goodbye as they started off to follow the running Alexis as she headed for the tall savannah grass beyond the plowed fields that lay behind the town's houses.

"What's going on?" Senmar asked of no one in particular. When he didn't get an answer, he began to follow the other three. Until, that is, Tiana grabbed his arm with her hand. "No, Senmar."

His ears bending back so far that he swore he could feel them burning, Senmar turned to face his mother. "I am not a child anymore, mother."

"No, but you're also inexperienced," Kanu replied for Tiana, bringing Senmar's head around. "Those three have had more experience with his kind of thing than the rest of us. Hell, I wouldn't be going out there even if my leg was all right."

Senmar frowned. "But, you're the eldest. Why wouldn't you go out?"

"Because, Senmar, I know better than to run into a situation in which I know nothing." Kanu pivoted on his good leg to face the dimming fire. "Those three have at least an inkling about what's going on. Getting in their way would only harm us all."

Frowning, Senmar turned to face the same direction as the others. _Kanu says he's not experienced, Mikula and Pavlo and some gatón gallivanting off towards the burning wreckage of a flying machine... Is everybody insane?_

Alexis ran through the grass, heedless of the noise, until she began to feel the heat from the now-slowed fire. Pausing for a moment, crouching in a ready stance, Mikula and Pavlo nearly ran her over before they spotted her and kneeled down next to the gatón.

"Mikula, Pavlo, your noses are better. Can you smell anything beyond the grass and fire?" Alexis asked as she consciously swiveled her ears back and forth across the arc in front of her.

Both the lupar paused to sniff the air for a moment. "No," Mikula spoke for the both of them. "The fire is too rank."

Alexis grunted. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll sneak forward, you two take a flank." She gestured with the holdout Needler as she spoke. "Keep your ears, eyes, and noses working. Go out about eight gradragnas to either side and move forward from there."

Mikula frowned. He didn't like the fact that the one he cared about would be taking a dangerous point position, but since Alexis was the only one with the pistol, he could only nod acceptance. "Okay, Alexis. But you be careful, okay?"

Alexis smirked slightly. "Same to both of you," she replied. "Callsign is Kuamket."

Mikula blushed a bit at his lapse of memory. "Got it," he said as Pavlo nodded. Alexis then turned and crept forward, parting the grass with her free hand and soon disappearing from view.

At that Mikula turned to face Pavlo to apologize, but his brother just smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, Mikula," he said and took the right flank automatically, moving off quickly. Still a bit chagrined, Mikula went about moving off to the trio's left flank.

Meanwhile, Alexis continued to creep forward, pausing and listening every few meters. Her heart hammered inside her chest like it was going to explode, and her tail twitched with nervous energy.

_Calm down, Alexis_, she told herself. _Do like Jennifer says, and treat it like a drill_. She took a moment to check her breathing, and then continued on.

Eight meters from the burning wreckage, she heard him. A bit of a muffled curse and some scraping noise overlaid on the man's feet trodding the earth below. Alexis paused again; listening to hear of she had been detected. But the man continued in his mysterious efforts, and Alexis crept up some more.

At five meters, the grass had been flash-burned away by the exploding fusion engine, and she had to pause at the outskirts of the burnt zone to peer at the man, who was backlit by the last few flames that still burnt inside the crashed hull of the Assault Transport. Alexis couldn't help but pause at the recognition of the design, but her instincts told her that things were not right. _The Republic has their own fighters up, and they'd never shoot down one of their own_.

The man working on some sort of case certainly seemed like no Republic soldier she had ever met. Although he seemed fairly young, or at least, not elderly, the hair on the top of his head was almost gone, judging by the way the fire's light glinted off of it. His uniform, if it could be called that, was an all-black jumpsuit. An insignia was on the right shoulder, Alexis could see, but as the man's back was turned to her, she couldn't see it clearly.

After a moment to see if the man would react to her presence, Alexis moved out slowly, tiptoeing on her footpads for extra stealth. The man didn't notice her a bit as she moved to within a meter, his attention rapt on the box. She heard him mutter. "The infidels won't escape this judgment... They may bring down the conveyance, but the will of Blake shall be done."

Alexis felt a chill run up and down her spine at the words, but she bade herself to focus. Finally, she leveled the pistol and spoke in English, inflicting a growl into her words. "Hands up."

The man froze for a moment, turning his head slightly. Then in a blur, he spun about and hurled a knife at Alexis.

But Alexis had seen the muscles in the man's back tense up just prior to the attack, and her instincts and training bid her to dodge to the right even as the knife flew from the man's grasp. Time slowed for Alexis, and she could see the small knife pass closer and closer to her, before it finally zipped by her left arm and disappeared into the tall grass behind her.

Although well timed, her dodge was not the most elegant, and so Alexis fell to the ground, landing on her right side. She managed to hold onto the pistol, though her aim was spoiled by the abrupt change in position, a fact that the black-suited man took advantage of, and he jumped towards Alexis, aiming his fist for a blow that would crush her neck.

However, Alexis was much smaller than a human, and more maneuverable. She easily rolled under the man's path as he flew through the air for that short moment, dodging the blow and allowing her to get into a crouch.

The man, however, was no slouch; seeing himself miss, he tucked into a small ball and used the momentum of his landing to roll away from Alexis, eventually coming upright at the edge of the cleared area in the grass. As he moved, Alexis saw his hand flash towards a holster and bring something out from it.

Tensing, Alexis brought up her pistol in her hand quickly, trying to aim fast enough. The man seemed quicker, however and his evil-looking weapon trained on Alexis. But before he could fire, something moved on the edge of the field to his left, distracting him. A blurred gray shape burst from the grass and bounded towards the man, causing him to react by pulling his gun to follow his eyes.

But it was too late, as the shape landed on top of him, knocking them both over. A loud snarl from the shape identified it as Mikula, and the lupar swiped his right hand over the man's face, using his claws to scrape at the man's eyes.

The human, however, wasn't down for the count. Using his legs, he brought them up and wrapped them around Mikula's neck, and he yanked down to pull the lupar off of him and slammed him to the ground.

Hearing Mikula's pained yelp, Alexis felt her chest tighten. Then the man started to move the hand that still held the pistol, and a fire erupted through her. Still aiming in the general direction, she easily adjusted the barrel of her pistol and fired.

A Needler pistol is a nasty weapon. Instead of firing bullets, it shreds a block of ballistic polymer plastic into hundreds, even thousands of tiny needle-like shards, then uses compressed gas to propel them towards the target. The hold-Out Needler, though smaller and generally less potent than its larger cousins, still had a profound effect as it coughed out a cloud of plastic, sending it at high velocity to slam into the man's meaty upper arm, shredding muscles and eliciting a scream of pain from the black-clad human. The pistol in his hands dropped as his arm went limp, and it fell to the ground with an audible thunk.

Then Pavlo appeared, racing in from Alexis' left and from behind the man. Unlike Mikula, who had gone to all-fours to get an extra burst of speed, Pavlo ran on two legs so that he could deliver a resounding kick to the back of the man's skull. Alexis heard a meaty thwack, and the man went unconscious, falling to lie on the ground.

Alexis paused for a moment, aiming the pistol at the man's head. When he didn't get up, she levered herself up to two feet and slowly walked towards where the man and Mikula lay, the latter still half-trapped under the human's legs.

Pavlo walked over and checked on Mikula even as Alexis managed to get to the gun the man had dropped. Still aiming carefully at the human's head, she moved a leg and kicked the weapon away from the prone form without even looking at it, as she had been taught.

A groan came from where Mikula lay, and Alexis couldn't help but divide her attention. "Is he all right, Pavlo?"

The younger lupar looked up at Alexis. "I think so. He's still breathing, and nothing's bleeding."

"Well, don't move him," Alexis replied. "His neck could be broken." Although the idea scared the life out of her, the approaching sounds of jump jets comforted her. _Help's coming soon, Mikula._

Van Horn jumped the last thirty meters, having paused a moment to see who had been fighting at the site. When he saw the telltale biometric traces of lupar and gatón, he was sure he knew who had gotten there. Now that he landed a few meters from where Alexis stood with a gun pointed at a very unconscious and bleeding man, he also saw the signs of a struggle, and one Mikula lying on the ground.

"Alexis, Pavlo," he said as he walked over from where he had landed. "What's the situation?"

"Saw a man land via parachute, went out to investigate," Alexis, worried and still filled with adrenalin, clipped her words, and her accent in English became pronounced. "He resisted capture, fought. Mikula is hurt."

Van Horn switched his sensors to sweep the entire area as Alexis was talking. Then, satisfied that no one else was nearby - save the upcoming Vanquishers - he walked over to Mikula and kneeled, looking over the prone form of the lupar.

_Doesn't look too bad..._ "How'd he get hurt?"

"The man, he used his legs and slammed Mikula into the ground head-first." Alexis spoke, a bit more in control of her emotions now that some of the adrenalin began to drain from her system.

Van Horn grunted and switched his active probe to a special, medical setting that only the Republic had bothered to develop for its scout suits. Ultra-low frequency sound waves, undetectable to any living creature larger than a mollusk, were emitted out from a sensor port, penetrating Mikula's flesh. Within a few seconds, his suit projected a crude, but recognizable image of Mikula's neck bones. He breathed a large sigh of relief when he saw that everything looked as it should. "He's okay, Alexis. Probably just got knocked for a loop."

Alexis sighed in relief, even as van Horn placed his weapon down and began to feel along Mikula's neck and head, making sure that everything felt in place. _Thank God. He may have a headache when he wakes up, but he'll live._

"Earl, what does this symbol mean?" Pavlo asked from behind. Standing up and switching his sensors to normal, military full-scan, van Horn turned around and looked to where the lupar stood next to a box. He walked over almost casually, until he saw what symbol Pavlo was pointing at.

It was a simple, elegant symbol. Hardly anything one would consider a bringer of dire portent, but it had haunted humanity since the 20th century. A symbol easily recognizable with its alternating wedges of black and yellow, a black circle in the middle and an outline also done in the color of death.

"Pavlo, get the Hell away from that," van Horn said, switching his sensors to radiation count. The marvel of the Active Probe suit once again came though, and a directional-cascade Geiger counter mounted in van Horn's helmet, aligned to read whatever he was looking at, came to life.

Even as Pavlo stepped back, van Horn heard the constant chattering of the counter. In his nervousness, he mistook the sensitivity settings for a second, briefly wondering why his friends weren't loosing their hair already. Then he noticed that the counter had come on in its most sensitive setting, and with a mental curse, he used his helmet's control system to switch the counter to a more reasonable setting.

_Damn thing should come on the _least_ sensitive setting, not the _most he grumped to himself. But his relief at the mostly-normal background radiation - augmented only with the typical residue of a brief fusion reaction -softened his nerves.

"Van Horn!" Lieutenant Vickers' voice came over van Horn's helmet radio, and he saw that it was on the common frequency. "Report status."

Van Horn turned and saw the first of the Vanquishers arrive on the scene; scout armor and Vickers' own Kage IIC. "Sir, one hostile survived via parachute. Embedded specialists have captured him, and he needs medical attention." He almost smirked at the official title for the three natives, but then he remembered the case behind him. "And we found one nuke."

Vickers' armor seemed to freeze in mid-stride, as did a couple of the scout armored troopers, though the one van Horn recognized as belonging to his friend Castellano continued to act as if nothing was wrong. "Care to repeat that, son?"

Van Horn stood to the side, revealing the metal, olive drab case and its markings. "There is, sitting right there, one tactical nuclear device, sir. At least, that's what the symbols and lettering mean."

Vickers walked slowly up to the case, his bulky armor mocking his trepid movements. He kneeled next to the case as he got to it, and quickly read the labels.

"Jesus fucking H. Christ on a Pogo Stick..." He breathed. "This is a fifty kiloton warhead," he said and opened the box. Van Horn twinged a bit when he heard his radiation counter grow loud, but he saw that the Rad levels were still safe, just elevated as if it were a hot summer day... Next to a Uranium deposit.

"That's a nuke alright," Vickers said, bringing van Horn out of his reverie. "Mother fuckers..." With that, van Horn heard a click as his voice died out, and he knew that the lieutenant was now calling the Major to report the find.

Turning around, forcing himself to suppress a shudder at what might-have-been, van Horn walked the few steps to where Alexis and Pavlo had pulled Mikula, Alexis holding her lover's head in her lap. Castellano had finished checking the lupar, and now was applying bandages to the shredded arm of the captured Blakest.

Van horn turned off his radiation counter, and leaned to pick up his gun before getting to the trio of natives. Kneeling, he took off his helmet and looked them over. "I leave you three alone for a few hours, and you get into a fight," he said with mock gravity. Then he smiled, never able to keep a straight face for long.

Alexis and Pavlo smiled a bit at the attempt to lighten their mood. "I guess we have that knack," Pavlo replied.

"Well, you three did good tonight," van Horn said, and then looked over his shoulder. "There aren't many people around who can say they caught a ROM operative."

Alexis blinked her eyes. "A what?"

Van Horn turned back. "That symbol, on his shoulder. It's from the Wobbies' ROM corps." He shook his head. "They're a tough sort, supposed to kill themselves to prevent capture," he then looked at the other two and smiled broadly. "But you got him. That's some damn fine work."

Mikula then groaned, and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "What...?" He asked, somewhat dazed, and looked around.

Alexis let out a small noise, almost a yelp. "Mikula! Are you okay?" She asked.

Mikula turned to look at her. "Alexis... Oh!" He blinked his eyes a few times, obviously remembering. "Is it over?"

She nodded with a smile on her face. Mikula just cocked his head, clearly not fully recovered yet. "Did we get him?"

Alexis, Pavlo, and van Horn all laughed. "You got 'em, boy" the latter said, landing his armored hand gently on Mikula's shoulder. "You got 'em, and not a moment too soon."

The next day dawned over a scene of activity that startled the natives who traveled to tend their fields. The Seabees, with their conventional vehicles and construction 'mechs seemed to work at an almost frantic pace, while a small group of them, guarded by troopers in battle armor and a lance of 'mechs, worked over the burnt out wreckage of the crashed transport.

Pavlo looked over the area from his perspective behind his family's new home. He alone had come back to inform the others from the interrupted dinner about what had happened, as Mikula had been taken to the Infirmary for observation, and Alexis, of course, didn't want to leave his side just yet. It had been hard, explaining to the others what had transpired, partially because they didn't, couldn't know the danger of what a single zealot could do.

He shuddered. _I may not have been as interested in our friends' history like Alexis, or even Mikula,_ he thought. _But even I couldn't avoid hearing even a little bit about their past. Their entertainment is filled with stories from their history_. He smirked a bit. _Hell, some of their stories aren't even for pure entertainment. 'Documentaries,' they call them_. Pavlo had seen one such documentary, one about a period of time called the Secession Wars.

_I didn't know what that symbol meant, but when Earl explained it to us..._ He shuddered again. _He said it was enough to blast the entire area, enough to kill everyone in Hercor, Shulana, and the firebase_.

"Pavlo, are you all right?" A familiar voice asked from behind him. Pavlo turned around and found his younger brother standing behind him. "I'm fine, Senmar. Why do you ask"

The other lupar frowned a bit in puzzlement. "You were shuddering, like you were cold. I just wanted to see if you were getting sick."

Pavlo smiled a bit. "No, I'm alright. I'm..." He turned and looked over the area nearby, as if seeing it for the first time. "I was just thinking about what might have been." With that, he shuddered again.

Senmar frowned, not only in puzzlement, but also in fear. "You look like you're being haunted by a spirit. What has scared you so?"

Pavlo turned and looked over his brother, ready to tell him a little white lie so that no one else need know the terror. But he saw Senmar's trusting eyes, and he sighed. "The man I told you all last night, the one we captured. He had a weapon..." He turned away again, this time looking to the crash site. "A weapon so powerful that it would have killed everyone in both towns, and in the base."

Silence reigned for a moment, before Senmar spoke up again. "You're... You're kidding, right?" When Pavlo shook his head in reply, Senmar huffed a bit. "I don't believe you. I can't even begin to imagine such a weapon."

Pavlo grunted. "I wouldn't have believed it either, Senmar, but then I saw the records, the images taken from centuries ago by our friends' people." He lowered his head and shook it. "What we see here, at Hercor and Shulana; it's their best, Senmar. The best of their kind," he finished and looked up at his brother. "But they're the best because they saw what the worst can do, and decided to make themselves better than that."

Pavlo sighed. "And their worst?" He paused, unsure of any words in any language that could convey the sheer immensity. "Their worst is wholesale slaughter, rampant destruction. And the primary agent for that destruction is a set of weapons they call, 'weapons of mass destruction.'

"And one of them, one capable of wiping the land clean of life, was nearly used last night." Pavlo again shuddered. _Everyone... My family, my friends... All dead in the flash of an eye._

Senmar was stunned by not only the enormity of Pavlo's words, but also because of his tone and body language. _He believes it... So much so that even talking about it makes him afraid_. The young lupar felt cold tendrils of fear lace up his back. "What... How could it do that?"

Pavlo took a moment before responding. "It would have done it by burning us all alive in a light that would make the sun pale in comparison, with invisible forces that would rip apart your body from the inside out, and then burn your flesh away to the bones." Although his voice was low, it carried to Senmar's ears with the force of conviction. "And that's if you were lucky. If by some miracle you survived by being far enough away, then you would only suffer a death slower, and much more painful as those forces I told you about would tear you up still, just much slower."

Now Senmar shuddered. _I don't know everything he's talking about, but Pavlo couldn't lie to me in a hundred years_. "Who would design such an evil weapon?"

Pavlo grunted. "Someone who wanted to end a war quickly, and without loosing any on his own men." Pavlo turned and gave Senmar a sidelong glance. "Is that not the goal of all army generals?"

"Yes, but," Senmar hesitated, unsure of what his elder brother was saying. "But slaughter of civilians is dishonorable!"

Pavlo grunted. "Yes, it is. But what if, Senmar, they weren't really civilians?"

Senmar was brought up short by that question. "What? But... How... What do you _mean_?" He asked, exasperated.

"What if, Senmar, those civilians would throw themselves at you with wooden spears, trying to kill you?" Pavlo asked quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. "Imagine that; a whole city arising to attack you with whatever they could get their hands on." He turned his head then to look at his brother fully in the eye. "Can you tell me, then, that you wouldn't fight to save your own life or the life of your comrades?"

Senmar frowned. "I've never heard of such a thing!" But his brother just stared at him, and so he sighed before replying. "Yes... I suppose I would fight and kill anyone who threatened my life." He gulped. "Even if they were simply civilians."

Pavlo nodded and turned to face the crash site again. "But in any such battle, you'd loose friends. Even your own life." He glanced over to see Senmar nod. "Suppose, then, that you knew with all due certainty that a city was going to be like that, a complete bloodbath." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Suppose, then, that you had a weapon that would do the same thing as sending your army in. It would result in the deaths of many civilians... But it would save the lives of your comrades.

"And suppose, just suppose, that by destroying one such city with a weapon like that, you convince all other cities with such inclinations that having their civilians rise and fight is wrong?"

Senmar blinked. "Then..." His mind whirled, unaccustomed to such thinking. _It's the wholesale slaughter of innocents! Or is it? By taking up weapons against an army, aren't they no longer innocent? Such different subtleties!_ He reached up and rubbed his aching head with his hands. "You're making my head hurt, Pavlo."

Pavlo chuckled softly, darkly, for just a moment. "I assure you, that when I learned about all of this, my head hurt as well." He sighed. "I'm only telling you this now, Senmar, because our friends, they have the same weapons of mass destruction as our enemies."

"What?" Senmar looked confused. "They'd use such a weapon?"

Pavlo nodded. "Yes. But unlike our enemies, the humans here know when to use a weapon." He turned his body fully to face his brother, jacket swaying in the cool breeze. "And that's why I've been making your head hurt. I want you to realize what I've learned."

Senmar frowned. "I... Don't think I understand."

Pavlo shook his head slightly. "What I've learned is that it's not weapons, nor technology," he used the English word, "that are evil. You shouldn't judge a person because of what he uses, but how he uses it, just as you do not judge a person entirely by their appearance."

Senmar's ears twitched a bit. "I don't think I get you."

"You will, Senmar, you will."

Alexis awoke as someone shook her arm. Coming alert quickly, she opened her eyes and squinted as they adjusted. "Yes?"

"Sorry to wake you," the male orderly said. "But your gatón friend woke up and he seems to want something, but we don't know what."

Alexis shook her head slightly, trying to clear the last vestiges of sleep. Then she looked around the Infirmary, where she had spent the night.

The smallish building was separated into several rooms. The opening foyer which was also the waiting area and pharmacy counter, the pharmacy behind it, an operating room next to that on the right, and on the left, a large room for patients that couldn't or wouldn't be moved or released quickly. Alexis sat in the latter, on a folding chair that sat next to the bed where Mikula lay sleeping still. Looking around, she saw three of the four other beds cordoned off with sheets hanging from rails in the ceiling. In them, she knew, were two lupar and one gatón, all severely wounded from either the Blakest attack of a week ago, or one from even earlier.

"Alright, I'm up," Alexis replied to the orderly and stood slowly, stretching her arms and legs one by one as she did. "Which one is he again?"

The orderly pointed to a privacy screen that lined the bed deepest into the room. "Over there," he said and turned to walk for it. Alexis spared a look at Mikula to see if he had been waked, but the lupar still slept, a hint of a smile on his face.

Alexis smiled a bit at that, letting it fuel her emotions so that she could go and see her friend with a light heart. Quickly then, she turned and followed the orderly to the curtained bed. The man waited for her to arrive before he pulled the curtain back.

On the bed lay a recovering Soru, still badly burned from the Blakest attack on Kuamket months ago. Although his skin had healed a bit in the intervening time, he still was in such bad shape that he couldn't really move without being in terrible pain. Every time Alexis saw him, she felt like cringing in sympathy.

Now, though, even five days of Republic medical science, as hindered as it was by the local conditions, had helped. Devices that looked to be a cross between bandages, intravenous inserts, and electrodes sat on various patches of burnt skin. Connected to a computerized machine that dripped fluids and controlled the 'bandages,' they looked like some mad scientist's invention. But Alexis could see healed patches of skin where the devices had been before, and she knew that they were a crude, but effective version of the medical machines that helped her heal on New Honshu.

Beneath the devices, of course, lay Soru himself. He had raised his head ad the sound of the curtain moving, and even managed a tiny, barely perceptible smile. "Alexis," he croaked, his throat sore from lack of use.

Alexis quickly walked to the side of the bed left free of the machines, and she laid a hand gently on his right. A slight twinge in his eyes showed that she hadn't been light enough, but Soru's continued smile pushed that thought from her head. "Soru, how are you today?" She asked in Gatonese.

"Fine." he replied, laying his head back and closing his eyes, the better to conserve strength for speaking. "Wanted... Friendly voice... Maybe... Food?"

Alexis blinked. "Sure. Let me ask." She turned her head to look at the orderly. "He's asking for food. Is that good?"

The orderly also blinked for a bit, then he smiled. "It's very good news, I think." he said and walked to the side of the bed that had all the machines and IV bottles. "Well, his nutritional drip is still full, so that's not it." He paused and stroked his chin in thought for a second, and then turned to look at Alexis. "I'll go get Doctor Jennings and have him look at this. That is, if you don't mind me leaving for a minute?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, that's fine."

The man nodded. "Okay. But if there's any trouble, remember there's another orderly in the next room, okay?" He waited for Alexis to nod her head before he turned and hustled off in a fast walk.

"You... Can speak... Their language... Well..." Soru said, a hint of a smile gracing his lips again.

Alexis turned her head back to Soru and smiled. Though she knew he couldn't see it, she also knew that it would inflect in her voice. "Yes. It's not as romantic as Gatonese, but it's very useful." She wanted to lay a hand on his head, but she resisted the urge. "You'll like it, I'm sure."

Soru smiled again. "Hope... You can... teach it..."

Alexis chuckled softly. "Tell you what. You get better, and I'll teach you it. Deal?"

"Deal" Soru breathed, still a smile on his face.

Doctor Jennings walked into the patient area of the Infirmary a few minutes later. Although technically assigned to the USS _Roger Young_, Jennings had managed to persuade Captain Ladavic to allow him to tend to the injured on the planet when he heard that Major Kujira wanted an Infirmary in his firebase. And so now he cared for whatever small hurts and colds the soldiers got, but also he tended the few very sick or injured from the native towns.

Some doctors would've found it repulsive, or merely beneath them. Jennings, though, simply wanted to help people, and after tending Alexis and Pavlo for a couple of weeks, he knew enough about the locals to think of them as people.

Thus it was with a genuine smile of concern that he approached the bed where Soru lay. "Hello, Alexis, Soru," he said. Though he knew nothing of the natives' languages, he did know that simply speaking a patient's name often helped their peace of mind. "Mark told me that Soru was hungry."

Alexis nodded. "He asked for food a bit ago. Well, that and a friendly voice," she added, blushing a bit.

Jennings nodded to her words as he checked over the machines and their digital readouts. "Well, that's good on both respects," he said warmly as he pulled a stethoscope from the pocket of his coat; a white coat ubiquitous to all doctors since the 20th Century. He put the earpieces in their proper places and then looked at Alexis. "I want to listen to his chest, so could you warn him?"

"Of course," Alexis replied with a nod. Then she turned and spoke softly to Soru. "Kay deshoro ut chu kreka. Ki ago kerr."

Soru sighed. "Ye crao. Sho naké."

"He says to go ahead," Alexis translated. Jennings nodded and gently placed the end of the stethoscope onto Soru's chest. The young gatón took in a quick breath, but he didn't yell out in pain.

_Good, that means that he's gainin' strength and that the meds are working,_ Jennings thought. Then he listened quietly to several places on Soru's exposed chest, checking the noises of his heart, lungs, and digestive tract. He was pleased to hear noises from the latter. "Good, very good..." He muttered softly, going back and forth to check on what he heard. Finally, he took off the metal end of the 'scope and faced Alexis with a small smile. "Well, he sounds all right, and the readouts show that his body's sucking up the nutrients faster than the IV is supplying them." Jennings turned to look over them again, and then he turned to head to the foot of the bed. There he picked up the noteputer-based chart and consulted it for a moment.

Alexis waited for a bit, but then couldn't wait any longer. "So doctor, what's going on?"

"Hmm?" Jennings looked up, temporarily confused. Then he smiled at Alexis as his mind reentered the present. "Oh, well, it's a good sign." He looked over the chart again. "And I think we can try letting him have some light foods. Fluids, mostly, maybe some soft stuff."

Alexis smiled broadly. "That's good to hear." Then her stomach rumbled at the thought of food, eliciting a blush from the female gatón small laugh from Jennings. "Sounds like he's not the only one who could use some food, hmm?" He asked with a wink. Alexis smiled and nodded.

"Well, it's good that I had Mark head for the mess tent, now wasn't it?" Jennings replied with a chuckle. "I figured that Soru here might be better, so I had our friend stop by there. He oughta be here soon with breakfast trays for you and Mikula, and a little extra for Soru here." Jennings then yawned. "Excuse me, it's been a long night."

Alexis tilted her head a bit. "Have you been up all night, doctor?"

"I'm afraid so," Jennings replied with another smile. "Had to help stabilize that Wobbie y'all caught, and peek in a few times to check on Mikula over there just to make sure none of us missed anything." He yawned again. "'Scuse me. I think that, unless you have any more questions, I'm going to head for bed."

"No, no more questions," Alexis said with a shake of her head. "Thank you so much, Doctor. For everything."

Jennings waved her off. "'Twas nothing. See ya." With that, he turned and headed for the door.

Alexis watched Dr. Jennings leave, and then turned to face Soru. "The doctor says you're doing better, so that you can have some food."

Soru smiled a bit. "Good... Been... A while..." He said. Alexis knew that he had eaten, of course, since he was injured, but it was never a lot. _Part of the reason he's still so bad,_ she thought, _is that he never could eat too much before he passed out. He had lost so much weight before we returned that I wouldn't have recognized him if not for his injuries_. Indeed, Soru had been so gaunt that when the Republic medics had seen him, they had practically raced to help him.

_He hadn't had anything to eat for a week before,_ she remembered Forbasa telling her the night before. _He would've died had we not gotten back so soon. Perhaps it was fortuitous that the Wobbies had attacked Hercor when they did, otherwise..._ She forced the idea from her mind. _He's alive and taken care of now, no need to fret_.

The sound of man banging into a wall and cursing caused Alexis to turn towards the entrance from the room. Standing there was the male orderly from before, and he balanced two steaming trays as he walked towards where Alexis stood next to Soru's bed.

"I'll be right back," she said quietly to Soru and let go of his hand. She then turned to face the orderly and switched to English. "Do you want help with those?"

The man looked up with slightly stricken look in his brown eyes. "Please?"

Alexis grinned and walked over, taking one tray from the man's arms. With a sigh, the orderly quickly took the other, slightly more heavily laden tray in both of his hands. "Thanks, Ms. Hurano."

"Don't mention it." she replied automatically. Then she gestured to Mikula. "Can I wake him?"

"Oh, yes." the man nodded. "Doc Jennings came in an hour before I woke you and checked on him. He's fine, so as soon as he's awake and fed y'all can leave."

"Thank you." Alexis replied with a wide smile. "I'll just place this next to his bed, then, since he wakes up faster if he smells food."

The man laughed heartily. "That sounds like everyone I know. Including myself." he added with a grin as Alexis placed the tray she carried onto the seat of the folding chair she had slept/sat in. The man then walked over to Soru's bedside and hooked a small cart with a foot, dragging it over to the bed so that he could place the tray on it.Alexis soon followed. "That reminds me, though." she said. "What time is it?"

"Oh." the orderly said and then checked his watch. "It's about 545 Lima. They're gonna sound reveille in about fifteen minutes, so don't mind the bugle."

Alexis smiled. "Thanks, and I won't." She waved to Soru then. "I can take care of my friend if you need to do something else."

The orderly smiled. "Thanks. Gotta catch up with one of my coworkers on board the _Fist of Fury._" he said, naming the _Apollo_-class DropShip. Then he looked over the other, curtained-off beds. "The others are still sedated, so they oughta sleep for another few hours. Doctor's orders, so you shouldn't have any problems. But if you do." he turned his head to face Alexis. "call Arianna in the next room. She'll be there until I get back."

"Okay." Alexis replied with a nod. "Thank you again, Mark."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me?" He bowed slightly and turned to leave the room.

Alexis watched him go, a smile on her face. She then turned to go stand by Soru's bed again, though this time she had to share space with the food. "Smells... Good..." Soru said as he heard her walk up. Alexis chuckled. "Well, glad to know your nose is all healed up already," she teased and turned to look over the meal.

The tray was stocked as well as the Republic could make it. Humans called breakfast 'the most important meal of the day,' and Alexis found herself agreeing with the idea more and more. _Especially with all the great food they have for it_. On the tray was a stack of three waffles, each half the size of a human male's hand, five strips of canned bacon, and a pile of something called 'grits.' The latter had a big pat of butter laying on them, since few people could eat regular grits without some sort of flavor enhancement. Of course, there were the standard plastic utensils.

Sitting in the cup holder of the tray was a tall glass of orange juice, and Alexis almost purred in anticipation as she sniffed it. _Yes! Real stuff this time_, she thought happily, having developed a taste for the morning treat. _Hmm, it's full of nutrients though, so I should let Soru have it_. Before she could change her mind, Alexis quickly freed the plastic straw on the tray from its paper coat and put it into the glass. Then she lifted it and held it over by Soru's head. "Here, this is a treat, Soru. But you'll have to pick up your head to drink it."

Soru smirked a bit, and then opened his eyes. "Looks... Strange..." But he tilted his head up a bit, which let Alexis place the straw into his mouth. "Just draw it up like you were taking water from a bowl," she suggested helpfully.

The bed-ridden gatón slurped at the straw for a moment before he got the hang of it. Then he drew some of the orange liquid into his mouth, and then laid his head back and closed his eyes. He didn't swallow for a bit, and Alexis feared a problem. She was about to call to the other orderly when Soru did swallow the drink, and he opened his eyes to look at her with a small grin. "Too good... To just... Swallow... Right away."

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him. "Sure, go and scare me like that." She shook her head in mock reproach, but the smile on her face belied any real anger. "Well, at least you're feeling good enough to jest." She said and put the glass back up to Soru's head, and he lifted himself up to drink some more. This time, he swallowed quickly, though still with a noticeable lag. "Very... Good... What is... It?"

"It's juice from a fruit our friends have," Alexis replied and put the glass back to the tray. "It's full of good things that will help you heal, in addition to tasting good."

Alexis went on talking to Soru, helping him to eat some grits and more orange juice before he finally noted that he was full. Then she went about demolishing the food left over, the night's activities having drained her reserves.

_Well, that, and this food is almost impossible to resist_, she thought as she finished her fourth piece of bacon. She looked over the remaining food - still plentiful even after she was full. _This is nearly three times as much as we gatón normally eat_. She had, of course, already been introduced to human breakfasts before, but it still overwhelmed her when she thought of it. And she couldn't help but think about it as a waffle, half the grits, and a piece of bacon. The orange juice, however, she had gone after as much as she could, and only a small amount sat in the glass.

Alexis turned her head to ask Soru if he wanted any more of the drink, but she saw that he had closed his eyes. "Soru?" She asked softly. The other gatón, however, kept his eyes closed, and Alexis realized that he must have fallen asleep. She slowly stepped back from the bed, quietly pulling the cart with the tray on it away so that she wouldn't trip on it. Then she turned around...

...And almost ran into Mikula, who was standing only a foot behind her and smiling. "Oh!" Alexis let out a small noise of alarm, and then brought her hands up to wrap them around her muzzle to prevent her from making any more noise.

Mikula's smile broadened, and Alexis did her best to glare at him as she lowered her hands. "You little zugert!" She chided him quietly, mindful of the others in the room.

Mikula chuckled. "You should have seen your face," he replied in an equally soft tone.

Alexis tilted her head down and shook it as if in rapprochement, but in reality it was to hide her smile. "Well, at least you've woken up before you wasted the entire day" she said and, giving up on her pretense, looked up ad Mikula with a smile.

Suddenly, the brilliant notes of Reveille started to blare across the encampment, startling both of the natives standing in the Infirmary. The grinned sheepishly to each other as the notes continued, though Alexis spared a glance to make sure that Soru didn't reawaken.

"Wasted the day, huh?" Mikula asked her as she turned back to face him. "I think you'd disagree with someone who managed to eat breakfast before Reveille." He said and indicated his tray. Alexis leaned to her left to look behind Mikula. Sure enough, the tray was nearly empty, with only a handful of grits and half a waffle left.

"Well, then perhaps with such a full belly, you'll be able to help me work with the techs today, hmm?" She asked playfully, leaning on Mikula and wrapping her arms around his middle.

Mikula's smile dimmed a bit at that. "Alexis, don't take this the wrong way, as you know I support you, but... Do you always need to be doing such heavy work?"

Alexis frowned a bit. "No, not really. But it helps me work through my feelings, by being able to just let go and just _do_ things," she said, and then flashed Mikula a grin. "Why? Afraid of having a girlfriend who's stronger than you?"

"Stronger? Why you," he smirked and broke from Alexis' embrace, bending over to grab her around the waist. With a squeal from Alexis, Mikula picked her up and held her above the floor. "You'll wake everyone up," he grunted.

"Then put me down!" She said in a much quieter pitch, though her tone belied her excited state. Mikula readily obliged, glad to relieve himself of her weight. _I may be strong, but she's still heavy_, he told himself to assuage any hurt ego.

"We should go outside," Alexis said after she calmed down a bit"so we won't wake the others."

Mikula nodded his assent, and the two quickly collected the trays and left the building. They then walked in silence towards the mess tent, even as soldiers began to rouse for the new day. They slipped into and out of the mess tent quickly, before the rush hit, and then headed for the tent they shared with their friends.

In the small 'alley' formed by the now-empty tents of the vanquishers, Alexis cleared her throat. "So, Mikula, why don't you want me working with the heavy stuff?" She asked, seemingly lightheartedly, though Mikula knew better.

The lupar sighed before replying. "Alexis, it's not that... I don't..." Mikula shook his head and then started again. "It's just that, when you do that work, you're so tired that you can hardly move at the end of the day." He stopped walking, forcing Alexis to do so as well, and they faced each other. "I know you're strong, and that you can handle it, but it makes me feel guilty... I'm just stronger than you. Don't take that as an insult, or anything, it's just fact that I'm larger." He looked away from Alexis, his face twisted in discomfort of a sort. "I feel guilty because I feel like I should do something to help you. Because I want to keep you from... I mean, that is..." He titled his head down and looked at his feet then, at a loss for words.

Alexis raised a hand and touched the side of his muzzle, bringing Mikula's face up to look into her softly smiling countenance. "I think I get it now. You just want to protect me because you're worried about me wearing myself out?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes, that, and I... I do love you, and I want to make it so that you don't have to do anything so hard or trying." He reached up and took her hand in both of his. "To me, you're like a treasure, something to protect because you're worth more to me than my own life."

Alexis blushed as deeply as she could. "Mikula... I thank you, I really do." She said and took a breath to keep her voice from cracking. "And you should know that I love you as much as you love me.

"But I'm not doing the heavy work for no reason," she continued. "I have a couple, the first being that I am helping our friends, which means they can help us better, which means that our world will be safe that much sooner."

Mikula nodded, releasing her hand as she gently pulled it back. "And the other?" He asked.

"The other reason is that, by doing this heavy, greasy, hot and uncomfortable work, I'm proving to myself that I'm not just my father's daughter, that I'm Alexis Hurano, a person who can make up her own mind and choose to do such work because it _is_ hard." She frowned. "And _not_ because it's what my father or anyone else would have me do."

Mikula smiled a bit, and he nodded. "I understand, Alexis," he said and then sighed. "I just ask that you'll not hurt yourself, okay?"

She smiled. "Don't worry, Mikula. I won't do anything stupid like sitting in a car that's being shot at," she teased and poked him in the belly with a finger claw.

He chuckled. "And I won't stand in front a machine gun then. Deal?"

"Deal," she said and stepped next to him, getting on her tiptoes to kiss him.

In the command shed, Major Kujira looked grimly over the maps in his holotank. He then turned to look at the virtual screen on which Captain Ladavic's face floated. "This has been confirmed?"

Ladavic nodded. "We've been working on fine-tuning the neutrino detector since we managed a stable orbit. We've singled out only man-made sources, per SOP, and the sources in that cluster you're lookin' at are too small, too slow to be a fusion device."

Kujira frowned deeply. "Couldn't it be a reactor, or group of reactors on standby?"

Ladavic shook her head slowly. "Wrong profiles entirely, and again, far too slow a rate of fusion. And before you ask, they're far too much for a natural deposit." She grunted. "Besides, even if they _were_ natural in profile, the geology's all wrong. It's a flood plain formed over a dry seabed, not a covered lava field like where you're sitting. And then we took SAR pictures to see if there were anything metal large enough to produce them." She shook her head again. "I'm afraid that Intel's assessment stands fully supported by the facts."

Kujira suppressed a shudder, partially because of the news, and partially because of what the Intel men might've done to get the information from their captive Wobbie. "How many" He asked in a tone that was barely more than a whisper.

"Just over two dozen. Can't get more accurate than that 'cuz some're pretty small. But..." Her voice trailed off, and they both looked at the map that they shared via the Republic battlenet.

Kujira finally broke the silence. "Captain, I think that I may need your services in respect to this situation."

Ladavic spared a small grin. "Do tell?"


	27. Chapter 27

The gathering was ominous, or so it seemed to Alexis. _Maybe that's because the last time I and Mikula and Pavlo were invited into such a meeting, it was because Hercor was about to be ravaged_. She tried to pass it off as simply a residue of that last conference, _but my fur wants to stand on end_.

She decided that it had to be the looks of the various officers, half of whom she hadn't really met before. _They look so dour... And all of this so soon after that attempted Wobbie attack. Could they be related?_

Then Major Kujira walked into the shed, towing behind him a tall black man in a dark blue navy uniform that lacked insignia. They walked over to the campaign table where the various unit commanders of Operation Last Call stood. Behind them stood the three native interpreters and van Horn, doing as much as possible to see what was happening without making themselves conspicuous.

Kujira and the black man strode to the head of the table, and the major began without preamble. "Officers, we have a situation.

"As you all have heard by now, the Blakests tried to hit us with an atomic warhead the night before last," he paused for the men and women gathered to nod their heads. "This is an obvious escalation of the conflict here on Bowman's Planet, one that cannot be ignored." He pressed a few buttons on the simple holoprojector on the table. Although it might've been simpler for everyone to crowd around the holotank, the campaign table was larger in perimeter, so more people could fit around without jostling one another.

A map of the continent that they were on flared to photonic life as Kujira spoke. "As soon as we confirmed the presence of the atomic, Captain Ladavic and her crew began a systematic neutrino scan of the planet, singling out artificial sources of the subatomic particle.

"We have found a cluster of such signatures located in a lupar city to the east of here," Kujira paused and leaned over the end of the table he was at. "They are artificial sources, _not_ of fusion origin."

A quiet murmur came from the assembled officers, distracting Alexis a bit. _I don't know half of what he's talking about! Why are we here?_ Then Kujira answered her unspoken question with this statement: "The signatures are confirmed to be the result of the natural decay of Plutonium-244; the prime component of fission atomic weaponry."

A chill went down Alexis' spine at the thought, and she listened in as Kujira went on. "We believe that the Blakests have chosen this native city, which they've not had too major a presence in since our arrival, to hide their cache of weapons of mass destruction." He nodded towards the tall black man behind him. "Mr. Black here has confirmed, through 'interrogation' of the captured ROM operative, that the Blakests do indeed have at least thirteen more atomic weapons, varying in yield from twenty kilotons to as much as fifty megatons." He paused to let that sink in. "I don't need to remind you that even a small one like the one that was captured by our forces could have destroyed almost our entire beachhead and killed a number of innocents."Therefore, Captain Ladavic, Mr. Black, and myself have formulated a plan to eliminate this threat. A raid shall be launched as soon as possible, the preparations for which will begin as soon as this meeting is over." Kujira pressed another button on the projector, and the map zoomed in to show the city and the area around it in more detail. Alexis felt a sense of deja vü, but she chalked it up to the similarities to the map of the area around Hercor; both had a pattern of farms centered around an urban center that lay next to a river As she watched, red icons popped onto the screen over and around the city.

"The _Rodger Young_ also conducted a synthetic aperture radar imaging of the city to locate any masses of metal that could present a neutrino profile, such as an unknown fusion-based system. The icons you see are cleverly hidden tanks and APCs that the Wobbies managed to sneak into position during gaps in our orbital coverage. All of them are powered by internal combustion engines, so they didn't show up on the neutrino scan."

"Someone went to some trouble to hide and protect this area, then," observed one of the officers Alexis didn't recognize, though she could tell from the insignia on his shoulder that he was a MechWarrior.

Kujira, despite his usual sternness, simply nodded his head at the interruption. "Indeed," he said and pressed a few controls on the projector, and a new, yellow and black icon appeared. Alexis easily recognized it as the same symbol that was on the captured nuclear device.

"We've tracked the cache to what appears to be a large, castle-like structure in the middle of the city. From what the ROMmy told our friends in Intel, it's their center of power for the entire city, and so it's been completely taken over by the Blakests."

A Lieutenant from the Grenadiers' armored contingent raised his hand to ask permission for a question. He then took a breath as Kujira nodded. "Sir, if the structure is clear of civilians, then why can't we simply have the aerojocks smash it from the air?"

The black man put a hand on Kujira's shoulder. "If I may explain, major?" He said. Kujira stood erect and nodded to the man, taking a step back as he did so, and Mr. Black stepped forward. "The captured operative did say that the Blakests have taken over the structure, but he also revealed that the occupying forces have taken several hostages to ensure the good behavior of the city-folk."

That comment brought a low chorus of half-whispered curse words from the officers, and Alexis even heard van Horn utter an additional "cocksuckers" to the mix. Mr. Black just nodded. "I share your sentiments. The fact is that too many innocents would die if we blasted it from the air. Besides, even a pinpoint bombing could have excessive amounts of collateral damage." He paused for a moment. "Obviously, we cannot allow that to happen."

"Won't we have collateral damage if we go in on a raid, anyway?" The unknown MechWarrior added in. "'Mechs and even battle armor are not known for having a minimal impact on a combat zone."

"That's where the first, preliminary phase of this operation comes in," Kujira said, taking over the briefing again. He then looked past his officers to where the interpreters stood. "Van Horn, have you asked your friends about volunteering?"

Alexis blinked and looked to van Horn. _He didn't say anything!_ She thought, but then she noticed the looks on Mikula and Pavlo's faces. _Maybe he did... Just not to me._ Then van Horn spoke, and all the room's attention was on him. "Yes sir, Major. Specialist Farkas," he nodded his head to Mikula to differentiate between the two brothers, "has agreed to the first phase, and he has even recruited the help of his brother who has been in the city far more recently."

Alexis then realized why the city map looked so familiar. _I just never saw it with the city centered before, but it was on the Shaman's old maps... Tanzano..._ Although Alexis felt her emotions roil, but she controlled them with a discipline that she had cultivated through her recent martial training.

Kujira nodded. "Excellent," he said, bringing all eyes back to him. He pointed to the map, pressing another button as he did so. The zoom on the map shrunk a bit, and it widened enough so that Alexis could see where Kuamket had once stood. She again had to hold her emotions in check. _Now is not the time,_ she chided herself as Kujira began again.

"Insertion of our Intel operatives will be here," as he spoke, a small gray triangle appeared in the forested mountains northwest of Tanzano, next to an obviously well-used road. "They will use this trade road to approach and enter the city. Their mission is twofold: First, to verify that the ordinance hasn't been moved. Second, they will attempt to warn the locals around the objective just prior to our raid, and so hopefully lessen any collateral damage."

Kujira pressed another button, and a blue box appeared next to Kuamket's ruins. "We will also insert 'mech forces here via dropship. They will then move north through this forest and await H-hour. Their mission is to provide support for the main raid force should they meet any unexpected resistance.

"The main raiding force of battle armor shall drop on top of the objective via gunship insertion. This will facilitate the necessary speed and focus of force that we will need to limit collateral damage as well as friendly casualties." An arrow lanced in as Kujira spoke, coming in from the east to spear the radioactivity icon with its tip. "Finally, all forces will rendezvous inside the forest to the south. Hopefully, this will be under the defensive stances of friendly 'mechs, so whichever battle armor force goes in needs to be on the ball so that they won't shoot their own."

"You mean on the bounce, sir," Vickers said and puffed his chest out a bit. "The Vanquishers can handle this, sir. Besides, the 5th's infantry and the Grenadiers are better at garrison duty anyway." He added in a grin at that prompted his opposites in those other infantry formations to either razz him or give him the bird.

Kujira politely ignored the banter and the gestures, but he did smile a bit. "Very well. The objective will be yours." He looked over to where his 'mech officers were. "Any 'mech lance want to volunteer?"

"I will, sir." Captain Tanaka raised a hand as she spoke, since her frame was slightly diminutive when compared to other humans.'

Kujira's smile faded. "I'm not so sure, Captain. Your 'mech lance isn't too fast, so you'd be at a disadvantage. Besides, you also have the company to look over."

Tanaka lowered her hand and shook her head. "I appreciate your caution, major, but I respectfully disagree. My lance is equipped with jump jets, which adds speed over rough terrain." She then pointed to the forest. "And that kind of mobility will be needed to use the forest for cover if the shit hits the fan.

"Also, sir, you are no slouch yourself when it comes to commanding a 'mech company," she said with a glint in her eye. "I do not believe that any unfortunate event shall destroy the unit as a whole, and if the fan is indeed hit, you'll want the heavier power available on my 'mechs."

Kujira stood silently for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well, captain. Lieutenant, Doctor," he said and looked at Vickers and van Horn respectively. "Get things moving. The sooner we're rid of Damocles' Sword, the better."

* * *

Alexis walked out of the meeting along with Pavlo and most of the other officers, though the humans went along on their way once outside of the command building. The people involved with the plan had stayed inside, though, to plan a bit more.

Alexis paused by the door, and indicated to Pavlo to do the same. After the crowd had left, Alexis turned to Pavlo. "So, when was I going to hear about this?"

Pavlo looked stricken. "Alexis, don't be angry at Mikula. He kept silent because he didn't even know if he _was_ going to go until just now," he said, holding his hands up. "He didn't want you worrying if nothing came of it."

Alexis looked crossly at Pavlo, then shook her head with a huff and walked off. The latter waited until she had disappeared from sight before he let out a sigh of relief. "Mikula, you better know what you're getting into," he muttered and turned to walk in the other direction, deciding to give Alexis some time to cool off.

He smirked a bit at the thought. _I must be getting affected by being around these people. There was a time where I would've thought that Alexis should just shut up and forget about it_. He sighed. _No going back, though. I am no barbarian!_

Pavlo's thought then soon turned to that of his little brother. _Senmar, what's gotten into your little head? Or, for that matter, what's gotten into Mikula's head to even _ask_ you for your help?_

He sighed as he approached a gate set into the side of the fence surrounding Firebase Hotel. On a lark, he decided to go and talk to Senmar himself. _Might as well use my advantage while I've got it,_ he thought, remembering his pass that, as an interpreter, allowed him to leave the base and go see people in town, just so long as he signed out at the gate.

But, as always, a guard was waiting there. He challenged Pavlo, and the lupar responded easily. "So George, how is it tonight?" He asked politely.

The guard from the Grenadiers shrugged. "Double S double D, man. You goin' out tonight?" Pavlo nodded and the guard grunted. "Well, good thing that the Major added some armored sentries back in the plains, otherwise you'd need to have a friend."

Pavlo grinned. "Good. I don't feel like getting another to come with me... Not now, anyway."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, it's not my business. Just sign in on the 'puter and I'll let ya go."

Pavlo did as indicated, signing his name - _something I didn't even know how to do a couple of months ago_ - with an electronic stylus onto the pad of the noteputer that the guard held up from his belt. A few minutes later, he was walking along a now-worn path towards the lower courtyard of Hercor.

_Well, to the hole in the wall, anyway_, he mused. The Maegister hadn't thought it a priority, not when the town was still recovering from so many attacks in recent months, the absorption of refugees, and most especially because there was a contingent of 31st Century soldiers nearby to protect the denizens of the town. And so a small path had been worn, not only by sentries and the interpreters moving back and forth, but also from the curious natives, who still kept coming out in smaller groups every now and again to peer in on the happenings of the humans.

Pavlo sniffed the air, searching for any familiar scents, but he found nothing specific amidst the overall blend of smells. He shrugged and continued his trip, soon reaching the area where the Blakest _Centurion_ had been blasted. Here the path went around the blast area, which was still covered in the glass-like material that the soil had formed when briefly exposed to plasma temperatures.

"Halt! Who goes there?" This guard called in Lupari, and Pavlo slowed a bit, pulling his uniform jacket a bit tighter against himself. "Pavlo Farkas, passing through to get to Shulana."

A guard armored in the uniform of Hercor stepped out from behind a chunk of rubble from the wall. "Come forward, slowly," he said, sword pulled out and ready.

Pavlo almost wanted to laugh, as he let a hand touch his holstered pistol; an M3000, like van Horn's. _Funny, I could kill him from here and he holds that sword like it's real protection_. Then a thought hit him, and his arrogance died. _Don't get like that, Pavlo. You were all cocky too until Kuamket was flattened._

The guard came up, and he looked over Pavlo for a moment from about a meter away, sniffing as well. "Well, you smell like one of them," he said, though Pavlo was confused whether he meant the humans or someone from Shulana. "Go on ahead," he said.

Pavlo nodded and walked past the guard and his position, noting another two more behind other chunks of stone. _Cautious, at least_, he mentally appraised them as he passed through the courtyard. He looked over the buildings of the yard, amazed at the changes over the days since his, Mikula and Alexis' return. _They've cleaned up the bloodstains a bit, and most of the dirt that was tracked in. Also cleaned up the barracks and storehouses._

He walked through the area quick enough, meeting less resistance at the main gate. Soon, he was walking along the paths outside of the gates, heading for the wooden bridge that had been built by the natives to provide access across the river.

Pavlo's ears twitched at the sound of running water, as it still made him nervous to be near rivers. _Silly fear, anyway_, he thought. _I can take showers easily enough_. Still, he felt a bit nervous on crossing the rail-less bridge, and was glad when he was off of it. Soon, he was on the path to the town, and he approached it from the south.

"Who goes there!" Another guard called out, though this one had a different accent in his Lupari. Pavlo had had enough by then. "I'm the big bad Krashnor and I'm gonna come eat your children!" He snapped out, referring to the Lupar bogeyman. "Just come over here and take a goddamned whiff!" He called to the small stand of grass that the voice had come from.

A rustling accompanied the guard moving out. "Pavlo, is that you?" A familiar voice asked. Pavlo smiled a bit and nodded, though he didn't know if the other could see that. "It's me, Linaka," he said, calling to the female lupar.

Linaka walked over towards him, though he knew from the noises ahead that another person stood guard as well. "It is you, Pavlo," she said, her voice more friendly now. "Although I've never heard you sound so angry before."

Pavlo sighed and shook his head a bit. "I'm sorry, Linaka. I've just had to go through three checkpoints just to come and talk to my brother, and it's annoying me. But it's not your fault, so I'm sorry."

Linaka walked to within a comfortable conversation range. "That's all right, Pavlo. I know our friends in Hercor are being a bit paranoid," she said with a sigh. "I suppose you can't really blame them. I mean, things didn't start happening for them until we showed up, after all."

Pavlo felt a twinge of pain. _It's gotten worse, and you don't even know it_, he thought, remembering the briefing he had just left. Linaka saw his face change, and she frowned. "What is it?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Pavlo said and shook his head again slightly, clearing it of images of mushroom clouds. "Just thinking."

Linaka chuckled. "What is it with your family lately? All the time, you all seem to be drifting off in thought instead of paying attention to what's in front of you."

Pavlo cracked a grin. "If you only knew, Linaka," _then guarding a path would be the least of your worries_, he completed the sentence mentally.

Linaka shrugged. "Anyway, you can go on ahead, then."

Pavlo nodded to her. "Thank you, Linaka. I will probably be seeing you again soon, since I have to head back later."

She smiled a bit. "Well, I'd like that then," she said and bowed slightly. Pavlo smiled a bit at her and then continued on past the checkpoint, never having seen - though he heard well enough - the second guard. He then passed quickly into the small town, and he sought out his mother's new house.

_Strange, I can't seem to think of this as my house_, he thought as he approached the humble abode. He paused outside to consider just what he was going to say. _How does one say, 'you are a moron' politely?_ He mused with a smirk on his face. Then he shrugged and walked to the door and knocked on it.

It opened only a few moments later to reveal Tiana Farkas. "Pavlo! What a nice surprise," she said and smiled. "Are Mikula and Alexis along with you?"

Pavlo shook his head a bit. "No, I'm afraid it's only me tonight, mother. I hope you shan't be disappointed?" He asked with a slight grin.

"No, I shan't," she replied, still smiling, and stepped back to let in her son. "Come on in, then."

"Thank you," Pavlo said and followed Tiana in, squeezing to one side so that she could close the door behind him. Tiana then turned and led Pavlo into the next room where the dinner table sat. Unsurprisingly, Kanu and Senmar were both there, playing a game of dice. _Though I have no idea what they're playing for_, he mused.

They looked up as Tiana and Pavlo entered the room, small smiles of genuine greeting on their muzzles. "Pavlo!" Kanu spoke first. "What's wrong now? A plague of zugerts eating the crops, mayhap?" He asked with a smirk, though in a jovial tone.

Pavlo tried to look innocent. "What? Just because I left a trail of crumbs here from twenty zugert lairs doesn't mean it's _my_ fault!" He exclaimed, his face a picture of mock indignation. Then he couldn't hold it and a smile took over his features.

Everyone chuckled, save Tiana, who just rolled her eyes and went out back. "I need to check on the pongos. You three try to keep from burning the town down." She said as she left.

"Yes mother," all three brothers said innocently in unison, and then they laughed hard. "Just like old times," Senmar said after they had calmed down.

"Speaking of which," Kanu said and looked over Pavlo. "Why are you still standing? Waiting for an invitation?"

Pavlo grinned a bit sheepishly and pulled a seat out, plopping himself down in it. "Well, with you sitting here, I have to worry about what little tricks you might be planning."

Kanu smirked a bit. "Funny," he said and took a drink from the cup he had next to him on the table. "Want any?" He asked and held the cup towards his brother.

Pavlo leaned over and sniffed a bit. Then he scrunched up the skin on the top of his muzzle a bit. "What is it?"

Kanu gave a quizzical look at Pavlo. "It's water, from the river. Can't you smell it?"

"Oh," Pavlo said and leaned back in his seat. _No wonder it smells familiar_. "No, thank you anyway."

Kanu gave Pavlo a look, but then he wiped it from his face and shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said and took another drink.

Pavlo felt his belly churn a bit. _By the Gods, did I really drink that before?_ He wondered, but then shook his head a bit. "Well, I suppose I should get to the reason for my visit."

Senmar and Kanu looked mildly surprised. "Really? Don't you want to wait 'til mom comes back?" The latter asked.

"No, not really. I think that for now, it might be better if all of us discuss this in private," he replied and then turned his head to look at Senmar, whose ears folded back in embarrassment.

Kanu turned his head and looked at Senmar as well, his countenance taking on the look of one who's caught someone in the act. "Senmar, what did you do now?" He asked in a 'big-brother-is-disappointed' voice.

Senmar looked stricken. "I, uh..." He closed his mouth and fell silent, apparently at a loss for words.

Pavlo, though, took up the slack. "He volunteered to go with Mikula on a rather dangerous mission for our friends."

Senmar looked at his just-elder brother. "Not that dangerous. Mikula explained it to me; we'll be safe."

"What mission is this?" Kanu asked, no longer disapproving, but merely suspicious. Pavlo then took a moment to explain the plan, including the reason for it. By the end, Kanu was shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't understand... How can any weapon be so powerful as you say?"

Pavlo licked his lips nervously. "I don't know, really," he said. Then he sighed before continuing. "But I've seen recordings of such weapons in use before. We cannot let them be used here."

He then turned to look at Senmar. "But at the same time, I don't like the idea of you going out and risking your neck on this mission."

Senmar's ears again went back in embarrassment. "And why not? You and Mikula certainly took on a dangerous mission when you stole those danier," he replied angrily. "And in case you haven't noticed, I am only a bit younger than you." He sat back with a huff. "I can handle this."

Pavlo harrumphed. "Can you, Senmar? Have you faced Wobbie weaponry? Have you used the same weaponry and trained with it?" He lowered his voice to a near-whisper. "Have you seen people, even loved ones, torn apart by those same weapons?"

The dark tone and content of Pavlo's words seemed to stun Senmar. Then he frowned, his facial expression slipping as far into a lupar blush as possible. "I've faced such weapons. Perhaps not as much as you or Mikula, but I've felt the heat of their fire-breathers. I've seen friends torn asunder. And I can learn as well as you can." He replied slowly, enunciating clearly.

The two youngest Farkas brothers stared at each other for a minute, before Kanu grumped. "Frankly, I think you both are too damn young to do something as harebrained as this," he said, bringing both of the others' attention to him. "Why didn't Mikula ask me, or even you?"

Pavlo pitched his head down and shook it. "Because we haven't been there in months, and Senmar only left a relatively short while ago."

Kanu looked towards his youngest brother. "I think I see... But I still don't like it."

Senmar looked about to say something before Pavlo tilted his head back up and waved a hand to cut his brother off. "I don't like it either, Kanu. But we don't have to like it for it to happen."

"What do you mean?" Kanu asked, a bit confused.

Pavlo turned to his younger brother. "Despite what you might think, I didn't come here to talk you out of this," he said, surprising both of his brothers, he could see. "I came to make sure that you know what you are getting into. Do you think that you can handle the kinds of things you may very well see?" He tilted his head down a centimeter. "Do you _know_ that you can do what must be done?"

The room fell silent for a few moments. Then Senmar gulped and nodded. "I know what you ask. You ask if I can not only handle the simple aspects of hiding and sneaking about, but the tough aspects of seeing people die and even taking life myself." He waited for Pavlo to nod before going on. "As I've said, I've seen such things before. And I wouldn't have become a soldier if the idea of killing was incomprehensible for me."

"You don't really know until you _do_ kill someone," Pavlo responded. "But I see your point." He sighed then, moving his head back to a more neutral position. "Alright, then. I just wanted to know that you had no illusions about this mission."

Senmar tilted his head back a bit in slight indignation. "I know. Mikula explained and asked the same things as you when he came to me yesterday." He then sighed and relaxed his posture a bit. "I rather don't like having to go through the same things with you."

Pavlo grunted appreciatively. "I know, Senmar. And believe it or not, I am sorry," he said and then shook his head. "I've had to go through some of the same repetition in the past few months, as well."

They fell silent again. Kanu decided to re-enter the conversation then. "Pavlo, what the Hell happened out there to make you like this?"

Pavlo blinked in surprise as he turned to his older brother. "What do you mean?"

Kanu gave him a look. "What I mean, is that you used to be nearly as reckless as Senmar, and you goofed off a lot more as well," he added the last bit with a sly grin, prompting similar ones from the other two. "But now, you're all business, serious, and even learned. It's like you've aged ten years while you were gone."

Pavlo sighed and closed his eyes as he brought up his arms to the table, so that he could rest his head in them. "It was a couple things.

"Some of it is traveling farther than any one of our people have done before," he said quietly, and then raised his head and opened his eyes. "You had to have been there... No words can suffice, and even pictures pale in comparison." Pavlo closed his eyes again, bringing back the image of the Neo Tokyo skyline. "I saw a great city. A city so large that it could have housed our entire people, our whole civilization, and still had room for hundreds of thousands more."

Pavlo shook his head. "Then I went into the city, saw the wondrous and fearful things that lay within. I saw the power of our new friends, and I was humbled." He opened his eyes and saw that his brothers had begun to see what he had meant. Then he sighed. "But that wasn't the only reason." He took a moment to gather his words, and then relayed the story of the fight at the Kurrnaki village.

His emotions ran high as he got to the part where Alexis was hurt. "I saw her collapse in a heap. You should have heard Mikula's voice, the sheer pain in it that made even mine seem distant in comparison." He shuddered. "Even as he ran out to get her, I could only think that she had died to save my life."

Pavlo paused in his retelling to breath deep, his brothers looking on in intense interest. "That is the other reason that I'm different now, I guess," he said, sighing. "I couldn't understand it at first, how someone like Alexis, a civilian, a female, a gatón, could dare so much, and then lose it all." He breathed deep again. "But on the way to the human world, I had time to think. And what I realized is that the way I had thought was wrong." He smirked then, though he looked at no one in particular. "And then I was humbled, as I told you.

"And then we took it upon ourselves to learn how to help our friends as they prepared to come and help our world, and I learned all sorts of things besides." Pavlo looked from one brother to another. "What I learned has helped me to understand things that normally would take those ten years you spoke of, Kanu, to learn." With that, he sat back in his chair.

Again, silence reigned for several minutes, until Kanu broke the spell that had fallen upon them all. "I had no idea... No wonder you've changed." He shook his head. "No wonder you've all changed."

Pavlo nodded. "Yes. Though, I can think of one good thing coming of the whole affair."

Kanu's ears perked up. "Oh? What?"

Pavlo grinned as he replied; "Mikula finally realized how much he cares for Alexis, so now they've been all kissy-faced ever since."

Both of the older brothers shared a laugh at that, though Senmar frowned. "Wait a minute, you're saying that Mikula cares about her... Like that?" He sounded almost stricken.

"What, you didn't notice it two nights ago?" Pavlo asked with a small grin. "Mikula practically couldn't keep further than a dragna away from her."

"I _thought_ something was unusual in the way he sat," Kanu said with a wide smile. "Probably had to keep adjusting his pants." Both Pavlo and Kanu laughed again at that; the kind of raucous laughter one hears in starport taverns.

"What's the matter, Senmar?" Pavlo asked, noticing that his brother wasn't laughing.

"Well..." Senmar let a frown cross his confused features. "It's just... She's a _gatón_." He said, as if that explained everything.

Pavlo frowned. "So?"

"'So?'" Senmar repeated. "'So,' it doesn't seem right." He said, as if pronouncing a judgment. Then his brothers stared at him for a couple of minutes, and he wriggled under their gazes. "What?" He finally asked.

"Senmar, Senmar, Senmar..." Kanu said with a shake of his head. "Don't tell me you let your unit's penchant for anti-Gatón beliefs affect you that much?"

Senmar frowned, and he blushed. "I just... I didn't..." He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat as he realized how foolish they sounded. "I have just never heard of the Gatón being trustworthy."

"How can you say that," Pavlo asked with an incredulous voice. "How can you even think that when I've just told you how one helped to save my life?"

"Or when I and mother have told you how they helped save Mikula's life," Kanu added with a growl. "Or even how they helped us, worked with us, built a town with us?" He paused for a heartbeat. "Do they teach you to ignore honor in soldier's training now?"

Senmar looked tremendously unhappy. "I... Well..." He stuttered, and Pavlo could hear his voice crack a bit. "My Gods," Pavlo said, "what the Hell did they tell you in the Garganors?" He asked, naming the near-infamous unit that Senmar had been assigned to.

Senmar turned and looked away. "Nothing... I mean, I guess nothing that was true," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Kanu, Pavlo... I guess I didn't think."

"No, you didn't," Kanu added harshly. But then he softened his voice. "But you're thinking now. So just keep your mind open and your mouth shut, and maybe you'll see that the Gatón are just as good as any Lupar."

* * *

Alexis had been lying facedown on her cot for the past hour and a half, holding the large (for her) pillow between her arms and her head. She had not cried, nor had she felt like it. Instead, she had wrestled with conflicting emotions about the night, and her own recent experiences.

Then she heard the tent flap being unzipped, and the sound of someone entering the tent. Alexis didn't bother to look around, as the sound of the person's footsteps and his scent revealed his identity to her. "Hello Mikula," she said quietly.

"Hello Alexis," he said and walked up to the side of her cot. "Do you mind my being here?"

She just remained silent, and so Mikula just slowly sat on the edge of the cot, careful to not tip it over. Then he laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're angry with me."

"I'm not angry, Mikula," Alexis responded finally. "I'm just upset... Upset that you didn't tell me, upset that you decided to go off on a dangerous mission without even talking to me about it..." Her voice trailed off, seeming to fill with emotion at the last.

Mikula rubbed his hand along her back. "Alexis, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

"That's not it at all," she said and then turned around on the cot. Mikula withdrew his hand and shuffled towards the foot of the cot as Alexis moved herself up to a cross-legged sitting position. "I'm upset because I feel like you don't trust me. Like I'm some 'weak little girl who can't handle the men's' stuff.'" She said, and then sniffed a bit. "I honestly expected more from you, Mikula."

That stung him, and Mikula's ears went down in total embarrassment, his face falling at the same time. "Alexis... I Didn't... I don't think that of you, honestly." He stood up to stand in front of her. "I only wish to protect you, like any good mate would."

"That's just it, Mikula," she said, some tears welling up now. "You went and made a decision that affects the both of us without even talking to me about it. You _ignored_ me."

"Alexis!" Mikula nearly yelled, and they both fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for raising my voice, but your words wound me," he said and kneeled down in front of her. "I didn't make this decision lightly, nor would I have kept it secret from you." He reached out and put his hands on hers. "But just as you have found out how wonderful it is to take your life into your hands, I too must make the same kind of decisions for myself."

Alexis sniffed again, and Mikula continued before she could speak. "When Earl came to me and explained this mission, I knew that it was something that I could do to help." He shook his head a bit, facing down. "We've all been helpful so far, I know, but we've only done so much." He looked up at her then. "And I've done less than you so far, Alexis. While I've been simply walking back and forth, talking to people, you've been doing heavy work, learning how to repair these machines our friends use."

He paused, and Alexis finally spoke up. "What are you saying, Mikula?"

"You told me, just the other day, on how much it helps you to do that heavy work, so that you can feel free," He said, and then paused for her to nod. "I feel the same way, but I couldn't think of a way for me to do anything like that, not without looking like I was trying to follow you around and keep an eye on you like I was suspicious.

"Then Earl spoke to me of this mission, and I knew, Alexis, I _knew_, that this was something that I could do. Not for glory, praise, or wealth." He squeezed her hands again. "But to do it because this is a way that I can help out. Only I and Pavlo have any experience with human technology _and_ are able to blend into the native folk of Tanzano."

"Then why not let Pavlo do it?" Alexis asked. Then she saw Mikula's pained face, and she knew the answer almost as soon as he spoke it. "I can't, Alexis. I can't for the very same reason that we all raced out to find and capture that Wobbie two nights ago." He paused to take in a breath. "We want to protect those we care about. Then it was all three of us working to protect the town.

"But now, Alexis, you're the one staying behind." He raised a hand to stroke the wetted cheek. "I know you can protect yourself, but not everyone can be strong in all things. You can't do this mission, but I can. And if I shirked my responsibility off to my younger brother, then what kind of man would I be?"

They sat there for a few moments, Mikula lightly stroking the side of Alexis' face. Then she spoke. "Mikula... You're right." She sniffed again. "It's just that... I guess it's that, for the first time since we've met, you'll be going away without me. And I'm worried that I won't see you again."

Mikula withdrew his hand and stood up so that he could sit next to Alexis on her cot. "I'll be all right, Alexis."

She shook her head. "But what if you aren't, Mikula?" She asked with pain in her voice. "Ever since we've met, our lives have had nothing but violence and death in them. We've been attacked a half-dozen times, and we've both been injured." She turned her head then to face Mikula. "And now, you want to go away, on a mission so dangerous that you can't even think of telling me about it until you're about ready to go lest I worry myself sick over it. A mission into the very heart of enemy territory, where you'll be without help if things go wrong." She lowered her head, trying to control her emotions. "I've seen you hurt before, Mikula. Once before that if my people hadn't helped you, you'd have died." She then looked up at Mikula, tears in her eyes and down her cheeks. "But who will help you, Mikula, if you get hurt again?" She shook her head and then added in a tiny voice. "I don't know what I would ever do if you didn't come back."

A moment of silence, and then Mikula reached over to hug Alexis. She didn't resist, but instead leaned into him so that he could wrap his arms around her comfortably. "Alexis," he said quietly. "I won't lie to you, because you're far too smart to even ignore the truth if you wanted to. There is a chance that I may not come back, and I'll admit, that scares me too." He then squeezed her a bit. "But the thought that scares me more, a lot more, is the thought that if this mission fails, then the Wobbies will try again to attack us with their bombs, and next time, we might not be so lucky.

"What scares me most of all, Alexis, is the thought of you dying." Alexis heard the pain in his voice, even felt a tear fall from his face to land on her hair. "I _won't_ let that happen. That's why I'm going, because with me and Senmar helping, we're almost guaranteed a success, and that means that I won't have to worry about you and our families disappearing in a flash of light. If that means I may have to loose my life, Alexis, then I will die happy knowing that you're safe."

"But I wouldn't be happy," Alexis sniffed quietly.

"I know," Mikula said. "But I promise you, I'll do anything and _everything_ to come back to you, alive and well." She sat up at that and Mikula smiled a bit. "After all, you're not getting rid of me that easily." With that, they bent towards each other and kissed.

* * *

Two days later, Mikula sat strapped into the back of a _Ferret _Scout VTOL that the Seabees had converted for cargo carrying. Next to him, equally secured, was Senmar, whose face showed a near-constant mask of fear.

_Not that I blame him,_ Mikula thought as the _Ferret_ bounced up and then down over a small rise as the pilot worked to keep it in the ground returns of any aerial sensor. The plan called for a covert insertion, and the best way to do that was to hug the land's contours as much as possible so that the rotary craft's signal would be lost in the constant stream of false echoes that any active sensor received when its radiation hit the ground. It was an old trick, older than interstellar flight, but as of yet, no one could find a foolproof way of defeating it.

Just in case, though, the _Ferret_'s pilot was determined to fly no higher than a danier's head, or so it seemed to Mikula. _I swear that we hit one when we flew over a heard of them ten minutes ago!_ Although he had flown before, Mikula still found the experience a harrowing one, especially as it occurred in the early morning hours, when a defender's attention and reaction ability were at their lowest ebbs.

Suddenly, the VTOL pitched back and the pilot applied the thrust of his blades in the direction of the craft's forward momentum. Within the space of ten meters, the craft heaved to a ragged stop, and then it dropped the fifteen meters to the ground.

"That's it! Go!" The copilot/loadmaster called to Mikula over the headset intercom as he swiveled in his seat. Even as Mikula slapped Senmar to let him know that it was time to go, the man had already unbuckled himself. When the two lupar were moving towards the door, he yanked it back along its rails just in time for Mikula to hop through, followed quickly by his brother.

The man on the VTOL heaved a pair of bundles out of the VTOL and then gave a casual salute to Mikula, who returned it. Then the man slammed the door shut and the _Ferret_ heaved off of the ground almost instantly, turning as it gained altitude to head back the way it came.

Mikula and Senmar quickly went to work, grabbing their bundles and then rushing off into the trees at the edge of the clearing that the _Ferret_ had grounded in. They then spent the next twenty minutes moving quickly but quietly through the forest, until Mikula decided that they had put enough distance between themselves and the clearing, and he called for them to stop and rest.

As he sat on a log of a storm-felled tree, Mikula strained to listen carefully even as he caught his breath. He couldn't help but hear the thin wails of Republic aerospace fighters screeching in the distance as they engaged in an active sweep that would both harry the Wobbies and distract them from any anomalous ground returns.

Senmar, meanwhile, just looked around nervously in the dark. "Something wrong?" Mikula asked when he couldn't stand watching his brother peer around again.

Senmar looked at his brother for a moment, and then shook his head. "No... Nothing, I guess. I'm just nervous... Especially from that form of travel."

Mikula grinned a bit. "Rather interesting way to do so, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Senmar replied, and he looked around from where he sat. "So, what now?"

"Now, we look at the map," Mikula said as he stood, turning to rummage through his pack. He quickly brought out the hardcopy print of an orbital survey map of the area and a flashlight. Laying out the former on the damp ground would have caused him worry, but the map had been laminated, and so Mikula just simply made sure that the flashlight was properly shielded. With that, he turned on the low-light beam and played it across the map, looking for the clearing they had landed in. Soon he found it and he quickly made a mental calculation for the distance they had traveled. "Okay, we're about here," he said and tapped the map between the clearing and their first objective.

"And we're supposed to head for the road..." Senmar added in meditatively. "How long a walk do you think we have?"

Mikula looked over the map carefully before replying. "To the road? About another hour or so. After that, though, it's almost half a day to Tanzano." He turned off the flashlight and closed his eyes then, to recover his night vision. "If we keep going now, we'll get there about dinner time."

"Sounds good," Senmar added. "It's been too long since I've eaten at the Laughing Daukner. I wonder if Pelana is still tending tables there?" Mikula opened his eyes to see Senmar's take on a far-off look.

At that, Mikula lightly tapped his brother's arm, bringing the younger lupar's attention back to him. "Stay focused, Senmar," Mikula said, slightly frowning. "In fact, I don't think that it would be good to go to any of our old haunts. Someone may recognize us."

Senmar tilted his head and looked petulant. "I don't see how that matters, Mikula. I mean, it's not like the Wobbies will be in those places."

"No, but someone who works for them might," Mikula replied testily as he worked to fold up the map. "You know very well that spies are always a possibility."

Senmar frowned. "Even so, who cares if two brothers come to a tavern? Not like the Wobbies know who we are."

Mikula sighed as he placed the map and flashlight back into his pack and refastened the zipper. "But other people know us. Hell, they thought me dead, and you? You went out with a force that got destroyed by our friends." Mikula stood up and shouldered his pack, prompting Senmar to do likewise. "If someone recognizes you, a person from the soldiers who accompanied the Wobbies' attack force, then they might wonder how you got home so fast when no one else has. And the Wobbie will wonder, too."

Senmar frowned, but he nodded his head. "Alright, I give. We'll avoid the tavern and all the good spots," he said as they began to walk through the underbrush, guided by a compass that Mikula held. Then Senmar sighed. "But I'll miss not being able to see Pelana..."

* * *

Meanwhile, another, similar scene had played out to the south and east. The USS _Silver Pagoda_ burned hard to brake at the last minute, having come down towards the landing zone hard and fast to minimize their exposure to Blakest sensors. To facilitate their cover, the _Rodger Young_ and both of the Republic's _Diomedes_-class assault DropShips were providing heavy jamming, and the two aerodynamically shaped assault craft had entered atmosphere to make runs that would appear to be deployments for jump troopers or battle armor. The two ships were even dropping various radar reflectors to make the Blakests think that they were, in fact, the actual transports for some raid.

All of this passed through the mind of Captain Cassandra Tanaka as the DropShip burned hard, causing her body to push hard against the command seat of her _Guillotine IIC_ as inertia was bled off via the ship's fusion thrust. She thought not so much for herself as for her passenger that sat in the 'mech's jump seat. Turning her head, Tanaka looked over to where Alexis sat strapped into the seat for safety. The gatón returned the gaze and gave a small smile to show that she was okay, and Tanaka nodded before looking back over her console for any new information.

Alexis, though, dropped the smile as soon as Tanaka had turned away. She then closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. _What did I get myself into?_ She wondered quite naturally as her body was pressed down at three times its normal weight.

The day before, when preparations were finishing for the raid, Alexis had been trying to help the captain with some of her native language skills, helping to sharpen them in case they were needed. Unfortunately, though, Tanaka didn't have a flair for languages, and so she could only manage a few basic words. Tanaka had then commented that Alexis might be handy to take along, speaking as she did all three languages involved and a couple of extra dialects of her native tongue. To this Alexis had readily volunteered, surprising Tanaka, van Horn, and Kujira, and then surprising them again when she had asked that Mikula not be told.

_I wanted to help_, Alexis remembered as the _Silver Pagoda_ began to reduce its thrust to a relatively light two gees. _To help, but also to be nearer to Mikula, as well_. She knew full well why she had volunteered for the potentially dangerous duty. _I know and agree with what he said, but that doesn't mean that I can't be ready to help him if he needs it_, she thought as the 1,900-ton spacecraft settled with a rough thump to the ground. _I know I can't really do much from here, but it's better than sitting back at Hercor, waiting to hear anything!_

Alexis shifted in her seat, partially to readjust after the long thrust, but also partially to get some feeling of warmth from friction on the inside of the cooling vest she wore. Although the 'mech lance didn't expect trouble initially, they weren't going to be caught off-guard, and Tanaka wasn't about to hobble her 'mech by withholding from her full weapons compliment so as to not fry her passenger. And so the gatón was wearing a vest that was made for someone much larger, and it cooled her more because of that.

_Although that's good,_ Alexis thought as the 'mech bay doors began to roll upwards to release the 70-ton behemoth. _My fur and body's cooling system isn't as efficient in heat dissipation as a human's so it all evens out._

Tanaka's conversation with the dropmaster then brought Alexis' attention back to the present. "This is Oni One, calling Drop Control. Request permission to disembark."

"Oni One, Drop Control," the male voice Alexis could hear easily from her own helmet/headset combination. "You and all Onis are clear to disembark. Happy Hunting, and Godspeed."

"Thanks Drop Control. Just keep the lights on, 'cuz we'll be home soon," Tanaka easily replied and then pressed a virtual button on a touchscreen monitor. With several loud _clack_s, the restraints that had secured her 'mech fell away and to the side. After that, Tanaka set her machine moving and quickly had it clear of the ship.

Although Alexis had ridden in Tanaka's 'mech before, she still couldn't help but look on in awe as the captain moved her mount with the easy grace of an accomplished rider getting a horse to move off in a walk. In a few minutes, Alexis could even see the other three 'mechs of Oni Lance approaching from behind the bulk of the _Silver Pagoda_.

The first 'mech to appear was off to the right and rear of the _Guillotine IIC_ was a 70-ton _Grizzly_; a dangerous 'mech with heavy weaponry, including a potent Gauss Rifle. Following off to the left was a _Wyvern IIC_, its humanoid shape resembling a man in armor, and its array of machine guns and flamers would allow it to destroy any infantry foolish enough to attack. Finally, from around the furthest part of the _Silver Pagoda_ came a _Corvus_, a bird-legged 'mech that carried a massive Ultra autocannon and enough ammunition for prolonged engagements.

Tanaka pushed her 'mech to move towards the nearby forest, reaching the tree line in just a few moments. There, she paused and turned the 'mech around to look over her lance and the dropship to make sure that everything was going right.

Alexis, though, looked past the shapes, dim even in the light-amplification mode that Tanaka was using for her HUD. Instead, she peered out towards the vague lumps beyond the landing zone; the ruins of her old village.

Suddenly, a box appeared in the HUD and within it a highly zoomed-in image of the ruins took shape, and Alexis could see the half-destroyed village better. She turned to look at Tanaka, who was simply staring at the image on the HUD. "Thank you," Alexis said quietly.

Tanaka turned her head slightly to glance at Alexis. "You're welcome. I figured that you'd want to look at it."

Alexis nodded her head. "It still brings back all those terrible memories... But also, it brings back the good ones, as well."

Tanaka nodded in her helmet, turning to stare out over her approaching lance mates and the distant ruins. "Was it a good place, Alexis?"

The question, spoken softly, surprised Alexis. She paused to think about it, and then nodded. "Yes... It was."

Tanaka then turned her 'mech about to face north, cutting the HUD back to standard zoom as she did so. She said nothing, and simply marched her 'mech into the dark forest ahead.

* * *

Near midday, Mikula again had them stop for a rest. Senmar hadn't complained, since they had pressed along the road at a marching pace, instead of a walk, and so his feet were complaining by the time the two found a small clearing in the forest off to the side of the road.

_Looks like a stopover for travelers, all right_, Mikula thought as he leaned next to a well-worn rock. The area had several spots where campfires had burned, leaving sterilized patches of dirt, and the smells of old wood, wagon wood, permeated the ground itself. Looking over the area, Mikula also noted how it made good sense to camp there. Stones like the ones he and Senmar leaned against seemed to line the area, and he figured that the formation wasn't natural. _After all, they make a good perimeter to settle behind_.

Mikula sighed and then pulled his pack closer to him from where he had let it slip to the ground. He opened the gortex pack - disguised as a leather bag by Naval Intelligence - and rummaged around for the Sandwiches he knew to be in there. He found the two in his sack and tossed one to Senmar, who caught the plastic-wrapped snack handily.

Senmar looked at the strange object with curious suspicion. "What is this?"

"It's a sandwich," Mikula replied matter of factly. "You know, meat and such between two slices of bread?"

"I know what a sandwich is, Mikula," Senmar replied with a razz. "But I've never seen one like this before." He sniffed the plastic wrapper. "Very strange smell. Doesn't seem edible."

Mikula chuckled, which prompted a dirty look from Senmar. "What?" The latter asked in annoyance.

"Senmar, just watch," Mikula replied, and then he began to peel the layers of wrapping from the sandwich. Senmar simply blinked in surprise as Mikula finally exposed the food within, and the scent made his mouth water. "How...? I didn't smell that food at all!"

"No, I suspect you didn't," Mikula said with a grin. Then he bit into his sandwich and closed his eyes to enjoy the taste as he chewed.

Senmar frowned a bit at his brother's attitude, but he decided to focus on the strange item in his hands. Looking carefully, he found a small lip in the wrap and pulled back on it as he saw Mikula do so. Although the wrap clinged to itself and anything else, Senmar was surprised to find that it wasn't sticky in the sense that glue would have been. _What a strange material._

Then he finally unwrapped the sandwich, and he gripped it delicately in his hands. The scent of alien ingredients gave him some pause, but as he knew Mikula hadn't had a problem eating the food, he quickly bit into soft bread. Taking a bite out, Senmar chewed it slowly, as the flavors of the food were strange and yet appeasing. "What's in these?" He asked after swallowing.

Mikula waited until he finished with his second bite. "Ham, salami, turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce and pickles," he said, licking his chops. "All stuff from our friends' worlds." With that, he took another bite.

Senmar looked over the layers of food exposed by his bite, wondering how the meats were sliced so thin, and yet still were all in one piece. Finally, though, he shrugged and decided that it was better to eat food than to obsess over its appearance, and he worked on the food.

They ate in silence, broken only by Mikula offering Senmar some water from his flask, which was politely turned down. Finally, Mikula finished his sandwich and he lay back against the rock and closed his eyes. The warm rays of the sun cut through the light chill of the autumn air, and reveled in the way it warmed his clothes.

_Wish I could've worn my uniform or some other nice fabric from New Honshu_, he thought. _I never realized how ill fitting and itchy our clothes are_. As if to emphasize, an itch promptly developed along his side, and Mikula quickly scratched it.

"So, how long are we to stay here?" Senmar's question brought Mikula's eyes open and to rest on his brother. "Oh? Getting bored already, little brother?" He asked with a grin.

Senmar razzed Mikula as he responded. "Not hardly. You just look like you're about to fall asleep, that's all."

Mikula's grin widened. "Says the one who had to be yanked out of bed this morning."

Senmar blushed a bit at that. "Well, excuse me if I don't usually get up when good people are normally sleeping."

"Heh. Well, no one's ever accused you of being too good a person," Mikula countered good-naturedly.

"At least I didn't get caught raiding the treat shelf in the pantry all the time," Senmar countered. Mikula winced at the jab and Senmar raised his hands. "Yes! Victory is mine!"

"Only because you fight dirty," Mikula responded with a knowing nod. "Now, if you want to compare childhood deeds, I still recall how long it took you to know where to-"

"Okay Mikula," Senmar interrupted his brother, ears folded down in embarrassment. "No need to bring that up."

Mikula laughed a bit. "Ah, I'm only joking, Senmar. You know I'd never bring that up in front of others."

Senmar frowned at his brother. "I still wish you'd not touch on it. It's not like I could help when I was too young to know better."

Mikula sighed and shook his head. "All right, I'm sorry, Senmar. But you shouldn't bring up childhood foibles unless you're willing to take them."

Senmar grunted. "So noted," he said and then yawned. "Seriously, shouldn't we be leaving soon? I'll fall asleep here before too long."

Mikula nodded and then stood up to stretch. "Yeah, you're right about that. Besides, I don't like the smell of this place. Seems like it's been too long since someone's been here."

Senmar got up after his brother and likewise stretched the kinks out. "Well, you haven't been back in a while, but merchants aren't exactly too willing to brave the road lately."

"I'm not surprised," Mikula said as he picked up his bag. "The bandits have gotten worse, haven't they?"

Senmar nodded as he, too, picked up his pack. "Yeah. That, and the Wobbies' have scared everyone. No one wants to leave home with something so strange going on." He then smirked. "Well, except for mother and our brothers."

Mikula chuckled as he led Senmar away towards the road. "And you and I, too, Senmar, had we been there."

His brother grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right about that," he said as they passed the last rock and started along the beaten dirt path. They walked along for some time before either spoke again.

"So Mikula," Senmar began, "I haven't seen much of you since we were all reunited. What have you been up to with your friends?"

Mikula turned his head at his brother as they walked. "What, we've been walking all morning and you ask this now?"

Senmar shrugged. "Well, the way we got here kind of spooked me, I guess. But now we've been along this road for a while and have had no problems..." He shrugged again. "So I'm curious."

Mikula smirked slightly as he turned his head back to face forward. "I've been doing lots of things. Mainly helping out with translating messages between the human commanders and the town leaders. Some help with technical work." He shrugged. "Odd jobs, that sort of thing."

Senmar gave his brother a look. "Translating messages? So you're almost like a courier?"

"Basically," Mikula replied. "Although, with the kinds of communication capabilities the humans have, a courier doesn't have the same kind of luster to its title."

"Ah. Well, it must certainly be engaging work."

"It is, at times," Mikula said and shrugged again. "Tiring, too, whenever I help out with the heavy work." He smirked again. "Their machines take a lot of work to keep them in perfect condition."

Senmar grunted appreciatively. "Well, swords have to be cleaned and re-sharpened from time to time, so I guess it's not surprising that such fancy devices need some sort of care."

Mikula smiled at his brother. "Since when did you get so sharp?"

"Since I had to march along in an army run by those invaders," Senmar replied sadly. This took Mikula's smile away and he nodded slightly. "I see. I take it you saw some similar activities with the Wobbies?"

Senmar nodded in return. "Aye. The invaders didn't want any of our help, though. Said they didn't trust us." He looked at his brother. "So how did you get on good graces with these other humans?"

Mikula frowned at the tone in Senmar's voice. "It helps that they're a lot different from the Wobbies. Surely you've seen that by now?"

"Well, they're nicer," Senmar figuratively backpedaled. "But I don't see that much of a difference. They use different machines, too... Maybe..." His voice trailed off as he saw Mikula's expression darken.

"Senmar, maybe if you'd been with us, seen what we've seen," Mikula sighed. "Maybe then you'd know that there is a world of difference between the Wobbies and the Republic. Quite literally, too."

"So Pavlo's been telling me," Senmar grumbled. "It just seems fishy to me, the way they are so willing to help. It's just not like any other group I've heard of."

Mikula grunted. "I know, Senmar. I even had the same reservations when I first met Earl." He chuckled a bit at the memory. "Of course, it didn't help that our first contact was Pavlo sticking a sword in his back and trying to take him prisoner."

Senmar's head snapped around at that. "What?"

Mikula chuckled again at his brother's reaction. Then his mirth went away and was replaced by a far-off look. "We were going back into Kuamket after the Wobbies attacked it to get some supplies from some houses, when Earl rolled up in his metal wagon." Mikula smiled a bit at the old term he had used for the _Darter_. "I knew him to be related to the attacks, somehow, and I thought that we could capture him. Pavlo had grabbed an old toy sword from one of the wagons, and so he volunteered to go in and surprise the strange creature we saw enter the Shaman's house. He had the perfect drop on him, too, but then Earl just slipped away like Pavlo was a child.

"Then I thought to capture him with a pitchfork, but he managed to get out of that, as well," Mikula decided to leave out the Mexican standoff - _funny thinking about it, now that I know what that means_ - and shrugged. "He had us at a disadvantage, but he didn't press it. Since then, he and his people have done nothing but help." He shrugged again. "I can't really think of them as anything but good people. Especially after seeing one of their cities."

Senmar nodded. "Pavlo came by the other night, wanting to talk. He mentioned that city after Kanu had asked what had changed you all so much."

Mikula nodded back. "It's true, Senmar. We can look at one of their machines and think the humans just some people with a simple advantage. But when I saw those soaring towers of metal, glass, and concrete..." His voice trailed off at the memory, sharp even though he had been worried over Alexis at the time. "And then, learning that it's but one of thousands, even _millions_ of such wondrous places these humans inhabit. Well, you can see that they don't really need to have anything to do with us.

"It's awe-inspiring, and humbling at the same time," Mikula said with a sigh. "You can't see that and _not_ be changed. You realize that these people are not only helping us, but they're doing because they _want_ to."

Silence fell as the two walked along the road as it wound down from the hills. "That's just like what Pavlo said, pretty much," Senmar finally said. "I thought he might've been exaggerating but... A place can change you that much?"

Mikula sighed. "That, amongst other things," he said, and then a smile grew on his muzzle. "The love of a good woman helps, too."

Senmar frowned a bit. "You mean that female gatón?"

Mikula rounded on Senmar at that. "Her _name_ is Alexis," he growled.

Senmar held up his hands and lowered his head submissively. "I'm sorry, brother. I just forgot her name."

Mikula took a couple of breaths to calm himself. "That's alright," he said and turned to continue on. "I'd just suggest you'd leave behind any prejudices concerning the gatón, if you haven't already."

Senmar jogged a bit to catch up with Mikula's annoyed stride. "So Pavlo and Kanu told me... Or rather, chewed me out about."

Mikula gave Senmar a sidelong glance. "What's this about?"

Senmar's ears went down in embarrassment and he just looked down at the road. "It's nothing... I just said something, and they set me straight."

They walked along in silence for a bit before Mikula spoke up again. "You got assigned to the Garganors, didn't you?"

Senmar snapped his head at Mikula at that. "How did you know? Your unit left before I even finished training."

"Because I can tell when someone's been affected by their hatred for the gatón," Mikula replied severely. Then he sighed. "But I suppose you should be alright, then, if our brothers set you straight."

Senmar nodded slightly. "I never meant any offense, Mikula... I just... Well, when they're all the family I had left after everyone was gone..." His voice trailed off as some of his emotional pain bled into it.

Mikula looked over at his brother. "Senmar... I'm sorry. I forgot that you were left behind." He shook his head. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised that you let their ways affect you. Not like you knew that you'd ever meet up with us again."

Senmar shook his head. "No, don't be sorry Mikula. I'm the one who was acting stupid... Still acting that way, I suppose," he said quietly.

"Even so, I shouldn't have spoken to you so harshly," Mikula replied earnestly. "So I am sorry for that."

Senmar looked up at Mikula and gave him a small smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine so long as I have my family to keep me sane."

* * *

Alexis woke with a start as the _Guillotine IIC_ came to an abrupt halt. She blushed in embarrassment, even though Tanaka wasn't looking at her at the moment. "What's going on?" Alexis asked from her seat.

Tanaka didn't spare her a glance, but a small grin lit up her face. "Have a nice nap?" She asked good-naturedly.

Alexis blushed again, though her ears were somewhat hampered by the infantry helmet she wore. "Apparently so," she said and turned to get a look at the holographic HUD floating in mid-air between the ferroglass canopy and Tanaka's face.

She saw the edge of the forest scant meters ahead, and beyond that, through the trees, she saw the very same place where the insanity of the Blakest Invasion had begun for her. "We're here," was all she could say.

"We're here," Tanaka repeated with a small nod. "Any good spots where we'd be hidden from above?"

Alexis thought hard for a few moments, and then nodded. "Head east from here, and in about a madragna- Excuse me," she paused to recalculate in meters. "Head east about five hundred meters, or so, and there'll be a small ravine made by a steam. It's only about three meters deep, but the trees there have grown taller and thicker from all the extra water, so they should be good cover."

Tanaka nodded and quickly radioed the direction change to her lance, and then turned her own 'mech and walked off to the east, gingerly picking her way through the trees.

Alexis was still impressed at how easily Tanaka could move the behemoth. _Almost as if she's doing the walking herself_, she thought.

After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at the indicated ravine. It was as Alexis had described, the small, shallow-banked 'ravine' was hardly anything that the 'mechs couldn't handle, and so Tanaka easily walked her ride down to the bottom of the ravine where the stream flowed. "Looks like it doesn't fill the bottom," she commented to the gatón.

Alexis nodded and replied, "No, not at this time. It's autumn and the rains don't come often enough to keep the water at a higher level."

"Good," Tanaka replied as she moved downstream a bit to let her lance mates drop down with room to spare. "Sounds like we can make camp here, then."

"That was my idea," Alexis said. Then she pointed towards a group of bushes next to a hillock. "Those bushes aren't as large as they look, either. They have a nice open space in the middle, so that's another spot if the water floods unexpectedly."

Tanaka spared Alexis a glance as she began to lock her 'mech down so they could disembark. "Does that happen often?"

Alexis frowned and shook her head slightly. "No, but it's not unheard of, either. But it only does so when it rains heavily, so we should have ample warning. At least, if the weather officer in the _Rodger Young_ can let us know beforehand."

Tanaka chuckled as she locked down her 'mech's fusion reactor. "Don't count on the weatherman too much, Alexis. Predicting the weather is still half art as well as half science."

Alexis smiled at that, even as she disconnected her cooling vest and began to unfasten it. "So I've been told. Still, it is nice to be able to have a general expectation of what's to come next."

"True," Tanaka replied with a light shrug as she disconnected her neurohelmet from the controls. "I take it for granted, I guess, having grown up on a planet that has decently predictable weather."

Alexis raised an eyebrow and tilted an ear down at that. "Oh? There are worlds where one can't predict the weather?"

"Well, you can predict the weather," Tanaka responded casually, "but whether you're right or not is up for grabs."

Alexis chuckled at that, and Tanaka sported a grin as she finished stowing her neurohelmet and unlatched her cooling vest. "You might want to keep yours on hand, in case we have to get out of here in a hurry," she said to Alexis, pointing at the gatón's own cooling vest, now neatly folded over the native's arm.

She nodded in reply. "Sounds like a wise precaution."

Tanaka then turned and squeezed past Alexis and popped the hatch on the back of the cockpit, pushing it open as soon as she could. Air kept cool by the forest's canopy flowed in to mix with the air warmed by the waste heat from the 'mech's fusion reactor, giving both women a welcome change from the near stickiness of the cramped confines.

Tanaka then opened a small hatch beneath the cockpit one, and she pulled out a rolled-up chain ladder, the end of which she let drop towards the ground. After it was done swinging, Tanaka waved for Alexis to go down first. "I gotta get the stuff stowed behind my seat, so you go on ahead."

"Thank you," Alexis replied with a nod. Then she turned around and quickly climbed down the ladder, reaching the ground in moments. Once her footpads touched the damp, slightly squished soil, she paused to inhale the scent of the area. _Strange how this forest smells different from the ones near Hercor. Smells almost like Kuamket used to_.

"Heads up," Tanaka's voice brought Alexis' attention upward, and she hopped aside just as a bundled up tent smacked into the ground near where she had stood. Looking from the bundle upwards, Alexis rolled her ears back. "Hey! Watch where you're dropping things!"

Tanaka smiled and disappeared from view, and Alexis sighed heavily. She also caught the few chuckles from the other mechwarriors, who were also dropping their tents and getting their supplies out. Alexis shook her head and went over to the tent that she and Tanaka would have to share. She managed to pick it up, despite its not-inconsiderable weight, and carried it a bit away from the 'mechs feet.

Alexis picked a spot that seemed to have not seen the touch of flowing water for some time, and she laid the bundle out there and began to unpack it. By the time Tanaka had managed to climb down her 'mech and walk over with her second, lighter - and more fragile - bundle, Alexis had already laid out the tent on the ground. "That's some good work, Alexis," Tanaka said with an impressed note in her voice.

"Thank you," Alexis replied with a slight blush. "I could use some help, though, in getting it erected."

Tanaka's face contorted as if she was holding back laughter, but she nodded. "Yes, let's get to that," she said and then set down her bundle.

Two hours later, the group had settled into their small camp, though one MechWarrior would always be in his or her 'mech at all times to monitor radio traffic and be on the lookout for any Blakest sneak attacks.

At the moment, it was Lieutenant Carmike, the boisterous young pilot of the _Wyvern IIC_, and he occasionally bugged those below with fake birdcalls he hooted out with the help of his 'mech's external speakers. That is, until Tanaka told him to "shut up or I'll stick a real bird up your ass."

Alexis thought over this with a smile. _Mikula, Pavlo and Earl often commented how soldiers often have such nonsensical arguments_, she thought as another Lieutenant, this one named George Stein, stoked their small fire. _And lots of swearing, so much so that I think I've learned those almost as fast as any other English word_. At that thought, she chuckled lightly.

"What's up?" Tanaka asked as she sat down on the ground next to Alexis, in her hands an MRE pack and a canteen.

"Oh, nothing," Alexis said innocently. "Just thinking about how funny you all are when you argue about silly things."

Tanaka smiled at that. "Well, I suppose we are," she said as she began to work at the MRE's wrapping. "Soldiers have to let off steam somehow, yanno."

Alexis nodded, vaguely recognizing the idiom. "So Mikula has told me before."

Tanaka nodded as she opened her meal and began to look over its contents. "You two seem to spend a lot of time together, alright." She said with a lecherous grin. Alexis blushed deeply at that and she rubbed her arm. "Heh. Yeah, that's not exactly a secret we're trying to keep."

"So everyone in camp can tell," Tanaka teased as she set her main dish down and engaged its chemical heater.

"So everyone in our old caravan noticed, as well," Alexis replied with her own smile. "I think Mikula and I were the last two to realize it."

Tanaka chuckled. "Sometimes, that's the way it happens," she said and touched her meal pack to see if it was warm enough yet. "By the way, unless you're not hungry, there's some MREs in my pack over yonder," she said and gestured to where her pack lay a meter and a half away.

"Actually, I am pretty hungry," Alexis replied and then stood up. She stretched then and yawned. "Excuse me," she said afterwards. "I'm surprised at how tired I seem to be."

Tanaka smiled at that as she opened her food. "Well, even sitting on your ass burns energy, I guess."

Alexis chuckled as she walked over to the pack and rifled for an MRE as Tanaka, Stein, and the fourth lance member, Amanda Myers, worked at their own meals. Soon she found a nice beef-centered MRE and walked back to sit next to Tanaka, where she soon took care of her own eating needs.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky by the time Mikula and Senmar reached Tanzano's outer reaches, though it wasn't quite dinnertime as Mikula had originally predicted. Their progress had been speeded up by the fortuitous meeting with a pair of merchant wagons who had come along the road after them. Their encounter, though initially tense, had grown friendly when they both established each other to not be bandits.

_Of course, it helped that we portrayed ourselves as soldiers for hire_, Mikula mused as he sat on the edge of the first, flatbed wagon, holding onto the wooden frame to keep himself from falling off. _Although they didn't feel like hiring us for real, they certainly didn't mind giving us a ride so long as we would protect them in case of bandits_. Then Mikula stopped thinking about it, and he just looked over his old home city.

Tanzano's walls rose a good six meters from the surrounding farm fields through which the road now wound. Though many lived in the city, there were several houses that dotted the large fields where some families lived to protect the farms from raiding. The Ganol River swept by the farms and city, and a stone bridge crossed from the middle of the city where it edged the bank to the other side, where more farms and a few estates for nobles sat in the distance.

Turning his attention back to the city, Mikula's eyes easily swept across the towers along the walls, and the tops of the few larger buildings that crested above the walls. Amongst them were the Temple of The Creators - _said to be the largest in all of the Eastern Cities_, he thought - and their target, the Citadel of the Ancients, or 'the Citadel' for short. _That's where the Wobbies are running their oppression of the city, where they're hiding their nuclear weapons_.

"Such a wonderful sight, isn't it?" The driver and head of the small trading group, a Mr. Jaarka, asked from where he drove the wagon. "I know that you youngsters from Okarna haven't seen anything like Tanzano!"

Mikula smiled politely for the middle-aged lupar, and he tried to look appreciative of the view as his and Senmar's cover story demanded. "It truly is a spectacle. Especially that large building over to the right of center."

Jaarka nodded, though his attitude dampened a bit. "Yes. It's the city's Citadel, though it's formal name is 'the Citadel of the Ancients' because it was built before the city itself was founded."

_As I remember hearing from my grandmother years ago_, Mikula mentally yawned. Outwardly, though, he nodded. "That is an interesting bit of information. Do you know why anyone would build such a structure here?" _I already know this, but it's better to ask like a tourist and play into character_.

Jaarka nodded. "Oh yes. It seems a noble by the name of Tanz Karno was fighting a war in the city-state of Izana in the north, but he was forced out along with his followers. He and they came here and built the Citadel as a fortress to fight off any attempts to finish their destruction and-"

Mikula let Jaarka prattle on, half-listening as the slightly overweight trader told stories that Mikula had learned as a pup so that he could nod or grunt at the right places. However, he looked over the landscape again, and this time, he tried to single out something that made his hackles rise a bit.

_The banners_, he finally realized, looking up at where the city's normal standards would by flying. _Those aren't Tanzano's banners... But I recognize them nonetheless._ Mikula had seen them in a documentary on New Honshu about the Republic's recent campaign against the Blakests on Terra. _The broadsword overlaid upon a star enclosed in a shell, with only two points sticking out at the bottom; the Word of Blake insignia_.

"Are you all right?" Jaarka's sudden change in demeanor for the question startled Mikula. He turned sheepishly to face the merchant. "I'm sorry, your stories are interesting, but those banners," he gestured to the fluttering flags, "I think I've seen them before, but I don't know who they belong to."

Jaarka's face darkened, and he looked around as if someone was going to listen in on them. _Not bloody likely_, Mikula thought as the open ground near the crop fields was quite devoid of anyone even remotely close enough to listen in, _even with my people's hearing_.

The merchant finally turned back to Mikula and nodded. "Those banners belong to that group of Invaders I told you about." He shuddered. "Strange creatures, they be, taller than any Lupar I've seen in all my travels, and a shock of hair on their head the only covering on their pale skin. Well, except for their clothes, of course." Jaarka shook his head. "They're a mean lot, nasty as any bandit I've heard about. Don't mind killing a body if you do something wrong, or you have what they want, or even feel like it."

Mikula frowned - easy to do - and tried to feign ignorance. "Well, that doesn't sound good. Why don't people leave, or even fight them?"

Jaarka gave Mikula an incredulous look. "I take it you've not heard of their fearsome weapons and magiks?"

Mikula suppressed a sigh at the last word, knowing now that magic was just an illusion. But he kept his face straight. "I have heard of some strange things going on in the eastern cities, here, about that kind of stuff. It's one of the reason my brother and I decided to come this way."

Jaarka shook his head as he carefully guided the wagon closer and closer to the city gates that the road led to. "Then, begging your pardon, you two might very well be fools." He sighed at that. "The Invaders are a nasty lot, and they don't share. And you can't fight them because their power can reach out and kill a man at a hundred paces without the effort you need for a bow!"

Mikula made his eyes go wide at that. _Takes more effort than you think to aim a rifle than you know_, he thought. "Well, perhaps me and my brother made a mistake coming here?"

"If you ask me, you did," Jaarka replied with a nod. "But you're here now, and Vorana blessed me that you were along for the last leg here. That's where the bandits have been the worst, you know."

"So I gathered," Mikula replied neutrally, having seen three separate wagons overturned on the edge of the road on the way in, half burned and with the stench of dried blood nearby or on them.

"Strange thing, though," Jaarka went on as they came around the last bend in the road and rolled slowly towards where guards stood to block the gates. "The Kurrnaki have almost disappeared."

Mikula was genuinely surprised at that. "Really? They've gone missing?"

Jaarka shrugged. "Well, I don't know what's happened to them, but they haven't raided any towns or trade routes in months. If the Invaders stopped them, then at least this hole might find gold yet," he said, using the idiom for benefit in the face of bad news.

Mikula almost smiled, until he remembered that he shouldn't. _Well, I'll be a son of a rakna, the Kurrnaki have a sense of honor after all!_ He turned to face the guards, then, as they came upon them. _Dear Gods, don't let it be anyone I know_.

As the head guard came up, Mikula fought to not release a breath of relaxation at the fact that the lupar wasn't anyone he'd met before. He walked to Jaarka, who went through the whole rigmarole of paying customs, signing a log book, and giving the guard a bribe to not inspect he cargo too much, lest he find the containers of wine that would normally have been heavily taxed had they been officially noted.

Then they were past, the second wagon, being little more than a family wagon for the elder lupar's wife and children to ride in, going through without so much as a second look. Mikula then looked around the avenue they had entered in, and a flood of memories came back.

The street was wide for a Lupar city, though Mikula knew that it was only a little bit wider than the two-laned "blacktop" that ran out from Neo Tokyo to the nearest villages. It looked even smaller with the vendor's stalls set up between the shops that took up the ground floors of most buildings along Karno's Way.

_Karno's Way_, he thought of the avenue's name with a warm feeling. _I used to come here along with Heyver and Eno and stare whenever a caravan or band of entertainers rolled into town._ He looked up the street, and his heart caught in is throat. _The trader's guile hall! Oh, Pavlo and I would go down there and try to wheedle treats from old man Geroka, may Grakia rest his soul well_. Then the childhood memories rolled into adolescence as the wagon rolled along towards the street that would lead the wagons to the warehouse district.

_Down there,_ he mentally pointed a particular street off to the right. _The Lane of Pleasures. Home to every form of entertainment frowned upon by the priests_. Memories of stalking the dark streets at night with his brothers brought a sense of guilt to the lupar. _We chased many a woman those nights... 'Course, none of them would have anything to do with us adolescents, but we still had fun_. Memories of Alexis then popped up, and Mikula fought not to cringe at what Alexis might do if she found out what sort of things he and his brothers did in the city.

_Oh, well,_ he thought and tried to bring his attention back to the present. _I'm not the same man I was before. There's only one person now that I'd want to chase_. At that, he unconsciously grinned.

"I hope you're not thinking about heading down that street," Jaarka commented from his seat next to Mikula. The latter blushed deeply as he had realized just how he might've looked, and he turned to look at the other lupar. "No! No, I was just... Remembering a similar place in Okarna, and how I was a clueless child."

Jaarka chuckled a bit. "Well, no one is perfect, and we all have had such things in our past," Then his joviality died. "But some can't seem to let go of the trivial pleasures of youth. You'd best remember that, son."

Mikula grunted and nodded his assent. _I know that, Jaarka. Nothing like having someone to care about to bring what's important out from the trivialities_. "You sound like my grandmother, and she was always a wise woman." It was true; the man spoke similar to Mikula's departed grandparent, for which he found a bit more respect for the sometimes-oblivious merchant.

Jaarka nodded and grinned a bit. "Well, can't say I'm all that old yet," he puffed out his chest a bit before continuing. "But I'll admit to having seen more than those who sit in one place all the time."

Mikula grinned back as the wagons turned onto the warehouse road. They continued on for a little bit, until they reached a warehouse not too far down the way. Mikula grunted appreciatively at the look of the place. _Neat, not too old, and it's not that far along the road. Jaarka must do better business than his appearance suggests_. The old caveat against taking a merchant at face value entered the lupar's mind, and he smiled a bit as he turned to grab his bag off of the wagon. Towards the back of the second wagon, Senmar was doing likewise, and soon they met with Jaarka by the front of his wagon to say their goodbyes.

"I do wish you boys would reconsider my offer," Jaarka said as they met. "I may not look it, but I could pay you both well enough to help guard myself and my family on the longer trips."

Mikula smiled with genuine warmth. "No, thank you, Mr. Jaarka. Senmar and I are soldiers, and though your company and that of your family has been welcome, we'd feel a bit lazy in just taking such a job."

Jaarka sighed in light disappointment. "Are you sure about that? You could travel just as much with me as you'd do with any army. Perhaps more, since I'd be more willing to take on the longer routes with a couple of strong warriors to ease my worries." He then looked around and leaned in conspiratorially. "In fact, I might even consider trading with the Gatón. Especially since the Invaders don't seem to care too much about them."

Mikula smiled and shook his head gently. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Jaarka, and you honor the both of us with it, having known us for such a short time." He then sighed. "But I'm afraid it's just not the sort of life we're looking for."

Jaarka sighed again. "Well, I can't blame you two, wanting to have a little excitement in your lives. But if you ever change your mind, I come along to Tanzano every few months, and if I haven't found anyone else, the offer will still be open."

Mikula nodded appreciatively. "Perhaps if we get tired of battle, we'll take you up on that. But for now, we must go."

Jaarka nodded back with a smile on his face. "Go with Vorana's blessing," he said, and then turned around to go get his family ready for the work they needed to do. With that, Mikula and Senmar turned and walked away, heading back along the warehouse road for Karno's Way.

After they had walked down the road a bit, Senmar grunted. "Actually, that was a very nice offer he made. Wish we could of taken him up on that."

Mikula smiled and looked at his brother. "And the fact that he has a shapely young daughter doesn't enter into your calculations, hmm?"

Senmar blushed. "Well, I'll admit, it's a job perk," he said, and the two laughed a bit. "Still, if it wasn't for all that's going on, I would have taken him up on that."

Mikula grunted. "If it wasn't for all that's going on, he'd probably not make the offer, since you'd still be in the army and the bandits wouldn't be so bad that he'd be anxious to have a couple of soldiers guarding him and his family."

Senmar frowned at that. "Yeah, you're probably right." He sighed then. "Still, can't a guy have his fantasies?"

Mikula grinned lopsidedly. "Sure. Just don't let them distract you from the cart to your right."

Senmar blinked and spun around, only to find the area clear. He turned back slowly to face his brother, ears folding down in embarrassment as Mikula chuckled. "That's not funny."

Mikula laughed and started off again, prompting Senmar to follow along. "Ah, Senmar, just be glad it's not Kanu with you. You know how he gets."

Senmar shuddered lightly. "Don't remind me. At night, I can still feel where that zugert bit me."

Mikula smiled at that, despite the nasty nature of that particular prank. "Well, in any case, let's go find an inn or tavern for now, so we can rest up for tonight."


	28. Chapter 28

Mikula and Senmar walked along the alley leading towards the lesser-traveled parts of the city, heading for an area that Mikula had hoped to avoid.

The area was the Worker's Quarter, and they were there because most of the inns that travelers normally took space in were full of Tanzanos who had been displaced by the Blakests from their homes near the citadel. Thus, they wandered along the outskirts of their family's former home area, trying to find one of the smaller inns they knew catered to the down-and-outs that also moved between settlements.

Night had already fallen, though the sky showed a dim twilight that did little to compete with the lamps that had been lit throughout the city to provide a meager illumination for the streets.

_Well, meager in this part of town_, Mikula could see from the glare that rose from the Merchant's Quarter. He didn't particularly care, and in fact welcomed the increased darkness for the extra concealment it gained him and Senmar.

They were walking a bit deeper into the quarter now, and Mikula was nervous at being recognized, despite the darkness. _Still, we need a place to rest,_ he grumbled to himself as they approached yet another inn. _Seems like every space is filled up. Just how many houses did the Wobbies take?_

"I still don't see why we can't try and go to the Laughing Daukner," Senmar grumbled again. "Even if you don't want to be recognized, it's not like we were these immensely popular people that everyone knows about. Hell, half of our usual group were probably in the army and are still heading back."

Mikula shook his head. "No, Senmar. We're not going to the Laughing Daukner, so just chill, okay?"

Senmar gave his brother a look. "You want me to do what now?"

Mikula paused in his steps, halting in the alley that led between buildings and towards another street where they might find an open inn. "I can't believe I said that... In Lupari no less..." He muttered to himself.

"What about it? What does it mean?" Senmar asked curiously.

"Nothing," Mikula replied and shook his head. "Let's just go." With that, he started off, and Senmar was forced to jog a bit to catch up.

They reached the road and paused as a noise erupted from nearby. They both wheeled around, ready for a fight, before they realized that, fight though it may be, it didn't involve them. Off to their left, along the street they had come to, a pair of lupar wrestled with each other, yelling and growling as they threw punches.

Mikula saw a small group leaving a building, and he realized that it was a bar and that the two fighters must be drunks. "Come on, let's go Senmar." His brother nodded and they both turned to head down the street in the opposite direction from the spectacle.

As they passed an alley, though, a hand reached out and grabbed Mikula by the shoulder. "Hey-" The voice belonging to the arm began, but he was cut off as Mikula ducked and swung a fist into the stranger's midsection, guiding his hand accurately even with the shadows that covered the entrance to the alley. Even as his fist connected, driving the air out of his accoster's lungs, Mikula went forward instead of back, keeping his momentum going until both he and the lupar who had grabbed him were hidden in the alley's dark embrace. There, Mikula delivered a hard chop to the lupar's head and knocked him for a loop, and the man dropped to the ground in a daze.

Mikula quickly beckoned Senmar to join him in the alley, even as he turned back to his accoster and pulled his bowie-style knife from an ankle sheath. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The lupar tried to gulp down air, even as the look in his eyes showed near panic. Then Senmar looked over the man and his eyes grew large. "Yekar!"

Mikula blinked at the name, recognizing it as one of the youths he and his brothers had been friends with. "Yekar? As in Yekar Chalor?" He asked Senmar.

His brother looked up at Mikula in surprise. "The same. Why'd you do that?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Yekar managed to say between breaths. "Damnit, Mikula, I just wanted to say hi."

Mikula sheepishly lowered his blade and then bent to re-sheathe it. "I'm sorry, Yekar. We just got in the city, and I'm kind of nervous being back after so long."

"I'll say," Yekar said as he stood up, rubbing his belly where Mikula had driven his fist. "Especially since you're supposed to be dead." Then he turned to Senmar. "And you're supposed to be out with the army."

"That's a bit of a story," Mikula temporized before Senmar could say anything. "Right now, though, we need an inn for the night."

Yekar gave Mikula a strange look. "Why not go to the Laughing Daukner? Mrs. Reyka has a couple of rooms open since, well," he looked at Senmar. "Since her sons left with the army."

Senmar's ears went down in embarrassment, but he nodded. "That's what I've been trying to tell Mikula, that we should have gone for the old hangout."

Mikula wanted to strangle his brother, but Yekar's presence had already upset his goal. _Might as well go through this_. "Well, Senmar, maybe you'd like to sleep in a tavern, but I wanted to at least try some other places first."

Yekar chuckled a bit. "Ah, Senmar, still got a thing for Pelana?"

Senmar's blush deepened, and even Mikula couldn't help but grin, despite the situation. "Indeed he has, amongst other ladies."

Yekar chuckled again. "Well, I was heading for the Daukner myself when I saw you two pass in front of me. I'll admit I was quite surprised, and in more ways than one." He rubbed his head at that. "But I'll let you make it up to me over an ale."

Mikula frowned, but he nodded. "Alright, since we can't seem to find another place..."

Yekar grinned. "Good! Now, let's get going. I'm tired from working the guard post at the south entrance." At that, he set off to cross the street and follow the alley on the other side, and Mikula and Senmar followed along easily.

"So Senmar, I thought you were with the army that left. Or did you pull a guard assignment at the last second?" Yekar asked, obviously trying to be friendly.

Senmar's ears went down in embarrassment. "I, ah... Kind of... Left the army..." He said, lying to protect the mission.

Yekar paused at that, and he looked at Senmar. "Desertion? Oh, Senmar..."

"Hey, don't give me that!" Senmar replied hotly. "You know very well that these aren't normal times. Besides, would _you_ want to fight for those invaders if you had a chance?"

Yekar frowned, but then nodded his head. "I see your point... Well, just try and lay low, and I'm sure people will forget you ever left." He then turned and they started back fort he tavern. "You two _are_ staying, aren't you?"

Mikula scratched his head uncomfortable. "For tonight, maybe another, and then we're gone," he said quietly. "Not much reason for us to stay, you know."

Yekar nodded. "Yeah, everyone in the neighborhood heard about your family and half your clan leaving. Took off when the council was arguing whether the invaders were real or just some magic created by another city."

Mikula rolled his eyes at that, though the darkness prevented Yekar from seeing. "Well, they're real. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime." Yekar nodded in a silent reply as he turned a corner in the alley, and they all paused to look over the small building in front of them.

It was a meager structure, barely two stories and wedged between two larger apartment buildings. The simply-painted sign hanging out also spoke of simplicity, as all it showed was the animal known as the Daukner, its triangular head cast back in apparent laughter. The small windows let out the smells of ale, wine, food and all sorts of tired workers relaxing at the end of a day.

Despite the situation, Mikula felt a warmth flow over him. "It's been a while since I was here last," he said quietly.

"Same here," Senmar replied, and Yekar chuckled at the both of them. "Well, don't worry, it's not changed much." He started off the three towards the tavern as he spoke. "Maybe a few more dents in the walls form some drunks who couldn't keep themselves from a fight." Mikula couldn't help but smile at the words even as Yekar pushed the door of the tavern open, and the familiar smells washed over the three as they walked in.

The room inside took up the entire front half of the building's bottom floor, and it was filled with tables. Booths lay along the outside edges of the room, save where the bar was located, stools having taken that domain. Over thirty lupar sat in the room, and several females walked between the tables, tending them and bringing the patrons their drink and food. Behind the bar a rotund, middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair walked back and forth to tend to those who simply wanted to drink alone. The air itself was thick with smells, including a bit of incense that wafted from a lamp behind the bar.

Yekar walked off, heading for a booth, and Mikula and Senmar followed close behind. They took their seats quickly and the two Farkas brothers set their packs down without any noise, though a serving lady soon walked up, holding a serving tray under an arm. "Yekar, how are you doing tonight?" She asked in a sweet voice that matched her youthful appearance.

_The better to get a good tip_, Mikula thought cynically, but he kept his muzzle shut as Yekar smiled back at the young lady. "Ayora, I'm fine, despite my friend here smacking me earlier."

The lady turned and looked over the other two in the booth. "Well, maybe you de- Wait," she made a double take." It can't be..."

Mikula grinned sheepishly. "Hello, Ayora. It's been a while."

"But you're- Eiger said you were dead!" She replied naming a soldier Mikula had served with in his old unit.

"Eiger's alive?" Mikula asked hopefully. "I lost track of him after... Well, I'm sure he's told people."

"Oh, yes, right." Ayora nodded lightly. "But... He said he saw you get killed."

Mikula shook his head. "Well, it was dark, so I guess he didn't see everything," he said.

"Well, what am I, boiled zugert?" Senmar asked from his place.

"Senmar! Well, this is a surprising evening," Ayora said as she recognized the third man sitting there. "Wait until I tell everyone!"

Mikula reached up and grabbed Ayora's arm. "Actually, we're not staying. We just came back to take care of some things before we go out looking for our family," he said quietly. "So we'd appreciate if you'd not let anyone know, since we're leaving soon."

Ayora looked crestfallen. "Oh... Well, It's good to see that there's some good news in this world." She then brightened a bit. "So Senmar, since you're here, does that mean Ako and Merk have come back too?" She asked, naming the two sons of the tavern's owner, who also happened to be her brothers.

Senmar looked pained and shook his head. "No. I'm, ah, kind of on a special assignment, so they aren't here with me."

Mikula nodded very slightly at his brother for covering so well. _And he's technically not even lying_, he thought with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Ayora again looked saddened, but she nodded her head. "Okay. But you two don't mind if I tell mother, right? She would love to hear any news you two might bring about the army."

Mikula smiled a bit at the young lady. "Certainly, Ayora. In fact, we were hoping to rent a room for a night or two while we're in town."

Ayora smiled broadly then. "Of course! Let me take your orders and I'll get on them and let momma know."

The three then made their orders, all of them having memorized the menu long before. Ayora repeated them back to make sure she remembered them correctly, and then she left. Yekar turned to Mikula and Senmar after she did. "So, mind if I ask you two what's going on?"

Mikula tilted an ear down in feigned innocence. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I meant," Yekar replied sullenly. "Come on! You come back from the dead, Senmar appears out of nowhere, and you two pop into town months after your family left. It's just strange, and I want to know what brings you two back here."

Mikula scratched his head a bit, trying to think fast. "Well, it's nothing special, really. We..."

"We met out by Latala," Senmar spoke up, naming one of the towns that the Wobbies had set out to capture with the native army. "I left the army and ran east a bit along the road." He then turned to look at Mikula. "Then a merchant comes up along the road, and it turns out Mikula's hired on as a guard for him."

"You don't say?" Yekar looked surprised, and he turned to Mikula as well. "How'd you end up all the way out there?"

Mikula nodded absentmindedly as he struggled to come up with a plausible excuse. "Well, after we were attacked, the entire unit was scattered. I headed into the woods for safety, and then I got lost." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, pretending to be reminiscing, but in actuality, working to stay one step ahead in the story he weaved. "I came across a small trade road that led to a small gatón village, and there was a lupar trader there." He opened his eyes and looked back at the other two sharing the booth. "He let me join and I spent the time until I met Senmar just sitting around." He grinned lopsidedly at that, as that's how he would've acted had the story been real.

Yekar shook his head in disbelief. "That's quite a tale. You were lucky to avoid death. And a gatón village, by Sheyana! I'll bet you have a tale or two about that alone."

Mikula frowned slightly at that. "Not really. You'd be surprised at how much alike us and the gatón really are."

Yekar gave Mikula a look as Ayora came back up with their drinks. "Well, gatón aside, I'm sure you have even a few new tales from traveling."

"Gatón?" Ayora asked as she placed the mugs on the table. "Are you talking about the ones the invaders caught?"

Mikula and Senmar whipped their heads around at that. "What did you say?" The former asked sharply.

Ayora cringed a bit under his stare. "What, you didn't hear? The invaders brought a couple dozen gatón from some village of theirs to the south, have them working as porters for the stuff they get delivered to the Citadel."

Mikula shook his head. "I've not been around, remember?" He then looked up at Ayora. "Does anyone know which village they're from?"

Ayora scrunched her face in confusion. "How would anyone know? Not like they can speak Lupari or anything."

Mikula frowned, but he nodded lightly. "Yes... I suppose that's true. So they use them as what now?"

"Well, when food's delivered, the invaders just sit by and have the gatón do all the work of lifting and carrying the stuff." Ayora said with a slight shudder at the mention of the Wobbies.

"You mean they're _slaves_," Mikula said, pronouncing the last word with as much contempt as he could put on it.

Ayora blinked, as did Yekar. "I... I guess I didn't think of it that way," she said quietly.

"I'm sure you didn't," Mikula said harshly. Then he pushed himself out of the booth and stood up. "Excuse me, I need some air," he said quickly, and he grabbed his pack and walked for the door.

After stepping outside, he looked around, seeing no one, and then headed for the tiny space between the tavern one of the apartment buildings. Once there, Mikula again checked around, and again, he saw no one as he turned and sat just inside the entrance to the narrow passage. The place had been a favorite spot of his and his brothers' before they were old enough to actually drink in the tavern, and they had used the place as a spot to watch people pass by while they daydreamed.

Now, however, Mikula frowned and sat there, thinking. _This is a new wrinkle_, he mused darkly. _Not everyone who was missing after Kuamket was attacked was accounted for as dead... I know that some of them were probably just burned totally by the plasma flamers, but too many were missing if it was just that_. He had a sneaking suspicion that the villagers might be the same gatón now being held obviously against their will.

_I'll have to call this in_, Mikula knew. _But not just yet... First, I'd better go and see if they really are from Kuamket._ But then another thought entered his head. _Does it really matter, Mikula, which village they're from? Freedom isn't something to be parceled out to only those you know_. His ears practically rang with Alexis' words describing her epiphany, and Mikula had heard nothing but truth behind them.

_Not to mention I've heard all sorts of the same things for longer than Alexis_, he realized, thinking about how the humans of the Republic celebrated and cherished their freedom in all sorts of forms. _Songs, stories, discussions and laws... If they can fight for your freedom without knowing you or your family, can't you do the same for some gatón who don't deserve their fate?_

Mikula turned to the pack that he had left at his side, and he opened it and reached inside, reaching for the specialized radio that he knew could reach his friends in orbit. _Just need to find a high enough spot so that I can aim at the satellite._

The noise of the tavern door opening made him freeze, and his hand naturally drifted for the laser pistol that was also in his sack. But soon he saw that it was Senmar, and he relaxed as his brother came up. "Hi," he called out lightly.

"Hi," Senmar replied as he walked over to sit next to Mikula. They sat quietly for a few moments, Mikula having taken his hand empty from the bag, and they just looked out over the alleyway. Finally, Senmar looked at his brother. "We're going to help them, aren't we?"

Mikula nodded. "Aye."

* * *

It was much later at night when Mikula and Senmar snuck out of their room at the Laughing Daukner and crept along the nearly black shadows of the city streets. Most of the lamps that had been hung to provide illumination had run out of oil to burn by then, and unlike some spots in the Merchant's or Noble's quarters, the city's government didn't bother to refuel them until the next night.

Both of them carried two pieces of equipment; a compact sensor that included a Geiger counter and a toxic chemical detector, and a laser pistol each. Mikula knew that they'd have to get pretty close to the Citadel to get any readings, and even then, they wouldn't be on the weapons directly themselves. _Instead, we're looking for the trace amounts of leftover radiation that such weapons can leave behind._ He just prayed that the weapons hadn't been moved, or else the whole operation would have to be scrubbed. _Which means that those gatón would still be in irons_.

Still, he wouldn't let that affect his judgment. _As much as I'd like to help, I'm not going to have my friends waste their effort_. With that thought, Mikula led his brother towards the center of the city, where the quarters of the town came together at the Citadel and the main city Temple.

It was a relatively short time later when Mikula could inch his head around a residential building and look over at the darkened Citadel. He had asked about it from Yekar earlier, and he had relayed a story he had heard about strange lights inside the building that seemed to provide light without burning anything. Mikula knew that it wasn't a fanciful tale, but now he worried a bit at not seeing any of them lit up from the few windows in the Citadel's upper works. _You'd think that some of them would be awake_.

Even as he wondered at that, he saw a sentry patrolling along the rampart. Mikula's eyes narrowed as he made out the tall, flat-faced outline of a human. _But not just any human, a Wobbie_.

Mikula pulled himself back around the corner and made a few hand signals to Senmar. _Follow me, stay low and quiet_, he thought, mirroring the signals in his mind to make sure he'd kept them straight. Senmar nodded and with that Mikula snuck around the corner carefully, creeping in a half-crouch along the base of the building that they had crept up on the Citadel behind.

The sentry walked almost lazily along the rampart, and he didn't even stop to look over the edge at the obvious entranceways. Mikula, however, reasoned that the Wobbies probably had automated sensors, and therefore wouldn't bother to be too careful when all they expected in Tanzano was ignorant natives.

Mikula let himself grin a bit at that. _I'm not so ignorant now, you murderous bastards_. He then refocused his attention as he and Senmar approached the open street that stretched between the building they were using for cover and the beginning of the moat around the Citadel.

Pausing at the corner, Mikula peeked his head around slowly and checked up and down the street. The empty way showed nothing but shadows, and so he then concentrated on the moat just across the way.

Originally, he knew, it had been a wet moat, with a small canal cut from the river to admit water and to let the current keep it from becoming stagnant. Then the city had grown up around it, and the canal had been filled in to allow space for buildings, which left the moat a dry one, albeit a dry moat that had been augmented with a number of pikes sticking out near the opposite bank to prevent people from racing across it.

But the Citadel had grown with the city. No longer was the front gatehouse the only entrance, especially as the ruling nobles had their power plays. Thus, two additional entrances had been cut into the walls, and the moat filled in at those points to provide access.

Mikula looked at one of those points now, as it was only down the street to his left. He took another look around, scanning the ramparts, but he didn't see the sentry, though his ears told him that the man was still walking at a leisurely pace. Mikula then crept around the final corner to edge along the side of the building he was using for cover, though the side facing the Citadel had shops instead of the regular entrances for a simple residential building.

Mikula walked slowly forward, trailed by Senmar, and headed for a small alcove that served as an entrance to one of the shops. Although they were exposed, Mikula walked slowly to not make noise nor to draw suspicion should an unknown sentry or camera see them.

Finally, though, they drew into the deeply shadowed alcove, and Mikula took a moment to breath deep.

"So far so good, eh?" Senmar whispered, to which Mikula nodded. Then he reached into the large folds of his bulky coat and slowly pulled out his portable sensor. Taking another cautious look around, Mikula then turned the device on and adjusted its self-lighting controls so that he could see what it was reading without providing a beacon to the enemy.

Mikula trained the device along the side entrance, and he was surprised with an immediate positive. _I don't know what all these readings mean, but the Intelligence men told me the basics. That is the REM counter in the corner, and over there is the lasermetric analysis._ Both showed traces of radiation and chemical residue, respectively.

"Senmar, take out yours and make sure that mine isn't broken," Mikula said, surprised at success this early in their real mission. Senmar nodded and he, too, checked the area. "From what your friends told us, it looks like they're in there."

Mikula nodded. "It would be better if we could get in, but..." He sighed. "Come on, let's check the other entrances."

* * *

They had similarly crept along the other buildings circling the Citadel, and they had taken readings at each door. So far, all they found was that the first entrance they had looked at was the only one with the residue of WMDs near it. They returned to it now, nearly an hour later and again creeping into the alcove where they had taken refuge in before.

Senmar looked around as Mikula stared at the ground in thought. "So, what do we do next, brother?"

"I'm not too sure," Mikula replied. "The scanners show the trail to be too old for the Wobbies to have moved the WMDs... But I'd like to get inside the Citadel to make sure."

Senmar shook a bit, and Mikula realized that his brother had suppressed a loud snicker. "I, ah, don't think that's going to be likely."

Mikula shook his head a bit. "No, I suppose not-" He paused as an idea hit him. "Senmar, have you managed to talk to Kayla at all before your got dragged away in the army?" He asked, referring to the brothers' older sister.

Senmar frowned and shook his head. "No. I was far too busy, fighting fires and looters before I was went along for the ride." He sighed. "But even if she wanted to help, she couldn't. The council's been kicked out of the Citadel, remember?"

Mikula's ears went down a bit in embarrassment. "Damn, forgot. I guess we'll-"

A noise off to the left of the alcove brought him up short, and both lupar pressed themselves deeper into the shadowed alcove, Mikula naturally reaching for the laser pistol concealed in his coat.

It wasn't what he expected, as a trio of lupar crept around the opposite corner of the same building where the Farkas brothers were hiding. They too, were dressed in dark clothes, though unlike Mikula or Senmar, they carried daggers at the ready. Mikula scrunched his face in suspicion and he pulled his pistol out. Senmar followed along, equally nervous at the event, and he carefully held the Clan-tech Pulse Laser Pistol carefully in both hands, as he had been taught in the crash course he had gotten in firearms prior to the mission.

They watched as the group dashed quickly, quietly across the space between the building and the moat and they soon reached the entrance door. They listened carefully for a moment, and Mikula realized that they were straining to hear of the sentry was about. Then, when they heard nothing, they knocked on the door lightly. So lightly, in fact, that Mikula almost didn't hear it. The door creaked open, its hinges ungodly loud in the silent night. Mikula cringed and brought his pistol up in the ready position.

A gatón, surprisingly, appeared in the tiny crack between the door and its frame. "Give word," he said in badly accented Lupari, which made Mikula's face take on a look of extreme confusion.

"Tanz Karno," the man in the front of the group replied. "We're here for the next one."

Mikula strained his ears all the way forward. _What's this? A resistance group after all?_

The gatón nodded, and he disappeared for a moment. In his place, a lupar in baggy clothes squeezed out through the crack in the door, and Mikula realized just what was going on. _They're trying to save some of the hostages inside!_ His spirits lifted at knowing that his people had some fight in them after all.

Then his spirits dashed as two shadows popped up from the edges of the moat, the surface of their skin rippling with their movement, their arms holding shapes that Mikula easily recognized as submachine guns.

The lupar and the gatón who had reappeared at the door all froze. Then the three with daggers tensed for an attack, until one of the shapes uncowled his head. "Do not move!" He said in Lupari as badly accented as the gatón's, though in a different way. "Surrender!"

The group looked stricken, and they looked to their leader for any clues of what to do. The lupar at the lead seemed almost to be shaking in rage, and Mikula could sympathize with him.

"They don't look like they want to give in, Adept," the other man, still enshrouded in his sneak suit, spoke in English.

"No, they don't," the first man said. "Alright, let's waste them."

_NO!_ Mikula's mind raged and he brought up his laser pistol, aiming carefully for the man still in the sneak suit. _The one without the cowl will be easier to target on the move_, his mind coldly calculated as he pulled the trigger.

The pistol he had was a special model made for covert operations. It had sound bafflers and ultra-quiet capacitors that emitted no sound that even a Lupar's sensitive ears could hear, and the beam was attuned specifically to not reach the critical threshold at which a 'beam-trail' formed. As a result, the cowled man's head seemed to explode with a pop that was louder than the weapon used to kill him.

The other man's eyes widened, along with those of the caught lupar. He began to swing around to search the area, his submachine gun moving with his eyes. But Mikula didn't give him a chance, and he fired again, hitting the man in the chest, the beam drilling into his heart.

As the second Blakest fell, Mikula tapped Senmar on the shoulder, gave him a silent command to cover the group still standing in shock at the entranceway, and then he stepped out in a half-crouch. Walking like that, Mikula moved forward, his attention on the ramparts above, and his pistol swept along with his vision even as he crouch-walked forward at a fast pace. Senmar, he could hear, was right behind him, and his peripheral vision caught his brother aiming at the group.

The lupar at the door, to their credit, had stayed silent through the event, though they had moved to protect their charge, daggers held before them and at the two brothers who walked to within a meter of them. Mikula kept his pistol aimed towards the rampart, but he looked over at the leader of the group. "Nice night for a walk, eh?" He asked nonchalantly.

The two lupar flanking their leader gave Mikula strange looks for his flippancy, but the leader smirked grimly. "Indeed. And who are you two with such weapons?"

"Someone who knows better than to stand around at the scene of a fight," Mikula replied quickly and quietly. "If you're going to get out of here, I'd suggest following me and my brother into the Worker's Quarter."

The leader frowned at that, and he looked about ready to tell Mikula to bugger off. That is, until the baggy-clothed lupar they were protecting laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to whisper into his ear. Mikula tried to strain to hear what the cloaked one had said, but he couldn't divide his attention that well.

The leader turned and gave a strange look at the one behind him, and then he nodded and turned back to Mikula. "Alright, we follow you. But any trickery and I'll cut your muzzle off, understand?"

Mikula nodded grimly. "Good, now follow closely and try not to make the same noise you made coming around the corner of the building," he said, and then turned to Senmar and gave him a hand signal to watch the group's back. Then with a glance to the lupar behind him, he realized that something was wrong. "Where's the gatón that was helping you?"

The leader of the other clandestine group frowned. "He's inside. He can't come with because if he goes missing, it will tip our hand to the invaders."

Mikula frowned back, but he nodded and led the group off. They quickly half-walked, half-ran down dozens of streets and alleys, all the time Mikula was aiming for the Laughing Daukner. _Mrs. Reyka is a good person. She hasn't listened to the ruling council or their edicts in years, so I doubt she will balk at giving these people some temporary refuge._

Then they heard noises coming from the direction of the Citadel, and the group pressed themselves next to a wall in the alley they had been traveling down. Mikula recognized them as sirens, and he thought that the two ambushers had been found. Then he heard the wailing screech of aerospace fighters as they made an over flight just a few hundred meters above the ground level. He turned back, the smile still on his face to look at the leader of the other group and he winked at him. The other lupar frowned at Mikula, but the latter had then turned his head back towards the front and led the group on.

Noises came now from the buildings around them, as people woke up at the noise of the Republic fighters. Mikula hurried faster, hoping that the ones behind him could keep up. Finally, though, they entered the alley leading to the Laughing Daukner, and in a few moments they were gathered at the front door.

Mikula knocked on the door, knowing that at least one of the Reyka family would have been awakened by the noise. He heard some movement inside as someone walked down the stairs, and he turned around to scan the area once again. Senmar stood at the back of the other four lupar, his pistol aimed back down the alleyway they had come, while the three armed men from the mysterious group looked warily at the two brothers. Only the one dressed heavily to protect his appearance seemed even the least bit calm, and even he shuffled his feet.

_At least I think that's a he_, Mikula thought as he heard the door open behind him. He turned round in time to see the rotund Mrs. Reyka herself holding a short sword at the ready, the tip of its blade pointed right for Mikula's throat.

Mikula just grinned lopsidedly. "Hello, Mrs. Reyka. Are you open yet?" He asked, using the same words and innocent tone of voice that he and his brothers often had used in the past.

The middle-aged lupar growled lightly. "Mikula Farkas! Why am I not surprised it's you coming in amidst all this racket? And at a most ungodly hour!" She muttered hotly, but she lowered her sword and backed away, opening the door for the group. "Come in and you'd better explain."

Mikula nodded and he waved for the four strangers to go ahead. He and Senmar went in last after covering the alley and rooftops with their pistols before they, too, entered the tavern.

Mrs. Reyka bolted the door behind them, and she turned to face the six people who had come in. "So what's all this about then?" she asked, the sword still clutched in her left hand.

"Well, uh," Mikula started and he scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "It's kind of a long story."

"Please, don't hold back," the leader of the other four said from here he and the others stood, forming a triangle with Mikula and Senmar at one corner, and Reyka at the other.

The elder lupar gave the man a stern look. "So, you don't know them?" She brought her sword up and pointed it at the group. "Mikula and his brothers may be a pain in the ass, but I at least know they're not hoodlums."

The leader's face twisted in a silent snarl, though he obviously worked to keep his temper in check. "Given the circumstances, I shan't hold that against you," he said with an annoyed tone. "But you should know that you address nobility."

Reyka snorted. "I don't know you, nor do I care about any noble blood in you. What I want to know is whether you plan to be using those daggers tonight when I'm not looking?"

"Enough!" The cloaked figure behind the three dagger-armed lupar said, and Mikula realized that it was actually a woman. She laid a hand on the leader of the armed men and pulled him aside as she stepped through. "I can explain," she said and then took off the hood that had protected her features until now.

Mikula and Senmar gasped. "Kayla!" They said in unison, recognizing their sister instantly.

Kayla smiled. "About time you two recognized me. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about your older sister."

Mikula shook his head. "Never, but... How? Why? What?"

Reyka grunted and lowered her sword. "I think we all need a drink."

* * *

They all sat at two of the rectangular tables that had been pushed together to hold all of them. Over ales poured by Mrs. Reyka, they all listened as Kayla Argen, formerly of the Farkas family, told the story of how she had been taken as one of the hostages to ensure cooperation from the ruling council of Tanzano.

"It was terrible," she said in a soft tone. "They went through the house guards with some strange weapons that made their flesh tear apart, and they grabbed me and dragged me to the Citadel. I didn't even know what was going on until some of them learned Lupari and told us what we were being held for." She shuddered at the memory. "They were uncaring of anything but keeping us alive, and then only with the most basic needs."

Mikula frowned, hearing his sister describe the dungeon. His hand gripped the handle of his mug so tightly that he thought he would break it. _I wish it were a Wobbie's neck_, he thought as Kayla finally got to the part about the resistance.

"I got word of them through one of the gatón who had been thrown in with us," she said after taking a swig from her mug. "His name is Wargo, and he knew a little bit of Lupari. The Invaders didn't know that, so they had him out with the other gatón, using them as slave labor to unload the food they demand from the city.

"But one of the lupar delivering the food, apparently, tried talking to Wargo, and found out that he knew how to speak our tongue. So soon the resistance was in contact with him, and even under the noses of the guards, they made plans to get some of us out." Kayla then reached up and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry, it's just so wonderful that Wargo helped, even with all the nasty things that have happened between our people."

Mikula nodded. "The gatón are a surprising people," he said quietly. "So that's what tonight was about? They were getting you out?"

Kayla nodded, and the leader of the armed group - identified as Kayla's husband's nephew Marner - spoke up. "That was the plan, anyway, until we were ambushed."

"Thank the Gods you were there," Kayla said, smiling at her brothers. "Especially you, Mikula, since we heard you were dead."

Mikula grinned a bit and shrugged sheepishly. "Well, I came close, I'll admit. More than once, in fact."

"Indeed," Marner said, and he leaned forward a bit. "Perhaps, then you can explain _why_ you were there? And how you have some of the invaders' special weapons?"

Kayla reached up and laid a hand on her in-law, but Mikula sighed loudly, interrupting what she was going to say. "It is a long story. "He then turned to Senmar, who sat next to him. "Could you get our bags? I think it would help to show them everything we have."

Senmar nodded, and he stood - slowly, since the three men who had went to retrieve Kayla still had their daggers in easy reach and they showed obvious tension. Then he turned and walked for the stairs leading up to the second floor, and he disappeared.

"Since Senmar already knows the story, or most of it, I guess can start," Mikula said. Then he took a breath and relayed his story from the night of the attack up to their arrival in Tanzano, though all he did was go over the highlights.

"Then we met Yekar, and we finally came here to rest for our mission." He finished with a shrug. "We went out to search for the weapons that our friends wish to locate, and that's when we ran into you."

The other lupar, including his sister and Mrs. Reyka, gave him queer looks, which they extended to Senmar as he walked up, carrying their bags. "So let me get this straight," Marner said with disbelief in his voice. "You traveled with gatón, fought bandits, and met another set of the invaders who are not invaders at all, but want to fight them?" Mikula nodded. "And they want to help _why_?"

"Because it's right," Mikula replied with conviction. "Perhaps nobles can't understand the idea of a moral code, but these people can."

"You insolent pup! I should run you through," Marner said and he gripped his dagger more tightly.

Mikula leaned back and with a subtle shift of his hand, he easily brought his laser pistol to rest on the table, its end pointing at Marner. "You an try, if you want, but I would not recommend it."

Marner twitched, and he looked about to snarl at Mikula before Kayla grabbed his arm. "In case you haven't noticed, _nephew_, my brother is giving you a chance to leave here with your life, if you'll take it."

The harsh tone in Kayla's words brought Marner's head around to face her, and her stern visage made his ears fold back in embarrassment. He then turned back to Mikula and released his dagger. "Very well. But I'd like some proof that you're not working with the invaders."

Mrs. Reyka grunted from her seat. "If they were working with the Invaders, pup, we'd all be dead by now."

"Perhaps," Marner allowed, but then he stared hard at Mikula. "Or perhaps they're waiting for us to lead them to the rest of the resistance before they call their friends and spring a trap."

Mikula snorted. "Even the Wobbies aren't so foolish as to waste two perfectly good guards for me to kill. Much less risk damage to those sneak suits."

The use of the various unfamiliar terms made all the others pause to try and grasp the words. Mikula sighed and then continued. "'Sneak suits,' those fancy clothes the guards were wearing. Makes them invisible unless they're moving." He shook his head. "Look, we can sit here all night talking, but as a friend told me, 'a picture is worth a thousand words.'" With that, Mikula turned and picked up his pack from where Senmar had laid it on the floor.

Mikula moved slowly but surely, so as to not startle the others as he put the pack on the table. He opened it and slowly pulled out some of the more interesting technical devices, laying them out on the table.

The others stared in open curiosity as Mikula laid out first his regular, tactical radio, then some power packs, an MRE he had saved in case he needed it, the satellite radio with its folded dish, a music player that van Horn had given him and he had listened to on the walk in, and finally, a wristwatch Alexis had somehow managed to buy for him in Neo Tokyo. _Probably with Jennifer's help_, he mused, remembering a time when the two had disappeared from the others for a short time in the mall.

"What... Are these things?" Kayla asked first, and she stood to lean over to get a better view of the equipment.

"Thee are the technological trinkets that the Wobbies- The Invaders guard so jealously, and which my friends give so generously." Mikula said as he naturally reached for the wristwatch and began to fasten it to his left wrist. _Well, truthfully, most of this stuff is going right back to where it came from when we get back. Still, the fact that I'm trusted with it speaks volumes_.

The others just looked over the strange devices, and Kayla reached for the radio. Mikula, however, stood up and put a gentle hand on hers to stop her. She looked at him and he shook his head. "Sorry, it's just that if you press the wrong button on that, the Wobbies will know where we are."

"Why? What will it do, send a bright light up?" One of Marner's men asked, only half-joking.

"Not exactly," Mikula said as he released Kayla's arm and they both sat down again. "Something to that effect, though. So it would be fortuitous if all of you would refrain from messing with the equipment."

The three resistance members frowned, but Marner nodded despite that. "Very well. But I think that it's time that the big question be asked: What do we do now?"

Mikula shrugged as he began to put the various items back into his bag. "Right now, I think it best if we all get some sleep. Unless, Mrs. Reyka, you want us to leave?" Mikula turned his head to the elder lupar at that.

Reyka shook her head. "No, it's fine. I never didn't care for whoever was in charge," she said with a smirk on her muzzle. "Besides, I've prided myself on never turning away someone who needed help." She turned and nodded towards the other group at the table. "You're all welcome to stay if you wish."

Marner looked at Kayla, and then between his two men, polling them silently. Then he turned back to Reyka and nodded. "I think we would all appreciate that."

* * *

Alexis woke with a start, which was unusual for her. She looked around in the small tent, but all she saw was the inside of the polymer fabric and the rolled-up sleeping bag that Tanaka had used the night before. Now, the human's side of the tent was all cleaned up, and the only sign that the captain had slept there was her open overnight bag.

Alexis brought up her left arm and looked at the watch she had worn to bed. _0842 Hours? I overslept!_ She felt embarrassed and quickly began to get herself ready for the day.

A few minutes later, she stepped out, her uniform a bit mussed up, but perfectly serviceable. She pulled her service cap over her head to try and hide the fact that her hair was a mess, and then she looked around the camp.

Tanaka was nowhere to be seen, but the other three humans were gathered around the fire, which they had rebuilt up from the coals of the previous night's fire. Alexis could smell roasting meat, which she easily identified as the flesh of the daukner, which was a deer-like animal. Perplexed, she wandered over to the group.

Stein heard her first, and he turned around and then graced her with a smile. "Well, look who's up finally," he said with a chuckle.

The others turned and Alexis grinned sheepishly. "Well, if I hadn't been kept up by your snoring, then maybe I would've gotten enough sleep to be up on time."

They all chuckled at that, even Stein. "Good enough, I think. Well, pull up a seat. Amanda managed to snipe a tasty animal for some real food."

Alexis nodded as she walked up to where parts of the animal were hung over the fire on a makeshift spit. "It's called a daukner, and they're common hunting fodder," she said as she leaned over to grab some of the plasticware and scoured trays that the group had saved from their MREs. "Smells like it's cooked about right, too."

Carmike puffed his chest out at that. "That'd be my department, there."

Myers rolled her eyes. "Only because we don't trust you to aim a pistol and expect to hit anything smaller than your 'mech."

Carmike razzed her and Alexis and Stein chuckled again at the interplay. "Well, did either of you two look for the yeever plant?"

The other three humans looked at the gatón. "What's that and why should we have?" Carmike asked curiously.

Alexis grinned as she used her combat knife to slice some meat from the leg on the spit. "It's a spice my people use, and it grows around here. It adds a nice flavor."

"Well, how're we supposed ta know that?" Stein replied in mock indignation. "Not like we can read minds. Though..." He turned and looked at Myers. "Amanda here has been known to win a bit too often at poker."

Myers waved him off. "That's only because the rest of y'all couldn't bluff to save your lives."

Carmike grunted. "Bull. You gotta have some inroads with the psychic world, or somethin.'"

Myers looked up towards Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_. "Hey Cap! Tell these boys the truth!"

The external speakers crackled softly to life. "She's right, Freddy. Y'all're like an open book written in large print."

Stein looked towards the 'mech as well. "Lies!" He exclaimed jokingly. "Mandy's just cuttin' you in on her winnings, ain't she?"

"Mmmaaayybe." Tanaka's playful tone survived the speaker's metallic timbre. "Or maybe I'm psychic too and I don't want you two messin' up a good thing."

Everyone around the fire laughed at that, even Alexis. "Well, since you're psychic, captain," she called out towards the 'mech's broad back, "perhaps you could tell me where I can find a nice vein of gold to dig up?"

Tanaka chuckled back through her 'mech's speakers. "You got me there, Alexis. If I could find that sort of thing, I'd leave you suckers in a heartbeat!"

Again they laughed, and Alexis shook her head in mock rapprochement. "Well, if that's the way you're going to be, then I won't share with you the secret to making trees talk."

"Trees talk?" Myers asked cautiously, realizing that it was a setup but not being able to help herself.

Alexis grinned broadly. "Sure. You just tap on them and listen to their bark." Again they shared a laugh.

"Well, if you laughing boys are done down there, I'm bored and my ass is falling asleep. Myers, care to hop on up to your metal beastie?" Tanaka called out.

Myers nodded and stood up with a stretch. "Aye aye, cap'n. Just let me hit the little girl's room."

"Sure. Just hurry it up, 'cuz now you made me want to go!" Tanaka's amused voice rang out and then died abruptly as she turned off her speakers. Myers grinned and turned to walk downstream and over the bank of the ravine to disappear in the brush.

The other three sat back a bit and enjoyed their bit of time to goof off, Stein and Carmike chatting about some sports team back on New Honshu, while Alexis simply concentrated on her meal of daukner meat and a can of miniature flapjacks packed in syrup from a breakfast MRE left open for everyone to take something from.

While she ate, though, Alexis realized how easily she fit in. _Here I was last night wondering at how they can joke so easily, and here I am joining in with them_. The idea interested her, as it was another facet of her personality that she had discovered. _And here I used to be too shy to even take the Shaman's generosity when he had offered me his breakfast after coming back that fateful day_. She smirked as she took a bite from a spork that she was using to get the spongy food from the can. _And now I can trade insults with soldiers as if I were one_.

That thought made her pause in her chewing as the idea rolled around in her head. She then began to chew automatically as she contemplated the thought. _I've been given training as a soldier... I have fought in a battle, even been wounded... I've lived according to a regimented schedule, and now I'm volunteering for rough, dangerous duty far from home. I, _am,_ a soldier._

The thought was startling to her. _Just a few months ago, I would have never thought in a thousand years at being anything but an apprentice to Shaman Forbasa, or even finding a nice gatón man and settling down to have children. Now here I am... In all intents and purposes, a soldier._

Part of Alexis though that she should feel strange, even mortified at what she had become. _It goes against everything I've learned about my culture and my role in it. And yet... And yet, I feel _right_ being here._

At that moment, Alexis felt a warm feeling she hadn't had since at the beginning of her visit with her family in Hercor after her return to her homeworld. She knew, that at that moment, she _belonged_.

That warm feeling stayed with her throughout the day.

* * *

Mikula climbed unsteadily up the side of the building of the Laughing Daukner, his pack hanging on by its shoulder straps. _Should have done this hour ago, when the predawn light would've made it much harder for me to be seen_, he griped to himself as he used the roughly cut stones that made up the corner of the building to haul himself and his burden up. _Still, the roof of the Daukner ought to be high enough and still be blocked by the buildings around us so that the Wobbies can't see_.

The morning had started off better than he had hoped. His sister and her 'escort' had stayed long enough to eat breakfast, for which Kayla had insisted on paying for, despite Mrs. Reyka's protests. Mikula smirked, though, as Marner had to spend his own coin on not only their food and board, but Mikula and Senmar's as well. _I'm sure her husband will reimburse the asshole, but it was still gratifying to see him parcel out the gold and silver_.

After breakfast, they had left, though not before Mikula had managed to get her to describe to him as much as possible the rooms she had seen in the Citadel. She had even glimpsed the WMDs once, after being moved from cell to cell in the dungeon, and so he knew where the weapons would be stored.

_Well, that _should_ be them, anyway_, he grumbled as he pulled himself over the edge of the building's roof. _Kayla described them perfectly, but lots of things are metal cylinders or cases and aren't such terrible weapons._ He grunted as he crawled along the roof to keep people from seeing him, as he headed for a spot where he could make out a certain wall tower that would let him aim the radio decently. _Still, with the way the Wobbies smacked her when she looked, it was probably them_. Despite his mental attempt to avoid anger, Mikula could still feel that emotion rising in his gut, remembering again Kayla's descriptions of the Wobbies' abuses.

_Stop it, Mikula,_ he chastised himself. _Concentrate on your duty_. With that, he looked and soon found that he had the correct tower in his sights. He then unlimbered his pack and rolled on the roof so he could lie down and still work with the pack and its contents. In only a few minutes, he had the small dish for the satellite radio set up, and he waved it around a bit as he had been instructed, until he found the carrier wave by its tone in his earphones.

At that, Mikula smiled and then pressed the send button on the radio. "This is Firefly One One, calling Starbase. Firefly One One calling Starbase." He spoke in English; of course, using the predestinated callsigns that they had agreed on prior to beginning the mission, 'Starbase' not being a starbase at all, but it was a prefix for any of the numerous ships still in orbit.

He didn't have to wait long. "Firefly One One, this is Starbase Nine, please authenticate." The voice was female, and the number indicated that it was the USS _Twilight Tornado_, one of the _Diomedes_-class assault ships.

"Authentication Mike Alfa Alfa Foxtrot. Please reciprocate."

"Authentication Sierra November Alfa Foxtrot Uniform. We read you five by five, Firefly One One, go ahead."

Mikula smiled a bit, relieved that they were both who they said they were. "Firefly One One and Firefly One Three have flipped the bird. It is a turkey. I repeat, it is a turkey." Mikula's smile broadened a bit at the silliness of the code words, but he knew that they would make sure that, even had the Blakests heard the directed-beam transmission, and even if they broke the highly digitized code, then they still wouldn't have a clear idea of what was being said.

Silence reigned for a moment, and then another, more familiar voice came on through the radio. "Firefly One One, this is Juliet Actual. We have copied your transmission and are sending it care of ComStar. Hold your piggies in place and we'll see about making bacon."

Mikula chuckled. _Captain Ladavic has quite the imagination for codes_. "I read you Juliet Actual. Firefly One One also has an addendum."

"Go ahead Firefly." Ladavic's voice couldn't be robbed of its suspicion by the radio's effect. Mikula took a breath and then spoke again. "Firefly One One has confirmed the presence of eggs in the nest. Some are not homogenized."

Ladavic's voice came back after a few moments. "We read you loud and clear Firefly. Be assured we will be taking that into account. Victor Prime will be ready."

Mikula sighed with relief. "Thank you, Juliet. That is all Firefly One One has at this time. Over."

"Copy that. Over and out."

* * *

Ladavic floated from the main communication station and towards the command holotank. Once there, she secured her feet on the floor with her magnetic 'slippers' and then called for a visual transmission to be established with Firebase Hotel.

Within a few minutes, Major Kujira's face appeared on the screen. "Captain, I hope this is good news?" He asked hopefully.

Ladavic nodded and let a ghost of a smile cross her lips. "Our boy's come through. The WMDs are still in Tanzano and in the same place we figured." Then her face turned completely serious. "However, he also reports that there are more hostages than anticipated, and some of them are gatón."

Kujira frowned, but he nodded. "I see. Well, it's not as we hoped, but not as bad as we've feared." He looked over to his right, apparently consulting another virtual screen in his own, smaller holotank. "We should be able to accommodate this circumstance."

"Good," Ladavic said and then let out a breath. "Last thing I want to do is leave those bastards a convenient target within their own walls."

Kujira nodded sagely. "Don't worry, captain. Even if we can't get those innocents out," He raised a fist into view and balled it, "I assure you that they will be safe, no matter what shall need to be done."

Mikula hopped the last half-meter to the ground from his perch on the wall. The small fall was enough that he had to steady himself for a moment. Then he turned around to look, and then headed for the back door to the tavern.

He stepped into the kitchen entrance easily, and was greeted by the smells of a stew being slow-cooked in a nearby large kettle that sat over a wood-fired oven. No one else was in the room at the moment, though he knew that Mrs. Reyka would soon be back, and he decided that he shouldn't be in her way, so he walked out and into the front, main room to the tavern.

There he saw Senmar sitting at a corner booth, one where the bit of light coming in through the tiny, open-air windows seemed to not touch. Mikula wandered over and he sat down across from his brother, leaving his pack on the floor as he did so.

Senmar looked up as his older brother sat down. "So, you called them?"

Mikula nodded. "Aye. They'll be coming on schedule tonight, and then we can leave and go back home."

Senmar frowned at that. "And where would that be?"

Mikula was taken aback at the question, though he didn't answer right away as he realized that he wasn't quite sure. _I should feel like Shulana, and the new home my mother and Kanu have built... But yet, I don't feel that's home for me anymore_.

He realized, then, that it was probably because he knew that Alexis wouldn't want to end up there. _She loves her family still, and wants to mend fences, but right now, she doesn't want to be near Shulana. Well, except for the base-_

Mikula blinked at the thought and sat back in his seat. _The Base... It feels like home... Sorta..._ He thought hard, and then he pierced the source of the idea. _It's not so much the place, but whom I'm with. Alexis makes every place I've been to since that dark night months ago seem like... If not home, then something far closer to it than Tanzano or even Shulana feels like to me now_.

Senmar said something, and Mikula started. "What?" He asked.

His brother smirked. "You were thinking about her again, weren't you?"

Mikula blushed at that. "How could you tell?"

Senmar chuckled. "Because, you had a goofy look on your face and you were staring off into nothing."

Mikula grinned and then shook his head. When he did so, however, he saw someone out of the corner of his eye standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. Turning his head around quickly, Mikula saw Ayora disappear into the back room.

Another chuckle came from Senmar at that. "You have all the luck, you know that?"

Mikula turned back to his brother. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on!" Senmar looked surprised. "Can't you tell that Ayora's had a crush on you since she started menstruating?"

Mikula blushed deeply at that. "She's far too young for me."

"Oh, I know that and you know that," Senmar said with a nod. "And Ayora knows that in her mind. It's just her heart's a bit fuzzy on the idea."

Mikula grunted. "So I just upset her by talking about the one I truly care about? Greeaaat."

Senmar sighed. "Well, it could be worse. You at least know who you want, and you know she wants you, too."

Mikula grinned at that. "True, true."

Mrs. Reyka walked into the room then, looking around and she wiped a rag to clean some imaginary grime from a couple of tables as she wandered over to where the two brothers sat.

"So boys, how are you two doing after last night's insanity?" She asked as she pulled a chair up to the booth's table and sat down.

Mikula felt a bit uneasy with what Senmar had just said a few moments ago. "We're fine, Mrs. Reyka. Thank you for asking."

"'Tis not a problem," she replied gently. "But I hear from my sources that you seem to have a girlfriend."

Mikula's ears laid back in embarrassment. "This, ah, source wouldn't be someone that might be made upset over that, and therefore you've come to slice me up?" He asked, squirming.

Reyka laughed at that. "Mikula, you were always funny." She said and shook her head. Then her eyes grew a bit distant. "Yes, Ayora's had a crush on you for a while, and hearing about your friend has made her sad." She sighed at that. "But don't feel bad. She's known for years that you'd find someone else. Just had to hear something like this to get her to face up to it, I guess."

Mikula squirmed a bit more. "So you're not going to make me tonight's special?"

Reyka chuckled at that, and even Senmar smiled a bit. "No, Mikula, I'm not going to cut you up. I just came here to hear about your special little friend."

Mikula's ears again folded back and down as far as they would go, and he just looked away. Reyka then looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mikula. If you don't want to talk, that's okay," she said and leaned back in her chair. "I just wanted to hear a story that doesn't involve death or fighting or the invaders for a change."

"No, it's alright," Mikula said and turned his head back to her. "It's just... Who she is... Kind of is something that would make tongues waggle."

Reyka smiled broadly. "Oh? Gone and fallen in love with a noblewoman then?"

"Well... She's certainly noble in spirit..." Mikula said, and a bit of enthusiasm for the subject bled into his voice.

Reyka's smile decreased a bit. "Well, if not a noblewoman, then what's wrong that it makes you embarrassed so?"

Mikula turned his head and looked at the table, and Senmar decided to answer for him. "His special interest is a gatón," he said quietly.

"Oh..." Reyka's smile disappeared entirely, and she just looked surprised. "Oh Mikula. No wonder you're like this." She reached out then and laid a hand on his arm. "Well, don't think that it matters much to me. I'm not one to listen to those old stories, anyway."

"Thanks," Mikula said and smiled, reflecting the small one that had returned to Reyka's face. "But since when did you get so sentimental?"

Reyka chuckled and took her hand back. "I guess I never showed it before, but I always considered your brood almost like a shared one between me an' your mother, back when we were both young ladies waiting for our husbands to come back..." Her voice trailed off then, as she had lost her own husband as well.

Mikula nodded and continued smiling. "You honor me with your words. And I know mother felt the same way," he said and then sighed. "She told me how saddened she was that you didn't want to come with the others in the clan and leave."

"I figured she would be," Reyka replied with a small nod. "And it pained me to see the lot of them go, but I felt like I owed my dear departed Feker to stay and take care of the Laughing Daukner." She sighed again. "It was his dream to come back and run it with me when his service was over, and I felt like keeping it was keeping him alive."

Reyka then brought up a hand to wipe the tears that threatened from the corners of her eyes. "Now look at me, making a mess of my own face, making the conversation all about me." She finished drying her eyes and then smiled at Mikula. "What I want to hear is all about your friend."

Mikula blushed again, but this time he smiled too. "Well, her name's Alexis, and she's just about the most special person I've ever met." He then nodded to Reyka. "Present company excluded, of course."

Reyka chuckled at that. "Flattery might get you points, but it won't divert me. Tell me about this Alexis."

Mikula smiled and he sat back, telling of his love.


	29. Chapter 29

The night came fast, despite the relative lack of activity that Alexis and the others in the 'mech lance had to endure for the day. Now, however, Alexis was secured in Tanaka's cockpit, cooling vest and radio headset plugged in, helmet strapped on tight.

They were still waiting, however, as Tanaka and her lance were simply standing by until full night covered the pains, and the nightly jamming and aerofighter flybys would again confound their enemies and obfuscate the 'mechs as they made a speed run for Tanzano in support of Vickers' Vanquishers, who were even now en route to the soon-to-be-embattled Lupar city.

The eerie green of the HUD's light-amplification played over the interior of the cockpit, at times the tone matching the color of Alexis' main fur color. Tanaka had already joked bout the gatón disappearing into the wall earlier to pass the time, and now they just sat in quiet contemplation.

Alexis finally couldn't stand much more silence. "Captain..."

"Hmm?" Tanaka turned to face her passenger.

"If it's not too personal to ask, what are you thinking about right now?" Alexis tried to not sound too imposing.

"Oh? What brought this on?" Tanaka asked in surprise.

Alexis frowned a bit and she rubbed her left arm. "It's just that... This is really only the second time I've ever gone into any real fight. The first time, I was too scared or busy to think about it, but now..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over at the corner of the HUD, where the time was being displayed.

"Ah, I think I understand," Tanaka replied, and then shifting in her seat a bit to have a better view of Alexis. "You're worried, and you want to know if other people share the same thoughts and feelings?"

Alexis nodded and turned her head back to Tanaka. "That, and as well as how you deal with them, keep them from overwhelming you." Alexis looked down at her feet then. "I feel like I might be sick."

Tanaka chuckled softly. "Don't worry about that, Alexis. That's actually a fairly typical reaction."

"Really?" Alexis asked and looked back up at Tanaka, who smiled a bit. "Really. It's from the adrenalin flowing into your body. Even before combat, the sheer nervousness of waiting is enough to trigger your body's natural 'fight or flight mode.'" Tanaka then looked quizzically at Alexis. "I'm sorry, but I don't know if you've heard of that?"

"Yes, I have," Alexis replied with a nod. "My people recognize that sort of behavior too, though we just called it 'getting the shit scared out of you.'" She said this with a smile, and both women laughed at that.

"Oh, mercy. That's exactly like our expression," Tanaka said, trying to catch her breath. "And it's the same idea. Basically, you're so scared before things happen that your body starts thinking it might be time to get ready for some big mumbo jumbo." Tanaka smiled again. "But don't worry. It'll be over soon and we'll all be safe an' sound," she said, and then chuckled again. "'Course, then you'll feel like being sick again."

Alexis smiled back at that. "Well, then it's good that I ate a light dinner then."

Tanaka chuckled at that, and she looked about ready to reply when a beacon flashed on her HUD. She shifted her position back to face dead forward and her face took on a grim disposition. "Get ready, Alexis. The show's about to start."

* * *

Van Horn stood in his scout armor, gripping not his typical Heavy Gyrojet gun, but a smaller, easier to aim Combat Shotgun, which would be more appropriate for the tight confines of an ancient stone fortress. He carried a mixed load of slugs, incendiary AP cluster shot, and one pack of emergency, anti-battle armor discarding-sabot rounds, just in case.

_I just hope that the place is as clean of heavy stuff as we think. Otherwise, it's going to be bloody_. He knew that, as a Scout Armored trooper, he would have to go in first to not only find the lay of the land, so to speak, but also because it would be easier for him and the rest of the scout squad to move quickly inside the narrow passages of the fortress. In a raid, where speed is of the essence, such ability could mean the difference between victory, or crushing defeat.

The Assault Transport he rode in lurched almost violently, its pilot correcting to avoid a mountain as she hurtled the craft at an altitude that usually was the domain of birds and kites. The 185-ton craft bucked again even as van Horn reviewed this thought in his head, and he decided that they must be getting close.

This assumption was borne out when Lieutenant Vickers' voice rang out over the Platoon's frequency. "Alright you apes! I know some of you couldn't listen to a plan while sittin' on your ass, so I'm giving it to ya one more time while I have your undivided attention.

"Our mission is the retrieval of several Blakest Weapons of Mass destruction. I'm sure that y'all know how those cocksuckers tried that shit just the other night, so you oughta know that this mission _must_ succeed!"

Van Horn listened to a few murmurs that rolled through the radio channel as Vickers took a breath. But then the Lieutenant was speaking again. "In addition, there are several hostages held inside the fortress, all natives. We are to rescue them and evac them either into this here boat, or at least into the city. This may be a secondary concern, but the Vanquishers haven't failed a single secondary objective in twenty years, and I'll be damned if you chimp-brained rejects from a clanner's test tube are going to fuck that up!"

"Ooh-RAH!" The platoon replied as one, their voices echoing through the channel, and van Horn easily added his own to the chorus.

"Now that y'all're awake, here's the dirt. We drop over this old stone fortress," inside all of their helmets, their holographic HUDs morphed to show a three-dimensional representation of their target as Vickers temporarily overrode their controls. Symbols popped up whenever he added a new part of the plan "Sierra, Foxtrot, Bravo and Charlie squads are going to land on the roof. All the rest of y'all had _better_ land in the courtyard - that's you, Echo squad, so stay awake back there- Or outside the walls. Alfa squad will take the walls while Delta sweeps the surrounding buildings, while Bravo and Charlie keep a long-ranged lookout, or stand ready to help Sierra and Foxtrot squads. Sierra and Foxtrot, meanwhile, will be lookin' for what we came here for.

"You are to consider all human targets as hostiles. If it's got a tail, though, hold your fire until you confirm intent. I don't want any fuckups resultin' in dead civvies, you get me?"

"Ooh-RAH!"" The chorus again rang out, and Vickers nodded in his command suit as he returned the HUDs to normal. "Good. Any questions?" As usual, no hands nor voices rose, and Vickers nodded again, his helmet aping the movement. "Excellent," he said, and then the channel fell silent.

Van Horn stood hanging onto the specially made holds in the inner wall of the transport, keeping his balance as the craft pitched up again. The timer in his helmet finally approached zero.

* * *

Mikula stood with Senmar and three other lupar on top of one of the apartment buildings that sat next to the Laughing Daukner. Mikula and Senmar were there in case the op 'went south' as the humans liked to say, and their perspective would let them call in any surprises that the Blakests might have.

The three with them included Mrs. Reyka, who wanted to see for herself the strange things that she had heard about. The other two were Kayla, and Marner, the former coming because she wanted to see what her brothers had witnessed, and the latter because his uncle still wanted his wife protected.

They all heard the screech of fusion engines, and they looked up to see two streaks of light cross the sky, their rumbling setting the whole area vibrating as they passed. "What makes that noise?" Kayla asked.

Mikula grunted lightly. "Single-man craft that provide cover for the transport. It should begin soon." Then another, lower noise rumbled through the night, and Mikula smiled. "They're here."

* * *

Van Horn felt the transport tilt crazily back as the pilot brought it to a stop over the target. The bow ramp fairly flew down, and Vickers' voice screamed in his ear as he called for everyone to go. The first members of Sierra squad leapt out of the hovering craft, and van Horn followed right after.

The view was a chaotic one as he jumped from the Assault Transport. It had come to a stop thirty meters above the top, flat roof of the Citadel so that its VTOL exhaust wouldn't melt stone. Sierra squad fell most of the way down, hitting their jump jets at the last minute, landing hard but quickly. A Blakest pushed open a trapdoor that lead below, apparently trying to see what was going on. That mistake brought two bullets and a laser to his head, and his lifeless body tumbled back down the ladder he had used to climb up from the floor above.

Foxtrot squad followed next, their heavier Salamander armor making audible thuds as the five remaining troopers landed. Then, as worked out before hand, they and Sierra squad met up and broke into groups of three, each with at least one Salamander in attendance.

Van Horn and Castellano, given their medical training and the former's ability to speak the natives' languages, were assigned to head down furthest and into the subterranean dungeons, while the rest of the two squads searched the keep. With simple hand signals, van Horn led the other two to the edge of the roof, jumping off to descend on jump jets to the ground below.

The heavy Gnome armor of Echo squad already held half the interior space between the outer wall and the keep, the bodies of several Blakest troopers lying in awkward poses. A group of them, apparently having just emerged from the door van Horn had targeted as his entry point, had taken position behind what appeared to be a small shed-like protrusion from the main building. Their laser fire lit up the night, and it provided a nice beacon for the descending troopers to home in on.

Van Horn and Castellano fired as they landed, Sellers holding off because of his proximity to the other two. Dan hit first with his dual Rugan SMGs, sending a hail of lead into one of the Blakest troopers, felling him quickly as his insides were shredded like pulled pork.

Van Horn followed it up by firing an AP cluster shot. The large, ball bearing-sized slugs ignited as they left the barrel, leaving fiery trails through the air as they spread out to impact the woman trooper van Horn had targeted. Entering the woman's flesh from behind, they ripped through her spine and fractured, sending thousands of burning metal fragments to eat their way through every major organ.

The noisy deaths of the two soldiers caught the attention of the other Blakests, who spun around, aiming their weapons at the shapes that towered behind them. Laser shots leapt out, reaching for the Republic troopers.

One such beam flensed armor off of van Horn's left arm, and he automatically ducked to avoid another shot, even as he fired another shell, hitting his attacker in the head with the magnesium-coated projectiles, causing the hapless soldier's head to explode messily.

Castellano fire his dual SMGs again, this time on full auto, spraying a hail of lead that cut down the other two soldiers before they could re-aim for a better shot.

Van Horn pushed himself up from his kneeling position and he and Castellano spun about at a shriek that came from behind them. There they saw the clawed left hand of Sellers' suit buried in the chest of another Blakest. Life drained from the soldier even as Sellers took a half step back and cleared the door, pulling the body along with him before he shook his arm to free it. Blood and tissue fragments dripped from the hand claws as the blonde-haired body fell limply to the cobblestone ground. Sellers then waved with his right arm towards the door. "After you."

Van Horn started for the door, but Castellano put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Let me take point. My armor's not damaged," he said as van Horn turned his head to face the other trooper. The latter then nodded, and Castellano took only a second to reload his empty weapons before he moved around the corner and down the hall. Van Horn followed right after, and Sellers came in after them, moving sideways to cover their rear while they moved forward. Van Horn felt a thrill of hope as the passageway angled down, eventually coming to a junction.

"Looks like we're in the right spot," Castellano said over the radio after checking that both of the hallways that lead from the junction were clear. "C'mon, this one goes down," he said and then headed down the left-side passage.

Van Horn followed, though Sellers halted at the junction. "I'll hold here and keep the door open. 'Sides, I don't think I'll fit down there."

"Sounds like a plan," van Horn replied as he followed Castellano. "Just don't flame us when we come back up."

If Sellers replied, van Horn didn't hear it in his rush to catch up with Castellano, who had disappeared down a two-tier stairway that led deeper into the earth. Van Horn vaulted down the first flight, taking the landing easy despite the suit's bulk, before he turned to face down the next flight.

At the bottom stood Castellano, who crouched next to a small, wooden door, both of his SMGs held up and at the ready. His size seemed to mock the native-built door, and van Horn realized that his friend had to crouch just to fit into the now-narrow passage.

Then van Horn pushed the thoughts from his mind as he took the flight two steps at a time - which was actually cautious, since the lupar-sized steps were fairly easy to use at that rate. Reaching the bottom, he opened a channel to Castellano. "Got anything on sensors?"

Castellano shook his head. "No heartbeats, at least none human. Don't mean crap though, with these walls." He then turned his helmeted head to face van Horn. "We go through on three, you first since you got spread shot. Okay?"

Van Horn nodded as he moved forward in a crouch-walk, taking up a position on the other side of the door. "All right, but it's not going to be easy to move if the room's as small as this one."

Castellano shrugged. "If it was easy, the army'd be doing it," he replied almost flippantly. "One, two, THREE!" With that he slammed his right hand into the door, the enhanced-strength of the scout armor breaking it open easily.

At that, van Horn pushed himself forward and through the door, holding his shotgun up even as he landed in the next room in a roll that let him pop up into a crouch.

It was a fortuitous maneuver, as a guard fired several rounds from his conventional pistol at the moving black shape, missing thanks to the speed of van Horn's roll. The soldier-scientist had no qualms about returning the favor, and he fired two shots from his weapon, sending burning projectiles to slam into the hapless guard. The body of the man fell back, slamming against a table as it did so. With that, van Horn scanned the area with his suit-enhanced vision.

The room was a good eight and a half meters long, and its roof was tall enough to admit an unsuited human of average height. Along each long side of the room, which stretched away from the entrance, van Horn easily recognized the barred openings of cells. The far end of the room carried the only illumination, which came from a lamp that sat on a shelf on the far wall. Lying there, strewn across a fallen table, was the body of the guard, whom van Horn now realized had been a lupar.

"Clear," van Horn called as he crouch-walked forward, doing his best to ignore the movement of the people in the cells as they pushed against the back walls. Thanks to his HUD and its compressed projection, he saw Castellano move into the room behind him, SMGs covering both sides of the room.

Van Horn walked up to the lupar, and he felt a brief pang of guilt. That is, before he saw a patch, crudely made from native material, but showing a shape that, to his mind, should never have seen Bowman's Planet; the Word of Blake Militia insignia.

He suppressed a snort as he turned, standing a half-crouch to face Castellano. The latter raised his helmeted head to look at his friend. "How's the guy?"

"Dead," van Horn replied without emotion in his voice. "And it's no loss."

Castellano nodded and he turned to face the door. "Well, let's get these folks outta here," he said as he moved to cover the hallway beyond the entrance.

Van Horn turned and finally paid his full attention to the room's other occupants. Each cell held a mix of Lupar and Gatón, and both kinds of people looked dirty, haggard, and terribly scared. Van Horn's stomach twisted as he saw that all of the cells, apparently made only for two people, had at least four each.

_Keep it professional, Earl_, he reminded himself as he switched to his external speakers and spoke in Lupari. "Your attention please! Do not fear me or my friend, we're here to rescue you." He then repeated it in Gatonese.

The natives in the cells all grew looks of confusion, but van Horn pressed on. "I will open the cells. When I do, you all will follow my friend there," he paused to point at Castellano, and also to repeat himself in Gatonese. "He will lead you to the surface, where you'll be taken aboard a craft that will lift you to safety." Again, he repeated in the other language before continuing. "Follow all orders we give you; they are for your safety. If any of you need assistance, ask me, and I will help."

After he finished repeating it in Gatonese, van Horn slung his shotgun behind his back, securing it with his smart-strap. Then he reached to the cell door nearest him, and as the natives pulled back against the far wall, he yanked the cell doors from their hinges with a loud snap.

Before the natives in the cell could do or say anything, he moved on to the next cell, and then the next, repeating the same procedure as he took full advantage of his suit's myomer-enabled strength.

Only moments later, all the cells were open, and the natives began to slowly walk out. Van Horn looked over them to see if any needed help, whether they were going to ask him or not. _Good, they all seem healthy enough_, he thought as he turned towards Castellano and clicked over to the radio. "We're set to go, Dan."

"Good," Castellano replied and then began to walk out. "Keep herd on them."

* * *

Alexis held onto her seat for dear life as Tanaka pushed her _Guillotine IIC_ up to and even a bit past its maximum designed speed of 64.8 kilometers per hour. The beginning of the drop on the citadel was the signal for the 'mech lance to move up, hopefully to provide a distraction to the tanks and APCs hidden in the fields just outside of town. Thus, Tanaka drove her 'mech and her lance hard, broadcasting their presence with full active sensors and in the case of the _Guillotine_, a spotlight blaring out across the plains.

The gatón felt like her teeth were going to fall out, so badly she was being shaken. _Why the Hell didn't I stay behind?_ She wondered naturally. Then another thought interrupted that idea. _Because you're no coward, damnit!_

"Here we go," Tanaka said quietly, grinning. Then she opened a channel to her fellow mechwarriors. "Alright boys and girls, they've taken the bait. We got three Vedettes, a Bulldog, and a Scorpion. Carmike, take the Scorpion, but keep your eyes out for infantry or APCs; they'll be your priority. Myers, take that bird of yours and get under the Vedettes' guns. Stein, hammer that Bulldog at range with those expensive weapons of yours. I'll go in on the Vedettes with Myers, but you boys holler if'n ya need help. We go with attack pattern Delta-Two-Two-Juliet. Any questions?"

"Just one cap," Carmike's voice came though, and Alexis could hear it thanks to her own headset. "How do you want your Wobbies: Baked, fried, or filleted?"

"Funny, boy." Tanaka replied, trying to sound stern. Alexis, though, could see the grin on her face. "Surprise me." With that, Tanaka cut the transmission and focused on her HUD. "You ready, Alexis?" She asked as the distance rolled down.

Alexis nodded her head. "As I'll ever be."

"Good," Tanaka's face took on a predatory look that made Alexis want to shiver. _Such aggression_, she thought. _Thank the Maker that I fight with them and not against them_.

A beeping noise then began, and Tanaka smirked. "Here we go," she said, and then she spared a glance at Alexis. "It's gonna get hot in here."

"Don't worry about me," Alexis replied. "Just do what you'd normally do."

Tanaka continued to smirk as she shifted her 'mech's weight a bit. "You're not gonna like it," she said. Then she brought the _Guillotine IIC_ to a jarring stop, taking only a few steps to accomplish this. Alexis held onto the seat and tensed as she saw the human move the targeting joysticks.

Tanaka took careful aim at the lead Vedette, moving her now-steady crosshairs over the turret of the design. She took in a half-breath and then pulled on the triggers. A wave of heat began to roil up from below as the twin Large Pulse Lasers in the 'mech's right arm sent stuttering streams of coherent light out through the night, their image trails pulsing out an eerie red light.

Both streams of light hit their target, Tanaka's sudden stop having given her enough concentration to aim more effectively. She watched through the magnified image on her HUD as the beams lashed over a ton and a half of armor from the turret, the melted metal composites running down in streams that left the area devoid of protection.

Then the ER PPC in the 'mech's left arm flared to life, its accelerator coils glowing an iridescent blue before they discharged, sending a blindingly-bright azure stream of furious energy outward to slam into the front armor glacis of the 50-ton tank.

Heat flooded into the cockpit as Tanaka sent her 'mech running off again, cutting to the right to present a harder target in case the Blakests had retrofitted their tanks with longer-ranged weaponry than was the norm. Thanks to that, she saw Stein's _Grizzly_ begin its fusillade, lashing out with its own Large Pulse Laser at the Bulldog, and soon following it up with the actinic flash of his Gauss Rifle and a spread of LRMs. The laser melted whole slabs of armor from the tank's front armor, while the LRMs splashed their dirty-orange explosions all over the turret and front. Tanaka winced, though, as the gauss slug passed the tank by mere meters, flying off to bury itself down range in a field.

Tanaka turned her 'mech back towards a second Vedette, intending to cover Myers' _Corvus_ until it could get into range. She kept her machine running, despite the heat buildup that had edged her heat monitor up into the low yellow band. "You okay Alexis?" She asked of her passenger, not being able to spare a look.

"I'm fine," the gatón replied, somewhat strained but sounding strong nonetheless. Tanaka just nodded absentmindedly as she brought her 'mech's arms back up for another salvo. _Better leave off the PPC this time. It'll just make me hotter and it won't be that accurate anyway_, she thought as she pulled the triggers on her right joystick.

Only one laser hit this time, though it slagged armor off of the front of the targeted tank, causing it to hastily bring its turret around to point at the charging 'mech. Tanaka's movements had brought her close enough, and the Vedette's gunner fired his autocannon, sending shells sailing out at the Republic 'mech.

Tanaka grimaced as the shells skimmed just above the top-mounted searchlight her 'mech mounted. With a quick flick of her wrist, on her command console, she snapped it off.

Off to the lance's right flank, Stein again fired on the Bulldog, though this time he was the one who had stopped his 'mech for a more accurate firing solution, and his Gauss Rifle flashed out a projectile that slammed into and then through the weakened front armor. Then a flight of LRMs sailed into the gap, their fiery blasts eating away at the inside of the medium tank. Suddenly, the explosions grew in intensity, and Tanaka realized that the tank's ammo stores had been set off. The firecracker-like chain of explosions sent the turret flying into the air just as the fuel tank let go, and the hull of the 60-ton tank was warped as the hydrocarbon fuel exploded and burned.

Off to the left, Carmike had finally gotten his first hit of the evening, managing to lay his Extended Range Large Laser straight into the turret of the Scorpion light tank, slagging armor and apparently spooking the gunner, who missed with his autocannon.

Myers, meanwhile, simply ran forward, her 'mech shrugging off a stream of light autocannon shells from one of the Vedettes as if it was a light breeze. Then, light flared from the rear of her 'mech's torso as the jump jets lit up. With a grace that seemed impossible for the stocky, squat 'mech, Myers flew it across one hundred twenty meters of plains, eventually landing in one of the farm fields on the outskirts of Tanzano.

"Hang on!" Tanaka called to Alexis as she shifted her 'mech's center of gravity forward, slamming down on the jump jet pedals at her feet. With a rumbling akin to that of a waterfall in flood, the _Guillotine IIC_ took to the air, flying forward and towards the enemy. Tanaka aimed a bit to the left of center, heading for the Vedettes.

With a skill born of near-constant practice, Tanaka bent her 'mech's legs at the knees just before landing, letting them absorb the shock as seventy tons of armor, weapons, plasma and flesh came back to ground. Moving her joysticks even as she brought the 'mech erect again, Tanaka targeted the second Vedette she had attacked that night and fired.

Two streams of pulsing coherent light lanced from the _Guillotine IIC_'s right arm and into the side armor of the tank, melting it all away and beginning to eat at the internal structure. Seeing this opportunity, Tanaka fired her torso-mounted medium lasers and short-range missile rack. The lasers reached out, one slagging armor from the turret of the Vedette while the other burned soil into sterilized glass just behind the treads of the battered vehicle. Of the SRMs, three hit, one slamming into the turret, blasting more armor off there, while the other two rammed into the breech made into the Vedette's side. The explosive warheads on the missiles blasted through the last of the internal supports and then ate into the middle of the tank. A gout of flame blasted back out from the open wound even as the Vedette shook itself apart.

A stream of autocannon shells then impacted on the _Guillotine_'s right arm, and Tanaka checked her HUD to see the first Vedette that she had attacked racing backwards in reverse, but still managing to chip away at her armor. Before she could even think about countering the attack, Tanaka saw Stein's _Grizzly_ land on its own ion jets off to her right, firing its pulse lasers and gauss rifle as it did so.

The Large and Medium Pulse Lasers sliced through the tank's turret, melting the autocannon and causing the superstructure to fold in on itself. Then the slug from the gauss Rifle slammed into and through the tank's front glacis, tearing the entire inside into goo-covered scrap metal.

Off to the left, Carmike had managed to blast the turret off of the Scorpion, which was now trying to race away even as the _Wyvern IIC_'s LRMs slammed into its rear armor. Myers, though, stole the show, finally able to bring her potent arsenal into play.

With an apparent casualness that seemed out of place on the battlefield, Myers brought the massive autocannon that formed her 'mech's right forearm to bear on the third, untouched Vedette. Even as the tank sent a hail of bullets from its machine gun and a stream of shells from its autocannon to blast armor off of her torso, Myers triggered a double-burst from her ultra autocannon.

The effects were astounding as the stream of shells ate into the front armor of the Vedette, tearing away more than a half ton of composites and sending a shudder throughout the medium tank. Then Myers walked the cannon fire up, and an equal amount of armor was ripped from the turret. She followed the devastating attack up with a flurry of laser blasts from her left arm Medium Pulse Lasers, both eating into the turret armor, melting the last of it and finally blasting the blocky structure from the top of the tank.

The Vedette's driver panicked, and he slammed the vehicle into reverse, trying to get distance between himself and the _Corvus_. This, though, brought it into the path of Tanaka's _Guillotine_, and she let loose with her particle cannon and medium lasers, all of which blasted the tank's left side armor, eating into and through it. A stray burst of heat energy superheated the fuel tank of the Vedette, and it exploded, tearing away the rear of the vehicle and sending globs of burning petroleum raining about.

With that, the field was quiet, as Carmike had finally finished off the fleeing Scorpion. Tanaka looked over the status display that was laid out on her primary monitor, and she was pleased to see that her 'mech had only suffer some slight armor loss and overheating.

_Overheating_... The thought made her realize that her entire body was covered in sweat, a fact that she hadn't recognized during battle. It also reminded her of her passenger, and she turned to look at the gatón. "Alexis, are you okay?"

Alexis nodded from her seat. "I'm fine..." She said in a quiet voice. "I'm just... hot... And a little bit amazed," the last she spoke with a slight smile, or so it seemed to Tanaka, as Alexis was panting as her body struggled to release heat.

Tanaka felt a pang of guilt at that realization, but she forced it down. "Well, glad to hear it," she said and then turned to her console to open a channel to her lance.

She never got the chance, as her computer automatically cut in a transmission labeled with a priority status. "Vanquisher One to Oni One, we need some help now!"

* * *

Van Horn followed the last of the native rescuees - who numbered twenty-one total - out of the keep, his head scanning left and right. Behind him, Sellers backed his Salamander suit along the passageway, covering their backs should any Blakest soldier be stupid enough to try and follow the group.

The anthropologist-turned-back-to-soldier waved a hand to get the natives' attention, which they gave with trepid eyes and body language. "Listen up. I want all of you to wait right here. Sit down if you have to, but be prepared to move quickly." He repeated himself in Gatonese, and then he switched to his suit radio. "Sellers, anything pops its head down that corridor, flame it."

"Gotcha Doc," the incendiary trooper replied. "Just keep the ones out here offa my back."

Castellano let out a dark chuckle. "I don't think we'll need to worry. The Lieutenant's got this place locked down tighter than a frog's ass in a watermelon seed fight."

Van Horn smirked at his friend's use of the old joke. "Which reminds me, I need to call the Boss," he said, using the nickname that Vickers had amongst other M.I. "You two keep an ear out, okay?"

Castellano nodded his head, while Sellers simply continued to watch the hallway. With that, van Horn switched his HUD to comm mode and opened a link to Vickers. "Lieutenant, we have the hostages safe and sound."

A moment went by and van Horn wondered if he should jump up and go looking for Vickers. Then the radio cackled to life with the Lieutenant's voice. "Copy that van Horn. How many ya got?"

"Twenty one, sir, mixed Gatón and Lupar. However, none seem too worse for wear, so they shouldn't be any more of a drain than hoped for." Van Horn knew that it was good news, as mild as it was.

Vickers grunted. "Good, stand by." With that, the radio closed, and van Horn switched his HUD back to normal, turning to look over the natives as he did so. He felt a bit pained when he saw some of them cringing in fear whenever his helmet's front passed near them. _Damnit, what did those murderous bastards do to them?_

Before he could wonder any more, the cackle of a wide-band transmission broke in. "Incoming! APCs and tanks!"

"Confirmed, two wheeled APCs, standard model, moving up from opposite directions along the main road." The second, more cautious voice van Horn recognized as being the corporal in charge of Charlie squad.

"Alfa squad reporting, I have a Galleon Light Tank, model 100, moving up from the south."

"Foxtrot, Sierra," Vickers' sure voice rang out, casting a spell of silence on everyone else speaking on the platoon-wide channel. "Continue with the retrieval and guarding of the primary and secondary objectives. Delta, take up positions to ambush that Galleon, hit and fade. All other squads take to the wall ramparts. I've already called in the mechjocks, so just hold on a few moments and we'll be green."

* * *

The group on top of the building had soon been joined with others who lived there, and they could see other such knots on several other buildings within easy sight.

Mikula frowned at the curious. "They shouldn't be out here," he muttered where he and the original group stood huddled together. "It isn't safe."

"Then why are we up here, then?" Kayla asked from beside her brother. "You didn't seem too worried when it was just us."

Mikula frowned as he looked at his elder sister, who was slightly shorter than him. "I worried then, for you and Senmar Mrs. Reyka and even Marner. But I figured that we could get down quickly if we had to. But these people," he glanced over at the knots of lupar residents who apparently hadn't noticed the better-dressed strangers in their midst. "They will make it harder for us to leave, as well as making it impossible for them to do so."

Kayla looked about ready to argue when Senmar reached out with a hand. "Mikula, look!"

Mikula turned his head to follow Senmar's pointing, and he blinked when he saw what was rolling along nearby, rattling the building even as he watched. "Oh, shit," he said and then turned for his pack. Kneeling, he quickly reached into the sack and searched for his radio.

"What? What is it?" Marner asked this, obviously concerned for his charge.

"It's a damned SRM carrier!" Mikula had memorized a few tank silhouettes prior to the mission, having taken it quite seriously. "What the Hell is that?" Marner asked, clearly confused.

"It's something that can kill everyone in Tanzano if it's loaded with Infernos," Mikula replied as he yanked the tactical radio free. He quickly turned it on and set it to find the local common frequency that the Republic was using. Within a few seconds, it connected into the digitally secured battlenet and he hit the 'send' button. "This is Firefly One One to any Command! I have a sighting of an SRM carrier in the southeast. Authenticate Mike Alfa Alfa Foxtrot."

A strong female voice then came over the radio. "This is Oni One, Firefly One One, authenticate India Lima Papa. Please repeat your report."

Mikula ran his free, left hand through his hair as he replied. "Firefly One One has confirmed visual sighting of an SRM Carrier in the Worker's Quarter. That is the southeast quadrant of the city, and it is moving towards the objective."

"Copy that, Firefly. We're inbound, but we'll need a few moments. Can you slow 'em down?"

Mikula blinked and almost rejected the question. Then a thought popped into his head. "Affirmative, Oni One. I'll call you later." He then turned off the radio and looked back to the others.

Only to see that they were all staring at him like he was a madman. "You speak their language?" Marner asked, having recognized the English words as the same as the Blakests' tongue.

Mikula simply frowned as he grabbed his pack and then headed for the corner of the roof, where he knew some rope was always placed so that residents of the building could escape in case of a fire.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Marner called out, and the others soon followed Mikula to the corner. The latter glared at them as they came close. "I'm going to help. I'd suggest you stay here." With that, he turned and tossed the escape rope over the edge of the building. As he began to grab the rope for his descent, however, a hand grabbed his arm, and he looked up.

"Mikula, don't be going off and getting yourself killed," Reyka said sternly and brought her hand away from the other lupar.

Mikula smirked at her. "Don't worry, I won't." With that, he began to slide down the rope. Soon, he was on the ground, listening as the residents above finally began to question the group he had been with. He ignored them, however, and he simply ran along the streets, pausing in his path only to climb a lamppost so that he could grab the oil-fed lantern that hung from it. He put the flame out and then was on his way again, tearing strips of fabric from the sleeve of his coat as he ran and held onto the lantern. He paused in his pursuit of the missile carrier to carefully pour some of the oil onto the rags he had made, and then he stuffed them into the opening he had made by ripping out the wick holder.

_Amazing, the effective things you can make when you know how_, Mikula thought with a grim smile as he followed the sound and vibrations of the SRM carrier. Knowing where it was headed, he managed to take a shortcut and arrived at an intersection just ahead of the Blakest vehicle.

Mikula pressed himself against the corner of a shop building as the 60-ton vehicle passed by. He was worried about infantry tagging along with the weapons-carrier, but he saw nor smelt none, and so he leapt after the tank after it had passed, racing for it.

With a strength borne of adrenalin, Mikula caught up an then jumped onto the back of the tank, hanging onto the exhaust tube of one of the missile racks to keep from falling off. With a quickness born of being scared out of one's mind, he scrambled around the boxy missile launcher holder, heading forward on the carrier even as it took a turn.

Then he was at the top crew hatch. Lying down, he grabbed onto the side of the circular door with one hand, Mikula wedged the lantern between the hatch's cupola and an armor plate to free his other hand. Working quickly, he reached into the folds of his coat and pulled out his covert laser pistol and then placed its handhold in his mouth, gripping it with his teeth so that he could dial the pulse duration down to its shortest level and flip off the safety. Then he took it out of his mouth with his free hand and aimed it carefully so that it would only hit the oil-soaked rags on his Molotov cocktail, and fired.

The rags burned to incandescent life, and Mikula yanked himself to a sitting position. He then banged on the top of the hatch, and then let it go so that he could use his left hand to pick up the burning Molotov.

As expected, one of the Blakest crewmen pushed the hatch open from the inside. Unlike the cheesy holodramas, though, he came up aiming his pistol for whomever had made the noise.

But Mikula was already moving. Sliding around the side of the hatch even as it opened, he managed to catch the Blakest on his bad side, and a quick shot burned through the man's temple, sending him to fall back into the vehicle. Then Mikula threw the Molotov into the open hatchway as hard as he could, and he smiled savagely when he heard the fragile lantern break open inside.

Yells of alarm came from the tank and it ground to a halt. Mikula stepped back along the hull, pressing himself against the missile racks as smoke poured from the open hatch. Then a figure interrupted the smoke stream as another crewman pulled himself out of the tank, coughing violently. Mikula shot him dead almost as soon as he had crawled from the hatch, and the body limply sprawled across the top of the tank.

Then the entire vehicle shook with a small explosion. Mikula felt a moment of panic, thinking that the ammo had begun to cook off. Then he realized that the noise had come from the front of the vehicle, and he crept along the top until he could get a good look.

He was surprised to see part of the front armor glacis laying on the street, not realizing that the SRM Carrier had an emergency escape hatch built there. The other two crewmembers, having triggered the explosive bolts to make good their escape, had already staggered out, though unlike the last crewman, they already had their pistols out and they were quite aware.

Mikula decided to attack anyway, and he fired at the nearest crewman, who actually turned out to be a woman. The non-luminescent laser bolt burned a hole into the woman's right bicep, and she yelled in pain and anger as she dropped her hold-out pistol. Her crewmate, however, managed to see Mikula, and he brought his own weapon up and fired.

The nine-millimeter bullet flew between the two antagonists in a second, and it slashed into Mikula's left side. The lupar yelped in pain and lost his balance, falling onto the top of the tank. It was a fortunate happenstance, however, as the Blakest tanker fired two more shots, sending their hot lead to fly past Mikula harmlessly.

Mikula ground his teeth together as he mentally pushed back the pain. _Duty first, then you can indulge in feeling pain!_ He mentally chastised himself. Then he heard footsteps coming around the tank on both sides, and he realized that the Wobbies were trying to come for him.

Mikula rolled to his - and the tank's - right, eventually coming to where the hull bent down to meet the treads. A shape was moving along from the front, its right arm hanging limply at its side, while the other arm was held up at waist level. Mikula didn't have to see through the dark shadows of the night and smoke to know that it held a pistol, and he aimed and fired, sending a beam into the left chest of the tank's crewwoman, her yell of pain cutting short as her left lung filled with her own blood.

The yell attracted the attention of the other tanker, who yanked himself on top of the smoking SRM Carrier to face his attacker directly. Mikula saw this out of the corner of his eye, and he tried to roll to his right again to bring his pistol hand around.

Unfortunately, he forgot that he had run out of room, and he rolled over the edge of the tank and fell a meter and a half to the ground below, hitting the cobblestone pavement with a brief yell of pain. His grip went loose for a split second and the pistol flew out to land twenty decimeters away.

The Blakest wasn't far behind, and he scrambled over the tank and hopped off the side to land in front of Mikula in a crouch. He held his pistol aimed straight for Mikula's head, and the latter thought that he was surely about to die. Then the Blakest blinked his eyes for a second. "It's one of the dogs..." He muttered, apparently surprised that a native could have disable his vehicle.

Mikula pushed himself up, and he twisted his face in anger. "I ain't no dog, boy," he spoke in English, deliberately using the bad grammar of the Republic soldiers. "Why don't you drop that pea-shooter and come get some." He snarled and bared his teeth as he spoke.

The Blakest looked incredulous for a moment, but then his face tightened into a mask of rage. "When Hell freezes over, infidel," he said and re-aimed his pistol to point at the spot between Mikula's eyes.

Then a trilling noise came from behind the tanker, and his face erupted in shock. Even as Mikula watched, the life drained from the man's eyes and he fell forward, falling just short of where the wounded lupar lay.

Looking down the street, Mikula saw Senmar and Mrs. Reyka standing at the last street corner, the former just bringing his conventional laser pistol down from a firing position. A look of astonishment was on both of their faces, but Senmar recovered quickly, and he ran to where Mikula was starting to stand. "Are you alright?" The former called as he approached.

Mikula winced in pain as he stood erect, and Senmar's eyes grew wide as he came up next to his brother. "Oh my Gods, you're wounded!" Senmar said upon seeing the bloody hole in Mikula's side.

Mikula did a mental check of the area, and then he slowly probed it with his left hand. He winced in pain as he felt the wound. _Shallow, isn't bleeding too terribly bad..._ "I'm fine, Senmar. It's a flesh wound."

"Ye gods!" Reyka said as she walked up slowly, her short sword pointed at the now-dead tanker that had nearly taken Mikula's life. "I've never seen anything like that!"

"What?" Mikula snapped. "How long were you two there?"

"Long enough," Senmar replied. "Come on, let's get you back to the Laughing Daukner and take care of that wound."

Mikula grunted in reply, and he let Senmar help him along. They passed through the streets quickly, though Mikula brought them to a halt when they came across the intersection where he had encountered the SRM Carrier. "What's wrong, Mikula?" Senmar asked worriedly.

Mikula just half-limped over to where he had dropped his pack. "Need to call someone," he said and he took the radio out from the pack and turned it on. "Firefly One One calling Oni One, please respond."

* * *

"Oni One here, Firefly, go ahead." Tanaka replied as she maneuvered her _Guillotine IIC_ as close to the southern gatehouse of Tanzano as possible. She spared a glance to Alexis, whose face showed worry and concern. _She can hear the pain in his voice too_.

"I took care of that problem for you, after all," Mikula's pained voice came through. "Got a bit of a wound, so I'm going to be out of it for a while. So take care of our friends for me, okay?"

"Copy that Firefly," Tanaka replied, pursing her lips. "How badly are you hurt? I can call in a pickup for you if needed."

"I'm fine, Oni. Just a flesh wound. Hurts like Hell, but I'll be okay." Tanaka could hear a resonating sigh of relief at the news come from her left, and she couldn't help but smile a bit. "I hear that, Firefly. Just stay safe and we'll get back to you. Over an' out."

"Over and out," Mikula replied, and then the carrier wave changed as he turned off his radio. Tanaka turned over to look at Alexis. "I'm sure he's fine."

"I know," Alexis said with a small, though strained, smile. "Mikula's a terrible liar, even over the radio."

Tanaka flashed a smile back. "Glad to hear, now," she turned her radio to another frequency. "Okay, Oni Lance, everyone in position?" She paused and heard a short chorus of affirmatives. "Good, move out!" With that, she cut the radio and hit her jump jets.

The 70-ton 'mech rose on a column of fire and smoke, leaping over the gatehouse to come to a landing on the relatively narrow street on the other side. Tanaka took a moment to make sure that the street was clear of any hostiles or noncombatants, and then she started forward.

Even as the MechWarrior concentrated on her goal, Alexis spent a moment to look over the city. _Such a nice city, even when compared to Neo Tokyo. I wish that my first visit here wouldn't have been under such circumstances_. She watched the tops of buildings, noting the lupar who gathered there, staring open-mouthed and pointing at the 'mech as it paraded down the street.

Then a threat indicator popped up on Tanaka's HUD, and Alexis shifted her attention back to more morbid thoughts. _What sort of death machine is that now?_

Tanaka easily recognized the alphanumeric code attached to the indicator, however. "There's our target," she said grimly as she brought her 'mech to a stop. "He's on the next road over. Hang on." The last was addressed to Alexis, as Tanaka turned her 'mech and then hit the jump jets again. She angled the ten-meter war machine up and over a low set of buildings, coming to rest on the next main street over.

And down the way, a Galleon light tank was firing its lasers at a series of shapes that bounded further towards the city center. Tanaka spared only a split second to make sure that the street ahead was clear of natives before she spitted the 30-ton vehicle on her weapons' crosshairs, and then fired.

The ER PPC streamed out first, its hellish energies reaching across the hundred-meter gap to impact the rear armor of the light tank. Spears of molten metal splashed from the tank, covering the area behind it with globs of rapidly cooling slag.

Then Tanaka triggered her ER Medium Lasers, sending one to melt sheets of armor off of the Galleon's turret, the cooling metal leaking into the ring mechanism and freezing it. But that damage paled when the second medium laser sliced through the last few kilograms of armor on the tank's rear, coring into the engine and power amplifiers. With a flash, the vehicle died completely and stopped moving. A split second later, hatches opened and the crew began to bail out, running for a safety that they would not know, for tracers and laser beams reached out from their former prey to kill the Blakests to a man.

Tanaka walked her 'mech forward, careful of the narrower street she strode down. "Oni One calling all Onis, what's goin' on boys?"

"One, this is Three," Myers' voice rolled in first. "Got nothin' here, movin' for the objective."

"Two here, cap." Stein was next. "Splashed that APC, squished some PBIs."

"Same here One," Carmike spoke up. "APC blasted, roast PBIs everywhere."

"Cut the chatter, boys, and keep it professional," Tanaka spoke harshly. _Don't you fuckers go trigger-happy on me_. She waited for three subdued 'ayes' to come through before she spoke again. "All right, everyone head for the fortress, take up defensive positions."

Tanaka cut off the radio after her lancemates' confirmations, and then she turned to Alexis. "Feel like making a bit of a broadcast?"

Alexis blinked in surprise. "I guess. Why?"

Tanaka spared a hand to wave at the lupar that were beginning to come out into the street. "They need to know that it ain't safe to be runnin' about."

"Oh..." Alexis sounded surprised, apparently not realizing it herself. Then she nodded. "Of course. But how do I do that?"

Tanaka flipped a few controls on her consol. "Your mike's voice activated, and I tied you into the external speakers. Just speak loud and clear."

Alexis nodded, taking a moment to collect her thoughts and a breath. "Attention, citizens of Tanzano," she spoke into her microphone in Lupari. Outside, she saw the many lupar look up at the magnified sound of her voice. "The Invaders are being punished. It is not safe to be outside. Please, return to your homes."

"They should also head to the ground floor or basement of any building," Tanaka whispered to Alexis. The latter nodded in reply and repeated that in Lupari for the natives.

* * *

Mikula froze in his tracks, halting the small group just outside the alley that led to the Laughing Daukner. He heard the echoes coming from the southern part of the city. "It can't be..." _No! What is she doing here?_

"Mikula, what is it?" Senmar asked, obviously worried over getting his brother some medical attention.

"Hang on," Mikula replied as he triggered his radio, which hadn't left his hand since he'd used it last. "Firefly One One calling Oni One."

"Oni One here, Firefly. What's up?"

Mikula gulped nervously. "You don't happen to have a passenger, do you? Specifically, a small lady who's going to drive me insane with worry?"

A moment passed before a different female voice came over the radio, this time in Lupari. "Mikula, don't worry, I'm safe. Just get yourself healed."

"Damnit Alexis, you're supposed to be back at Hercor!" Mikula fairly growled into the radio.

"I'm doing an important job, Mikula." Alexis' voice became nearly pleading. "Please, trust me in this."

Despite his worry and anger, Mikula couldn't help but be touched by her tone. "Alright... Okay... But don't you do anything stupid!"

"Like you did?" Her voice came back with a trace of taunting in it. "Just stay safe yourself, Mikula, and everything will be all right."

Mikula grunted before replying. "I will." He paused for a heartbeat before adding in three more words. "I love you."

"I love you too." And with that, the carrier wave died as Tanaka closed the channel. Mikula frowned and turned to look over at his two companions. "Let's go then."

With that, the group moved the rest of the way, eventually entering the tavern. Inside, three people stood around the bar, and a fourth behind it. They turned as the other group entered the tavern, Mrs. Reyka slamming the door shut behind them.

"Mikula!" Kayla exclaimed from where she stood. "You're hurt!"

"Aye, but not too bad," Mikula replied as he staggered off to a table, sitting down heavily in a chair. Then he turned to his brother. "Senmar, your pack has the medikit, get it." Senmar nodded and then turned to race for the steps to the upstairs rooms.

"Mikula, shouldn't you get to a doctor?" Mrs. Reyka asked as she came over to sit next to him and look at the wound. Mikula, however, frowned and shook his head. "At the moment, a medikit is about as effective as any one of our people's doctors."

"What is this thing you speak of?" Kayla asked as she came over, trailed by Marner, and then by both of Reyka's daughters.

Mikula grunted as Mrs. Reyka touched his side, looking at the wound. "It's a container that holds medicines and bandages devised by our friends in the Republic." He then grunted again. "Mrs. Reyka, I'm glad that you care, but it hurts when you keep touching the part that's bleeding."

Reyka leaned back from where she was checking on Mikula's wound. "Well, there's showing gratitude for you," she said, sounding annoyed.

Mikula just closed his eyes and sighed. Part of him wanted to say something, whether comforting or challenging, but the pain in his side was taking up all of his attention now that his adrenalin was wearing off. His silence infected the others, though Reyka spoke again. "I'm sorry, Mikula, I'm just worried."

"It's fine. It's all right," he said. Then he heard Senmar coming down the stairs, and he opened his eyes to see his brother approaching, his pack in his hands.

Senmar quickly crossed the distance and set the pack on the table. Working quickly, he opened it and pulled out the unmistakable white plastic with a red cross case of a medikit. Then he gave Mikula a helpless kind of look. "I don't know really how to use this."

"That's fine," Mikula said as he reached out with his right arm, the left he kept pressed against his side, and grabbed the kit. In a moment he had opened it and managed to find the disinfectant spray, and he turned to Mrs. Reyka. "Since you want to help, could you spray my wound with this?"

"What is it?" Reyka asked as she gently took the bottle from Mikula.

"It will keep my wound from becoming infected," he replied as he took his hand away from the gash in his side. "I can't spray it too well from this angle. Just point the small opening and press down on the top."

Reyka frowned, but she did as instructed, sending a small spray of the numbing disinfectant. Mikula grunted as she did so, but he had been ready for the sting. "Thank you," he said as he grabbed a MediJel bandage from the kit. He then opened the small cup that the HarJel-related goop came in, sticking his hand into it and then taking the morphic bandage out. Aiming carefully for the center of the wound, he pressed the bandage to it, and the substance automatically began to spread out a bit on its own. Mikula finished spreading it himself, making sure that it reached all the way to the edges.

With a sigh of relief, Mikula leaned back and looked over the shocked faces of those around him. "What the Hell is that?" Marner asked from where he stood.

"It's a morphic bandage. It expands to cover the wound in one go so that it won't leave any gaps." Mikula explained slowly, partially to make sure that they would understand him, but also because the pain was still bothering him. _Still, it's not as bad as being shot through the leg._

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a loud rumble.

* * *

"Van Horn!" Vickers' voice came through the radio. "Any change in your status?"

Van Horn turned his head a bit before replying; an autonomic response. "Negative sir. We're still sittin' here. Haven't seen any Wobbies stick their heads up, either."

He then heard a grunt come through the line. "Some good news for a change. Keep it steady there."

"Aye aye, sir." Van Horn replied. "Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Okay, but make it march."

"Yes, sir. I'm wonderin' how 'hot' are those nukes, sir?"

Another grunt. "Worried 'bout your friends, eh? Well, don't bother; there's more WMDs than we'd thought there'd be, so we called in another transport. The first bird's gonna be takin' the nukes, and we'll take the second with the natives."

Van Horn sighed frowned at the bad news. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem boy. Now keep your peepers peeled." With that, the radio channel cut out, and van Horn sighed before he changed frequencies and relayed the information to his two comrades.

Sellers grunted. "Well, good, more waiting to be ambushed."

"I guess so," Castellano added with his own grunt. "Good thing we got them folks to help us," he said and pointed up. Van Horn followed the line of sight until he saw Myers' _Corvus_ standing on the other side of the ramparts.

"Shit, when did that get here?" Van Horn asked, clearly surprised.

Castellano chuckled darkly. "Spendin' too much time yakkin' and not enough time lookin,' eh? I hope you were a better scout when you served your term."

Van Horn frowned as he turned back to his friend. Though of course Castellano couldn't see it, he could hear it. "Actually, I wasn't a Scout trooper. I was certified for Elemental suits."

"Really?" Castellano's voice held a note of surprise. "Why're you in my squad then?"

Van Horn shrugged, causing the suit to ape his movements. "It takes more time to re-qualify on an Ele. So I took scout, since I'd be more needed for translating, anyway."

"Heh. Well, seems you've gotten your own share of fightin' in, anyways." Castellano sounded amused as he turned to scan the area around them again.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Van Horn replied gruffly and then turned to conduct his own scan. He reminded himself to check MAD as well as infrared, since the Lupar hadn't discovered how to build their cities out of iron, yet. He swept the area carefully, until he came to the group of natives that were sitting down in the middle of the triangle formed by the three Republic troopers. Then he saw that two of them, a gatón and a lupar, each had a fairly large magnetic signature.

_What's this?_ He wondered naturally. Van Horn used the suit's controls to overlay the MAD scan on top of normal visilight, and he then began to walk slowly to the nearest of the armed natives; the lupar. As he walked towards the group, they seemed to cringe and draw back. The one that was armed, though, seemed a bit less frightened than the others.

Van Horn's mind automatically catalogued this as he came to a stop in front of the lupar. "You," he said, cutting on the external speakers. "You're armed."

The lupar's eyes went wide at that, but then he seemed to struggle to control his emotions. "I don't know what you mean."

Van Horn cocked his shotgun, causing a shell to load into the firing chamber with an audible clack that even the natives couldn't misunderstand. "Now, I know you're lying, and you know you're lying. So let's just cut to the end where I find out what you have. Hmm?"

The lupar's ears went far back in embarrassment, and some of the other natives near him edged away. After a moment, though, he slowly reached into his shirt and pulled out an elaborate, but still deadly effective, dagger. He then carefully put it on the ground and scootched away from it himself.

Van Horn put his shotgun around on his back, and then he advanced until he got to the dagger. Then he kneeled and picked it up, and looked it over carefully. After a few moments of this, he spoke. "This is a nice weapon."

Another moment stretched before the lupar spoke up. "It has been in my family for generations."

Van Horn tilted his helmeted head up so that his visor could look at the lupar. "Then it would be a shame for me to keep it." With that, he gripped the blade and held it to the lupar handle first.

The native just stared, his face a look of total surprise, before he finally gained enough wits about him to take the dagger. "Th- thank you."

"You're welcome. Just don't use it on me or my friends, okay?" Van Horn waited until the lupar nodded, and then he brought his hand up and lightly placed it on the native's shoulder. "Good man." Then he released the native and stood up. "So how did you get that by the Wobbies, anyway?"

The native blinked. "Who?"

"Those you call the 'Invaders' we call 'Wobbies.' How'd you keep them from finding that blade?"

The lupar looked embarrassed again, though this time from the apparent praise one could hear in van Horn's voice. "They didn't search hard enough."

"Well, be glad we're not them, eh?" Van Horn said, and then he turned his head to look over at the second armed person. Every one of the natives followed his stare to look at the gatón. "And how did you keep your little weapon, hmm?" He spoke then in Gatonese.

The gatón blushed as people then began to part for van Horn, who walked over as soon as it was clear. The native didn't even try to pretend, and he, too, slowly reached into his shirt to reveal a decent, though not particularly spectacular knife. "I can't say that it's an heirloom." He said quietly.

Van Horn kneeled as before, and he looked over the blade after it was offered to him. "Not as nice as the last one. More a utility knife than a real weapon." He then shifted his view at the gatón. "Now, how'd _you_ get this in?"

"I… I didn't." The gatón admitted embarrassedly. "There's… Some people who do not like the Invaders. I helped them and they snuck a weapon to me in case I needed it."

_A resistance movement?_ Van Horn was intrigued. _This bears further investigation… Later though_. "Well, you can keep it then. Just don't-"

"Use it against you or your friends. I head." The gatón smiled slightly.

"Ah, know a little Lupari, eh?" Van Horn asked, receiving a nod. "Well, that's good. Now maybe I won't have to repeat myself all the time, eh?" He asked and then chuckled, standing as he did so.

The ground then rumbled, and van horn looked up to see Myers' _Corvus_ shifting position as another 'mech came alongside it. The searchlight mounted on top easily identified it as a _Guillotine IIC_.

His radio cackled to life. "What's up doc?" Tanaka's voice came through, followed soon by a thick chuckle. Van Horn rolled his eyes as he replied. "Very funny, Captain. I hope that this ain't a social call?"

"'Fraid not," Tanaka replied, her voice turning professional. "Checkin' in with you, since my passenger is worried over those folks you're guarding."

Van Horn nodded, though he wondered if Tanaka could even see him doing so. "I see. Well, she can rest assured that they're fine."

"Good. We'll be around. Out." With that, the captain was gone, and van Horn shrugged and went back to his old guard spot.

"What's goin' on?" Castellano asked over the frequency the three troopers were sharing.

"Just Captain Tanaka buggin' me with old jokes," van Horn replied casually. "Oh, and don't worry 'bout any MAD readings you get on the natives." The last he spoke a bit sarcastically. With that, Castellano muttered, "Damnit, forgot."

"Yeah, well, no body, no report," van Horn replied.

"Indeed. So when's that damn transport getting' here, anyway?"

A sudden rumble came from overhead, and the unmistakable light of an Assault Transport's jets flew overhead as it slowed into vertical flight to land in the courtyard just beyond the fortress.

Van Horn and Sellers chuckled, and Castellano made some unhappy sounds. "I swear, someone up there likes to make a fool outta me," he said.

"I wouldn't doubt it," van Horn replied good-naturedly.

Then the platoon frequency lit up. "All right you apes!" Vickers' voice came through clear as the transport descended beyond their visual scope, and the battlemechs nearby turned to move for the landing zone. "Sierra, Alfa and Bravo Squads will carry the WMDs. Charlie, Echo, and Foxtrot squads will provide cover.

"Delta will remain on patrol for any Wobbies still wantin' to tango with us tonight. The mechjocks are gonna stand overwatch, so try not to get spooked and shoot them. I don't want to have to scrape your carcass off of the ground.

"Now, after we load, we gotta wait for the next transport, so stay frosty!"

"Ooh-rah!" The platoon chorused through the channel.

"Good, now everyone, git goin!'"


	30. Chapter 30

The loading of the Blakest weapons was concluded quickly, and van Horn felt some relief as the Assault Transport lifted off from the square, its vertical fusion exhaust melting small pools of pavement that cooled rapidly after the transport reached ninety meters. With a detectable shift in pitch and tone, the transport's side-mounted exhaust ducts swiveled back and the craft accelerated like a crane; slowly, but with more speed as it moved. Within seconds, it had flown overhead and off towards the west, heading for Firebase Hotel, where the craft would refuel from the _Cheops_' bunkers and then wait for a proper rendezvous with the _Rodger Young_.

One could almost feel the tension lift a bit, and van Horn breathed a small sigh of relief. The rumble of a 'mech's footfalls brought him around, though not quickly, for he recognized the _Grizzly_ as the one from Oni Lance. The 7-ton 'mech was moving along the nearby avenue, walking up and down and watching for any Wobbie surprises.

_None so far_, van Horn knew. _Somehow, though, that doesn't reassure me._ The Blakests were known for underhanded activities, and to underestimate them was to be foolhardy. Thus, everyone was still on alert, and Vickers' Vanquishers still patrolled around the captured Citadel, checking the buildings with infrared sensors and the roads with millimeter-wave Doppler radar, looking for anything that would signal a new threat.

So far, however, all they had found were puzzled natives, who immediately cowered back into their homes when the terrifying visage of a battle armored trooper swept by. Some, however, were braving the streets, and were realizing that the Republic troopers weren't there to hurt them. Several lupar were even gathering in spots around the fortress to watch the strange invaders who did not bother with the natives, though they kept their distance.

Van Horn fidgeted at this thought. _Dumb asses need to know that it ain't safe out here until we leave…_ He would have walked off to tell them to go back home, but he still had the task of guarding the released hostages.

The group had moved from their old position and now they stood or sat by the front gates, their view easily encompassing the square where the heavy shuttlecraft had just lifted off. The natives, of course, had stared in awe as the 185-ton transport had flown, though they, like anyone else, had to rub their eyes a bit as the craft's exhaust glowed a brilliant white.

"Man, that had to have been one of the loneliest sights a man ever saw," Castellano observed from his spot opposite of van Horn at the gate's entrance. "A transport leavin' without him…"

"Yeah, but another one'll be coming soon," van Horn replied, trying to buoy his friend's spirits.

"Yeah, I know Doc. Just sad, anyways."

Van Horn grunted. "I hear ya. Just don't let the Lieutenant hear ya."

Castellano chuckled lightly. "Roger wilco, man. Roger wilco."

They stood there for another few moments before Sellers' voice broke in. "Doc? One of the natives just got up and tried to ask me somethin.'"

"Okay, I'm a comin'" van Horn said as he turned and walked back through the gate. It only took a moment and he was before the group of natives, one standing; van Horn easily recognized him as the lupar with the old dagger. "Okay, what's going on here?" He asked politely of the native.

"I'm sorry to bother you… It's just… I wanted to ask a question." The lupar still looked fearful, though he spoke with less trepidation than before. Van Horn reasoned that it had to be his polite treatment. _Good. We're not here to scare these people._ "Go ahead and ask, then." Van Horn replied.

Emboldened a bit by a lack of anger or reprisal, the lupar brought himself up straight. "I am wondering… What is to be done with us? What do you want from us?"

In the lupar's voice, van Horn heard more than just a request for information about the current situation. _They're trying to make sense of this mess… Well, so am I_, van Horn thought. Aloud, he said, "As I said, we're here to rescue you." Then he sighed. "But of course, that's no answer.

"So, what to do with you all?" Van Horn asked of no one in particular. "Well, perhaps it's good that you asked. We had initially thought that the fighting would be fiercer, and we'd have to leave in a hurry. Now, however, we have time, and I think we'll probably just be able to let you all go, once we're finished here."

The standing lupar blinked, as did many of his fellows. Van Horn noted, too, that the armed gatón was also looking shocked, just prior to his turning and reciting the speech in Gatonese for his fellow people. Then the human's attention was brought back to the standing lupar as he asked, "You would just let us go? With no concessions from our families?"

Van Horn tilted his head slightly and just stared at the lupar for a moment. Then he replied quietly. "We are not barbarians. We do not kidnap innocents and use them as pawns or shields as our enemies do." He paused to take a breath then, and also to let the lupar absorb that information. "The only reason you all are still sitting here is because, until we leave, it is not safe to travel about. The invaders may have something sinister planned, and it would be negligent of us to simply let you go when you could be caught again… Or worse."

The lupar simply stood there for a full minute before saying anything. "So… Then what about the gatón?" He asked quietly.

Van Horn frowned inside his helmet before he restrained his emotions. _He wasn't being rude, Earl, and his tone is polite. It's not like everyone is a bigot._ "They, too, may leave once we are finished. However, we will offer them safe conduct to a town that we know of, whose people will be glad to help them make new lives." They had made sure to ask Forbasa and Tiana before the raid, if they would accept refugees. Given the previous status of the people now living in Shulana, they hadn't even blinked before agreeing. "In fact, that offer is open to any of you, though I do not insist that you take it."

At that, some of the lupar started to murmur amongst themselves. The armed gatón was translating as fast and as accurately as he could, missing some subtleties, but still conveying the Republic's offer. Van Horn noted that their eyes grew wide at hearing how the strange, fearsome creatures would offer safety.

_Remind me to thank that guy_, van Horn mentally noted to himself. Then he looked back at the lupar. "So, does that sound good to you? You can leave in a little bit, and go back into the city and to your normal lives, or come with us if you so wish."

The standing lupar was wide-eyed with surprise. "Y-yes… Thank you." With that, he sat down, somewhat heavily. _Poor guy_, van Horn thought. _Still in shock over what's happened, and now he has to think about a choice that would be a bit to chew on even in a more normal setting. Well, no one said life was easy_.

With that, though, the radio cackled to life. "All squads, tighten up," Vickers said over the platoon frequency. "Transport numero dos is thirty seconds out. Stay sharp."

* * *

In the cockpit of Oni Lance's _Guillotine IIC_, both Alexis and Captain Tanaka watched the icon on the holographic HUD grow larger as the Assault Transport approached the city. With a rumble they could hear through the ferroglass, the boxy transport slowed in horizontal flight until it came to a hover over the same square that had been used earlier. Then it descended; eventually coming to light upon the ground so relatively softly that it almost seemed alive.

"We'll be done soon," Tanaka observed from her command couch.

Alexis nodded as she replied. "Good."

Tanaka glanced at the gatón. "That's a strange tone you got. Something on your mind?"

Alexis looked over at Tanaka and smiled slightly. "I'm just still worried over Mikula," she said, and her smile faded. "I know he's all right. But knowing that he's been hurt… I want to rush to his side and help him, even knowing that I can't do any more than he and Senmar can do with a medikit." She sighed. "I suppose that sounds silly."

"Not at all, Alexis," Tanaka replied. "You sound like what anyone would if a loved one was hurt. It's natural." Then Tanaka took a breath before going on. "However, what would be bad is to give into those wild impulses; derelicting duty and the like."

Alexis' ears went flush with embarrassment. "I would never do that, Captain. You have my word."

Tanaka smiled a bit. "I know, Alexis. But it just bears repeating, just in case." She added the last with a knowing tone. "I've… Had a similar experience before." Tanaka turned at that and stared as the M.I. troopers began to approach the transport. "I know that you'd never betray your duty, or our trust in you. But while you're grappling with the situation, you could be wasting time, and it would cause you grief." She sighed at that. "Repeating the obvious helps to straighten out one's mind so that you can concentrate on what needs to be done."

They fell silent at that, and Alexis took a moment to ponder the idea. _I think I see… I know I can't do anything to help Mikula, even though my feelings tell me to go running for him. But when she spoke of duty… It became much more clear_. Alexis felt even a bit good, knowing that she had such good friends to help her.

Then all Hell broke loose.

A screaming noise barely entered the consciousnesses of everyone in the immediate vicinity before the ground shook and the air was light up by a massive explosion over a hundred meters to the _Guillotine IIC_'s left. Turning the 'mech's torso by instinct to face the new threat, Tanaka and her passenger saw that a shop building no longer existed as such, in its place was a fiery ruin and a rising cloud.

Another explosion shook a part of the city further south, and Tanaka felt her gut turn into a solid block of ice, even as she flipped on the radio. "Artillery! Artillery hitting the city at-" Her sentence was cut short as both woman's consciousnesses filled with blinding light and crushing pressure.

* * *

Van Horn froze in combat for the first time in his entire life as he stood just outside of the fortress' gate. _Those bastards… They wouldn't!_ Then the third shell hit the _Guillotine IIC_, sending a shockwave that knocked him and the other M.I. in the immediate area off of their feet.

He landed ten meters away from where he had been, his head ringing and his suit's internal monitors going crazy. He ran a quick mental check over his body and then stood up shakily, but still intact. He quickly looked over the scene, and his heart sank as he saw the 70-ton 'mech in front of him lying on its back, a gaping, burning hole in its right side.

Duty then overrode all other conscious thought as he heard the scream of the people he had been guarding. Wheeling about, van Horn saw that Castellano had been knocked over, but even as he watched, Dan began to pick himself up. Van Horn turned then and ran into the courtyard, fearing the worst.

He took a breath when he saw that the natives, though scared half out of their wits, seemed unhurt. _The noise must be painful, though_, was his thought as he turned and looked over at Sellers, who crouched, ready to leap up.

"What the fuck is going on!" The Salamander-suited trooper asked.

"Artillery! They're homing in on the fortress!" Van Horn replied. Though he didn't know for sure, his gut told him so. "We have to get out of here now!"

As if reading van Horn's thoughts, Vickers' voice broke out over the all-hands frequency. "Artillery! All troopers evacuate the city! Rendezvous Nav Point Chi! All forces, evacuate the city! Get the Hell outta Dodge! Go go go!" Even as he spoke, another blast rocked the area, shaking van horn and Sellers, and nearly toppling Castellano as he walked over to where the other troopers stood.

A secondary explosion, though not as large as the first, shook the area, giving new impetus to van Horn. "Dan! Mike! We have to get these people to safety!"

"Damn straight, but how do we do that?" Castellano asked. Van Horn only noted in the most basic, automatic way that his friend held his left arm in a funny way.

"More important, where to?" Sellers asked, his voice filled with tension. "Not like there's any safe place!"

Van Horn blinked as his mind tripped over an obvious solution. "Wait! There is! Dan! Call Mikula, he's on channel 34, get him to give us directions to where he's at." Although Castellano technically outranked van Horn, he followed the other's greater experience. "Wilco!" Then his voice disappeared as he went to call Mikula.

Van Horn then turned to the natives under his care and switched on his external speaker. "Everyone! Stand up! We've got to leave now!" He yelled first in Lupari, then in Gatonese. The natives, though dearly frightened, followed his command and stood. Van Horn turned to Sellers then. "Mike, unless you wanna stay here-"

"Don't worry doc, I'm with ya." He grunted.

Just then, Castellano chimed back onto their common channel. "Doc, I got it! Follow me!" With that, he ran off, and van Horn turned and waved the natives forward as he called to Sellers. "Mike, take caboose! If anyone falls behind, call and I'll grab them!" With that, van Horn ran off, and a quick command from Sellers got the natives running.

Just outside the gates, van Horn saw what had started the secondary explosion; the Assault Transport had taken a direct hit, and it had exploded under the power of the heavy artillery shell.

He forced himself to ignore it, and also to ignore the blasted _Guillotine IIC_, despite the pang of guilt he felt. _Head's not damaged, they could still be alive… Or they could have had shrapnel fill the cockpit…_

_Stop it!_ He chided himself as he turned to follow Castellano as he ran down the street. _You have twenty-one innocents and two troopers to take care of. Greater responsibility towards the greater number!_

Van Horn checked the rear view in his HUD as he ran, cursing silently as the natives got strung out and couldn't run nearly as fast as the humans. "Dan! Slow your ass down! They don't got long legs!"

"Shit!" Castellano replied as he brought himself to a halt in order to wait for van Horn and the natives. "Forgot! Damn."

"Save the breath," van Horn commanded. "We go by the numbers! Dan, lead on, but make sure you don't outpace us! Sellers, stay caboose. I'll ride rocking chair and keep them in line!"

"Got it!" The other two troopers replied as they went about complying. The first natives were catching up to van Horn and Castellano then, and they were slowing down even as Dan began to move off. Van Horn turned to the lead native, a lupar, and called to him. "Don't stop! Follow him!" He pointed to Castellano. "Run run run!"

He repeated the 'run' part in Gatonese, and the entire group of natives began to run faster again. They began to pass him, and he began to have some hope.

Then he heard the next shell coming in. "DROP TO THE GROUND!" He called in Lupari, and then yanked on the nearest gatón, not trusting them to have understood the command. He slammed the two natives he had grabbed to the ground and then dropped over them, just barely avoiding crushing them as he landed on his hands and knees.

The next explosion hit the central keep of the Citadel behind them, the massive explosion sending chunks of stone into the air. Fortunately, these pieces landed mainly behind the group, though van Horn felt a fist-sized piece slam into his armored backpack.

Another shell impacted on the other side of the fortress, and the bulk of the walls and the remains of the keep sheltered the group, letting van Horn and the other M.I. Troopers push themselves back upright. "Get up! Go!" He hollered at the natives, who readily obliged, following Castellano as he bolted.

Save for two, a young female gatón and a child, the latter she had lain atop in an attempt to protect him. Feeling his gut roil, van Horn ran the two meters separating him and the two on the ground even as another shell impacted somewhere beyond the city.

He kneeled next to the two as he got to them, and he felt a sickening feeling as he saw that a piece of shrapnel from the blast on the keep had managed to fly the distance and hit the brown-haired gatón in the back of her head. Even with a single glance, van Horn could see that it had been instantly fatal.

His mind then changed focus, as the younger gatón seemed to wake from his shell shock. "Mommy?" He asked of the female who still managed to hold and protect him in death.

Van Horn forced all feeling from his mind as he pulled the child up into his arms and ran to follow Sellers and the group. However, he couldn't help the tears that threatened as the child screamed for his mother.

_Those bastards!_

_

* * *

_

Ladavic, like any good command officer, had been awake and listening into the radio chatter as the _Rodger Young_ soared through her ballistic path around Bowman's Planet. Like all the Republic officers, she had felt relieved when the WMDs were safely away.

And like all sane persons, she felt shock and rage at the Blakest shelling. "Ops! Call the fighters, have them hammer those artys!"

"Sir, the _Cabot_ is in the middle of a recovery cycle, and our air patrols are all harrying the Blakests around the northern cities. It'll take thirty minutes until we can get fighters on target." He operations officer looked pained as he recited the time.

"Fuck," She said as she propelled herself from the holotank and towards the front of her bridge, anger encasing her face into a mask. "Weaps! Arm main weapons, slave broadside fire control to your console and prepare to fire." _Those fuckers want artillery; I'll give them Artillery_.

The weapons officer looked up from his controls with a face of confusion. "Captain, the window is going to close in seconds. We can't possibly be ready to fire by then!"

"Do it!" she commanded as she floated to a stop at the conning position. "Mr. Baker, I relieve you."

The young woman at the helm turned and looked at her captain with surprise, but she nodded and then unbuckled herself. She floated free for barely a second before Ladavic pulled herself into the chair and buckled herself in.

She then slapped the condition controls and activated her headset microphone. "All hands, this is the captain! Brace for emergency maneuvers!" She called as the warning klaxon blared out. Ladavic then quickly did some calculations on her console and in her head as she gave her crew just enough time to secure themselves.

_Fifteen seconds,_ she thought as she gripped the control yoke. _Just enough._ "Everyone, hold onto your asses." With that, Ladavic hit the thrust and yanked on the controls.

Everyone in the _Rodger Young_ suddenly felt themselves slammed down and at an angle as the 250,000-ton corvette accelerated at her maximum burn of four-and-a-half gees and tilted crazily at an angle as Ladavic hit the belly thrusters.

Ladavic was one of those rare individuals, the kind whose minds are hard-wired for math. Although she did some calculations consciously, the vast majority was done below her attention, automatically by the subconscious. Of course, these kinds of calculations occur in every healthy mind; they are a natural part of the wonderful computer that is the human brain.

But some person's are more suited for such tasks, and Ladavic was certainly one of these people. Thus it was with all confidence that she continued to yank back on the thruster controls and pressed forward with the _Young_'s full military power, driving the corvette up and outward, away from the planet. But her turn continued, arcing the angle of attack relative to the planet high and higher, until eventually, it reached, and then passed, pure vertical. The _Young_'s superstructure began to groan under the acute pressures.

Ladavic began to ease off the thrusters then, but not on the thrust, angling as she did for a retrograde motion. The _Young_ continued on her angle, now obtuse to her original path, constantly pushing more than four times her full mass' worth of energy out of her stern.

Ladavic felt the strain, the pressure as the ships had maneuvered even beyond the official design specifications. _Thank God that engineers are a cautious bunch_, she thought as she pushed the _Young_ on a tangent to their original orbital curve. The thrust continued, unabated, driving the corvette further and further behind the planet's own rotation.

_Almost there…_Ladavic thought._ Almost there… Now!_ With that idea, she cut thrust abruptly, sending the ship into freefall. But it was not to last, as she yanked on the control yoke, bringing the control thrusters on-line and burning to push the nose of the _Young_ down, reversing her previous turn.

The _Rodger Young_ spun one hundred and eighty degrees along her y-axis before Ladavic hit the thrust again, now angling for the planet below. She heard the gasps of her bridge crew, though whether it was from her angle of attack or just from the renewed thrust, she didn't know… Nor cared. _Come on, baby, just need the speed_, Ladavic thought as she hit the dorsal thrusters, bringing the nose up and around to match their original orbital curve. Ladavic cut the thrusters and hit their opposites just enough to bring the nose to a halt below the original angle.

Ladavic watched the computer's vector readout even as she slowly let the thrust off, eventually cutting it entirely. She carefully watched the numbers click over, and she used her screen to display the projected parabola.

She grinned darkly, her face almost twisting into a grimace. _Only five minutes, good_. "Weaps!"

"Got your back, skipper," the man at the weapons control behind and to the right of Ladavic replied. "Window's just long enough for two salvos."

"Broadside cannons, fire when ready."

"Aye aye sir," Weaps replied even as the _Young_ shook with the discharge of her NAC-20s.

Ladavic grunted and then spoke in a feral growl. "Fire in the hole, assholes."

* * *

Van Horn had fallen to the caboose position in the chaos of running through the streets, explosions shaking the ground every minute. The screams of the young boy in his arms continued to ring through his head, but van Horn had made himself dead to feeling for the moment.

Finally, he caught up as the locals slowed to fit through an alley. Castellano had already gone ahead, while Sellers remained behind to ensure that none of the natives got lost as they filtered through the narrow entranceway. Sellers turned to face van Horn as he ran up. "Doc, wasn't there another one with that kid?"

"Yeah, was." It was all van Horn could say, and Sellers' silence prompted the other to go on. "It's down there?"

"Yeah, Dan already called to let us know that he's made contact."

"Good. We need to get these people into a basement or-" Van Horn began to reply, but then he was cut short by a light in the sky. Turning, he and everyone else in the street, alley, and city looked up as a narrow band of light illuminated the air, and caused an eerie glow on the northern horizon. Even as the light faded, two more, looking more like oversized shooting stars, raced downward along the same path and angle.

The shooting stars then disappeared beneath the horizon, and the entire northern hemisphere of the sky lit up with a brilliant orange-white light.

"Holy shit," van Horn said as the area fell silent. Then the noise began, the thunder-like crash of the Medium Naval PPC ripping across the landscape to be followed by the rumble of its impact.

Then they all heard the shriek of the cannon shells, followed quickly by the ground shaking as the solid earth transmitted the sound waves slightly faster than the atmosphere. Then the very air itself seemed to shudder as the massive crash and explosion of the cannon shells arrived, sounding like the crumbling of the world. Whole buildings rattled in the noise, and Tanzano itself vibrated with the impacts.

Someone, somewhere, spoke over an open frequency. "Jesus Christ."

* * *

Alexis woke with the first crack of the naval particle cannon, its sound reaching deep into her subconscious and dredging up the memories of the night that had begun the whole invasion.

She screamed, not because of any pain, but simply because the nightmares, the memory, and reality had all conspired to bring the feelings of fear and helplessness back and magnified. The she opened her eyes and her mind stopped as if it had hit a brick wall.

The scene was totally different from what she had seen last. The cockpit was filled with acrid smoke that burned her nostrils as it wafted from the right side of the command console, which looked broken. The screens in the middle and left sides of the console still worked, but they flickered intermittently as they displayed diagrams of the 'mech, whole portions of the outline in red.

Alexis then turned and looked at Tanaka, the latter still lying in her command couch. That was when the gatón realized that she was being pulled to her right by gravity. _What happened?_ She wondered, and then shook her head. "Captain… Captain Tanaka?" She said, trying to get the human to wake up. Nothing came from the captain, however, and Alexis felt tendrils of fear creep up her spine.

Then the sky lit up, and Alexis turned to watch the _Rodger Young_'s second strike, the particle cannon leading the naval autocannon shells by a few seconds. Its eerie glow, however, paled in comparison to the bright impact of the shells.

Then the noise rolled by, first the crackling thunder of the NPPC, followed soon after by the monstrous crash of the cannon shells. Alexis could feel the entire 'mech vibrate with the sounds.

Alexis didn't know what had happened, but as the explosions had stopped, she decided that she could unbuckle herself and see if Tanaka needed help. Carefully twisting in place, Alexis unbuckled her restraints and fell a half-meter to the back of the cockpit.

She grunted at the feeling of mild pain. _Nothing hurt but my pride_, she mused as she turned and grabbed onto the command couch, pulling herself up. Soon, she was half sitting on an arm of the couch, her face peering at the woman in the seat.

Alexis reached with her right hand and touched it to feel for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt a decent heartbeat thrumming through Tanaka's neck. _Perhaps she's just out like I was?_ Alexis hoped for this as she unfastened a strap on the neurohelmet so that she could reach Tanaka's neck to see if anything was out of alignment.

_Nothing. Oh, thank the Maker_, she thought, as she found nothing wrong with Tanaka's neck. With that, she put a hand on the human's shoulder and shook her. "Captain? Tanaka? Wake up." She said, eliciting a slight, unconscious moan from the human. This gave her some hope, and Alexis shook harder. "Captain? Cassandra?"

Tanaka's eyes finally fluttered open. "Wha?" She mumbled. "What the fuck? My head…"

Alexis couldn't help but smile, despite the situation. "Captain, it's Alexis. Are you all right?"

At that, Tanaka's eyes flipped wide pen and she looked around for a second. "Alexis? What the Hell happened?"

The gatón frowned. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"Okay… Wait! I remember now," Tanaka replied, and her eyes went a bit wider. "Artillery! Are we still under attack?"

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing's happened for a bit, so I think the attack is over."

"Good," Tanaka said as she reached up to automatically check her helmet. She carefully re-strapped the helmet back in place and then looked over the computer displays in front of her. "Shit!" She cussed.

"What is it?" Alexis asked, a bit of fear in her voice.

"The goddamned gyro's out," Tanaka snarled and slammed a fist into the couch. "Completely wasted! I can't get the 'mech moving without it."

Alexis' eyes grew wide. "What do we do?"

Tanaka's face twisted up as she began to lean forward – and up – in her seat, flipping controls. "Now I'm going to lock this bad boy down so that no one can use it, then we're going to find some friends who can make pickup."

Alexis nodded as she pushed herself off of the command couch and out of Tanaka's way. "I see." She sighed. "Do you think anyone's left?"

"Dunno," Tanaka replied with a grunt. "Radio's shot too. Damn! Those artys must've been Long Toms. The armor and skeleton are ripped halfway to next Thursday, and just about everything important is out." Tanaka sighed angrily. "Well, it don't matter now. Let's get going."

* * *

Van Horn followed the last of the natives along the alley, Sellers right behind him, covering their rear. The anthropologist-soldier carefully cradled the young gatón in his arms, wary of hurting the boy with his suit's strength. He gave a silent prayer of thanks that the child had fallen silent, though the human also felt a deep sense of failure.

He rounded a corner in the alley then, coming into a small, courtyard-like opening in the alleyway, and he realized that it was precisely that; a small space for the denizens of the city block to have for the various happenings that any healthy community had.

Now, however, it served as a place where the frightened rescuees passed through, heading for a building that Castellano and Mikula waved them towards from their position near the main door.

Van Horn wanted to feel good at seeing his friend standing there, making small comments to the former hostages to encourage them to relax and head inside. But then the human glanced to the small child in his arms, and all he could feel was rage. _At least the helmet is keeping him from seeing my face_, van Horn thought. _The kid's already wide-eyed with fright. The last thing I need to do is show him a scowling face._

The small child hadn't said anything, but he kept looking about, especially trying to look behind van Horn as he walked and approached the building. Tears again threatened to pour out of his eyes at the child's obvious search.

As he walked up, both Mikula and Castellano finally realized what van Horn held. "Earl? Who is this?" The former asked in English.

Van Horn shook his head lightly and replied in the same language. "His mother… Didn't make it." He said painfully. "Shrapnel hit her."

Mikula's face took on a look of shock. "My God…"

"Doc," Castellano's voice came in through his helmet. "I don't want to sound cold, but we need to contact the Lieutenant."

Van Horn turned his head a bit sharply at his friend, but then he nodded. "You're right, of course," he said and then looked at Mikula. "Can you take him?"

The lupar nodded. "Of course." He said, and reached out as van Horn bent to unburden himself.

But then the boy reached out and clutched to van Horn's armor, digging his hands into the seam near his armpits. Mikula's face reflected van Horn's own surprise. "Don't worry," the latter said softly in Gatonese. "He's not going to hurt you."

The boy shook his head, apparently too much in shock to speak. Van Horn frowned inside his helmet, trying to guess the age of the child. _So damn hard when the gatón are so small, anyway_, he thought in frustration. _How the Hell am I supposed to tell how harsh I can be with him?_ Finally, he shook his head. "Fine," he said in Gatonese, and then switched to English for the other two. "I guess I can hold him and talk at the same time."

"You say so," Castellano said. "Just hurry up."

"Okay," van Horn replied absentmindedly. Then he used his helmet's control functions to link into the platoon frequency again. He then winced as he heard a babble of voices rolling through the channel. _Shit, what's going on? Where's the Lieutenant?_

Then Vickers' voice rang through. "Everyone, shaddup!" Van Horn managed a ghost of a smile at hearing the Lieutenant's familiar baritone. "All squads, count off!"

That began the process of troopers calling his squad name and position number, starting with Alfa squad and working their way down. Van horn motioned for his two fellow troopers to switch their radios to the frequency as the roll call continued.

Sellers added his own designation, and the list finally rolled down to Castellano and van Horn. "Sierra Eight, here." The latter called, ending the roll. He couldn't help but feel more pain at noting that three troopers didn't add in their voice.

"All right. I see not everyone is here at Nav Chi. All platoon members who can make it here get here _now_, and report to your squad commander. Those who can't make it, call me on channel 20."

Van Horn figured it was mainly he, and he easily switched over. He was a bit surprised to hear the leader of Foxtrot squad talking to Vickers. "Boss, I and can't leave just yet. This fire ain't out and there's more nearby."

Vickers sighed before replying. "I don't want you to. In fact, as soon as everyone else is assembled, we're coming back in to see about taking care of the mess. Who else you got with you?"

"I got Rivers and Diego," Foxtrot one spoke, referring to one of his own squad mates and a member of Delta. "I dunno where Sellers went to."

Van Horn then broke in. "He's still with me, Lieutenant, so is Castellano. We had to move our charges out of the hot zone."

Vickers grunted. "Good job. How is everyone?"

Van Horn gulped. "Armor's been battered, and I think Dan has a sprained arm," he added, half in surprise as he just noticed Castellano holding his arm strangely. "And one hostage was killed by shrapnel."

Silence reigned for a bit, and then Vickers spoke. "Where are you now?"

"We're where Firefly One One decided to stay. Small tavern, worker's quarter. We're not near any fires, so we're safe for the moment."

"Good, stay there," Vickers replied quickly. "We're going back-" His voice suddenly cut off. "Stand by, van Horn." With that, the channel grew a bit stronger as his carrier wave shifted to a new frequency.

"Doc, how's my man?" Foxtrot One asked, taking advantage of the lull.

"He's fine, like I said," van Horn replied slowly, turning as he did so to look at Sellers. "He's scared the shit outta any natives who've seen him, but his armor doesn't nearly have the same dings and dents as mine."

"Good. I may be needin' him soon."

Van Horn nodded absentmindedly, despite the fact that the man he was talking to couldn't see him. "I understand. We should be safe even without him."

Vickers' voice than came back. "Van Horn, you're safe there, correct?"

"Aye," he replied, wondering at the change in Vickers' tone.

"Good. I've just been contacted by Oni One. She and her passenger are safe, despite the hammerin' they took, but the 'mech's smashed and they're on foot. Get on channel 3 and give 'er directions."

"Yes sir," van Horn replied, blinking in surprise. _They're alive, thank God._

_

* * *

_

Tanaka and Alexis crouched in a building's entrance alcove thirty meters down the street from where the _Guillotine IIC_ lay. They were breathing heavily from their sprint there, and as well from the adrenalin flowing in their veins.

Alexis tightly gripped her sidearm, a small hold-out laser pistol. "So, what now?" She asked Tanaka, who grunted before replying. "Now, let's see who else is alive." With that, the human brought her rescue radio – salvaged from the emergency compartment in the back of her command couch, along with a small medikit – up to her face and triggered the channel. "This is Oni One, calling any Republic forces. Who's all here?"

Silence came on for a moment before Vickers' voice rang through. "Tanaka? Jesus, I saw you get smacked like a two-dollar whore."

Tanaka grinned a bit. "I guess I'm a tough bitch. Now, how's my lance?"

"They bugged out quick, rendezvoused north of the city. Me an' my boys are out, too, but we're getting' set to come back in." Vickers then cleared his throat. "I'm sure you saw what happened to the transport?"

"Yeah," Tanaka replied with a grimace. "So I guess there's no quick way outta here?"

"There might be…" Vickers replied, sounding as if he had just realized something. "Care to hold for a minute Captain?"

"Okay…" Tanaka replied, confused as Vickers switched channels.

Alexis looked up at the other woman in the alcove. "What do you think he has in mind?"

Tanaka shrugged, but didn't say anything. They both waited nervously until another voice came on over the channel. "Oni One, this is Sierra Eight. You copy?"

Alexis couldn't help but smile a bit at van Horn's voice. Then Tanaka replied. "I read you, Sierra Eight. What's the scoop?"

"The Lieutenant wants you to rendezvous with us. We managed to move the freed hostages to a safe place while we wait for the shit to settle, so you might as well get your ass over here."

Tanaka smiled a bit. "Okay, so how do we get there?"

* * *

Van Horn managed to give out the directions accurately, even as he paced unconsciously back and forth in front of the building that the rescuees had taken shelter in. "Y'all got that?"

"I think so. I'll call if we get lost. Over and out." Tanaka replied, and then van Horn heard the click of her radio signing off of the channel. With that, he sighed and then stopped pacing. Then he turned to where Castellano stood. "Dan, sorry to wait so long, but how's that arm?"

Castellano chuckled a bit, though his voice had the strain of pain in it. "'Bout time you noticed. It's not too bad, just a sprain, I think, from landin' on my belly instead of my back." He then grunted. "Though, if you could put your friend down sometime, I'd appreciate some help."

Van Horn felt his face burn. "Right, sorry," he said and then looked down at the gatón he still held in his arms. The boy had fallen asleep, apparently drained by the night's happenings and lulled by van horn's movements.

He turned then and walked for the door of the tavern, which was still open, though guarded by Castellano and Senmar. The latter stood aside as van Horn reached the door, crouching as he did so that he could look into the room.

The whole main room of the tavern was mostly filled with the freed hostages, all of them sitting in various groups at tables and booths. Van Horn noted that many of them didn't even bother to separate along species lines, and gatón and lupar often shared a table. Three lupar women who were obviously not former hostages walked between them, speaking with various people, and apparently bringing out mugs of some liquid.

Van Horn managed to spot Mikula leaning against the bar that lined the back end of the room. The latter had been talking to another female lupar to his right, before van Horn's appearance brought his head around to towards the front of the building.

"Mikula, over here," van Horn called quietly in English. The lupar nodded and quickly crossed over. "I see your friend has fallen asleep."

The human nodded. "Yeah. There a safe place I can put him?"

Mikula looked behind him, and he pointed to an empty booth in a corner. "Over there, I think," he said and then turned back to face van Horn. "Are you sure you can fit?"

"I'll know in a minute," van Horn mused as he duck-walked into the door, Mikula moving back to let him pass. The room, already pretty quiet with most of the people in shock, now fell deathly quiet as one of the strange beings they half-feared walked amongst them inside the building.

Van Horn frowned inside his helmet. _Calm down, Earl. You can't expect them to change their opinions instantly, now can you?_ He thought with a mental sigh. _And I really can't._

He then reached the booth and quickly and softly laid the child out on a bench, finally taking full stock of the boy. _I can't tell how old he is, and I can't use size to judge with the Gatón being so small, anyway_. He gave up and then turned to walk back for the main door, the eyes of everyone in the room looking at him.

Van Horn sighed inside his helmet, making sure that he wasn't loud enough to activate his microphone as he passed through the doorway and managed to stand erect again. "Ahhh," he mumbled as he stretched his muscles a bit. "Walking like that's a pain in the ass."

"I'll bet," Castellano said. "Now, what about my arm?"

Van Horn grimaced inside his helmet. "Okay, okay, just one more second," he said and then turned to Mikula, who had waited by the main door. "Mikula, I don't suppose you'd mind two more short-term guests?"

The lupar blinked. "It's not my establishment, but I'm sure that Mrs. Reyka wouldn't mind. Who's coming?"

"Captain Tanaka and Alexis. Their 'mech was blasted and they had to bug out." Van Horn almost instantly regretted his poor choice of words as Mikula's face showed shock. "Don't worry," the human added quickly. "Alexis is fine. They're both fine, but they just need a safe place to stay, like our friends here," he said and waved over the group.

Mikula sighed with relief and nodded. "Yes… Yes of course."

"Good," Van Horn grumped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Dan needs some help."

Mikula flashed a quick smile. "He's always needed help."

"I heard that!"

* * *

Alexis felt her heart beat heavily as she followed Tanaka down the streets of Tanzano, moving from shadowed entrance to dark alley as they tried to avoid anyone seeing them. They had heard some natives walking about, talking to each other as they tried to make sense of the night's events. The eerie glow of fires burning in the city lit up the undersides of the smoke clouds they generated, casting an odd pallor over the area. Many Tanzanos were rushing to these fires now, working to contain them.

The two women huddled in an alley's mouth as three such individuals ran down the street they were taking. _Just this last one_, Alexis knew, _and then an alley where everyone is at._ Part of her felt happy that she'd soon see Mikula again, but the rest of her remembered that duty came first. _Just like Cassandra told me_.

Then Tanaka tapped Alexis' arm and then sprinted down the street. Alexis soon followed, and the two women finally arrived at the alley entrance that they sought. They then paused as a hulking shape lifted itself from the shadows.

"Captain Tanaka? That you?" Sellers asked, and Alexis sighed with relief at hearing a voice that was not in challenge.

Tanaka grinned as she lowered her pistol and walked over to where Sellers half-crouched. "It's me. Damn good to hear a friendly voice, trooper."

"I'd bet, ma'am, but I still need an authentication, just in case."

Tanaka frowned a bit, but she nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. My code's India Lima Papa."

Sellers nodded and stood fully erect. "Sorry captain. The night's got me on edge."

Tanaka waved him off. "Nothing to be sorry for, trooper. Though I wonder how many Wobbies have a gatón in attendance?" The latter part she asked with a small grin.

Sellers then seemed to have finally seen Alexis. "Damn. Didn't see you there Miss Hurano. Sorry."

Alexis smiled a bit. "It's no problem," she said, and then her smile died. "Did everyone make it here okay?" _Is Mikula okay?_ She left the second question unspoken, knowing that it was redundant; they were all there because Mikula had found it to be safe.

"Most of us. One lady, though…" Sellers' voice trailed off, and Alexis felt a pang of sadness in her gut, despite not knowing who had died. _It doesn't matter, though. At least, not right now…_

Tanaka nodded at that. "Good. I take it they're all down the alley behind ya?"

"Yes sir. I'll call ahead and let them know y'all're coming."

"Thanks, trooper." Tanaka said and then began to walk down the alley, her pistol still in her hand, though now it was simply held low at her side. Alexis decided to mimic her, and she lowered her smaller pistol as well.

It only took a few moments to pass through the alley, and soon they entered the small courtyard between the buildings. There they saw van Horn finishing his task of wrapping Castellano's wrist and arm in medical tape to keep the sprain from getting worse. The latter had made this possible by unlatching the piece of his armor that had covered that arm, and he held the assembly in his right arm.

Castellano looked up as the two women approached, and he raised his right arm and waved with it, purposefully causing the empty arm and glove armor assembly to flop in apparent mockery. "Glad to see you two weren't toasted," he said.

"Not as glad as we are," Tanaka replied easily. Then she turned to look at the building by which they all stood. "Nice place, in a quaint sort of way."

"If you mean 'quaint' as 'dive,' then yes," Castellano replied good-naturedly, though with an undercurrent of pain as van Horn finished tightening the last piece of tape.

"Don't listen to Dan," the latter said as he turned around to face the newcomers. "He's just upset 'cuz of his arm."

Alexis frowned. "I hope you're okay, Dan?"

"Oh, don't worry 'bout me, Alexis," Castellano replied as he slowly slid on his loose piece of armor. "I'm too ornery to die."

"Indeed," Alexis replied. Then she turned to look at the door to the tavern, which had been closed to keep the refugees inside from being nervous at how the Republic soldiers still stood nearby. "I take it everybody is in there?"

The three humans shared a soft, quiet chuckle. "I think you mean to ask, 'is Mikula in there?'" Castellano replied.

Alexis blushed deeply. "I guess it's obvious, huh?"

"It is," Tanaka said. "But it's no problem; we need to sit someplace safe anyway, and I could use a drink." She added the last part with a wink.

Alexis smiled a bit at that and nodded. "Sounds good." _I could use one myself_, she thought. Though van Horn hadn't been keen on introducing his friends to the variety of human alcoholic beverages, the other M.I. troopers hadn't been so trepid. _Though they were concerned enough to keep to light stuff_, Alexis knew.

"Well, I'm sure that the proprietor can't be much more surprised tonight," van Horn added in, though his voice sounded flatter than usual to Alexis. "We'll stay out here while you two rest up." Then his voice lightened a bit, approaching his normal tone. "Just don't get so drunk that we gotta carry you."

Tanaka grinned a bit. "Sounds like a plan," she said, and then turned to Alexis. "Why don't you go on ahead and make sure that I'll be welcomed?"

Alexis nodded, smiling a bit as she caught the glint in Tanaka's eyes. _They're all letting me have a few minutes with Mikula before duty calls again_, she realized. "Thank you. I'll do that."

* * *

Mikula sat in the booth next to the one where van Horn had laid the child in, sitting alone for the moment as he tried to organize his thoughts. _Is Alexis all right? Earl said she was, and I have no reason to doubt him… What to do when she gets here? How do we even greet each other in such an unusual environment, with both of us technically on duty?_ He then looked up and over the group of people to look at where his sister, true to her family, was helping others by bringing them water and food that Reyka offered. _What will Kayla think? Hell, Senmar had some problems, and he's had some time to adjust._

Then the door opened and he turned his head to look at the new entrant. He then blinked and stood up rapidly, despite his aching side, his attention rapt on the person standing in the doorway. Nor were his the only eyes on her, dressed as she was in the abbreviated MechWarrior's outfit of a simply t-shirt and shorts over her undergarments, though it was augmented with her helmet and cooling vest.

But Mikula didn't care about that, as he moved forward, meeting her as she approached him at a fast walk. They met and drew each other into a tight hug, Mikula ignoring the pain this caused him.

Alexis nestled her head against his chest, closing her eyes. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said quietly.

"As I am concerning you," Mikula replied, his own eyes closed to enjoy the feeling of his love between his arms. "I worried so when Earl told me that you and Tanaka had to leave her 'mech." Although they spoke in Lupari, he easily added in the English word.

She drew back and out from his embrace, and they both opened their eyes. "It was… Harrowing. But we're safe now."

A light cough came from the side, and they both turned to see the entire room staring at them, and they both blushed deeply. Reyka, who had made the alerting noise, walked over from the bar area to them. "Mikula, you shouldn't be walking. Why don't you and your friend come sit down in the corner booth?"

Mikula nodded, desperate to get to some privacy from the stares. "That sounds like a good idea, Mrs. Reyka," he said with a nod, and then turned to lead Alexis towards the booth that their hostess had indicated. Alexis took his cue and they both made their way to the booth, followed by Reyka. Mikula took his seat first, sitting with his left side facing the room.

That's when Alexis noticed his wound. "Oh, my Gods," she said and then kneeled to look at the wound, much to Mikula and Reyka's surprise. "Alexis, what are you doing?"

"I'm checking it," she said, somewhat in a huff. "I _do_ know some medicine, after all."

Mikula looked unhappy, but he sat still while Alexis lifted his shirt up just enough to get a clear look at the wound. He glanced over to the others in the room, and he blushed again as he saw people still staring, including his sister. Reyka, meanwhile, was trying to hide a wide smile.

Alexis then dropped his shirt and then sat in the seat opposite Mikula. "It looks good. Who did it?" She asked as she sat back in the seat.

"I did, actually," Mikula replied with a smirk. "I _did_ pay attention in the first aid course."

Alexis smiled. "Of course."

"Well," Reyka added, bringing their attention to her. "So you're the Alexis Mikula's spoke of?" She asked with a smile on her muzzle.

Alexis now was the one blushing. "I suppose that I am, though I'm sure Mikula has exaggerated my good qualities."

Mikula frowned, and he looked about to say something when Reyka spoke again. "Well, I doubt he's exaggerated anything. In any case, do you want anything?" She waved towards the bar. "Things are on the house tonight, I guess."

Alexis' face twisted in horror. "Oh, no, I couldn't. I mean…" She blushed as deep as her physiology allowed. "I can't possibly ask anything of you, taking care of so many as you are."

"Dear, you're not asking, I'm offering," Reyka replied. Then she nodded to herself. "I'll be back then." She then turned and left before Alexis could object again.

Mikula smiled at that. "You shouldn't try to argue with Mrs. Reyka. She's more stubborn than I am."

Alexis turned back to him at that. "So I see…" Then she sighed, leaning back to close her eyes. "Gods, what a mess tonight is."

Mikula turned grim at the change of subject. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," she replied, shaking her head. "There are fires wherever the artillery shells hit." Alexis then shuddered. "Many could be dead."

Mikula cast his eyes down at the table at this, sobered as he was by the reminder. _And here I am feeling good; happy that my loved one is safe, when so many people have lost their own…_ "Does anyone know why?" He asked.

"Why did they attack Kuamket? Why did they attack Hercor?" Alexis asked as she opened her eyes and leaned forward. "The Wobbies haven't shown themselves to be rational, Mikula."

Mikula looked up and nodded. "Yes, you're right of course… It's just that it's so terrible…" He sighed and shook his head. "It's like this is some nightmare."

Alexis nodded, but she held her tongue as she saw a female lupar walk over from the bar, followed by a larger, scowling male. Though the man made the gatón's fur rise along her shoulders, she saw something familiar in the woman.

"Mikula," the lady said as she came up. "Might we join you?" Her face was one of curiosity.

The addressed lupar looked up, and he blushed a bit. "Certainly Kayla," he said and then slid down the bench he sat at. Alexis frowned a bit as the female easily sat down, deftly smoothing her skirt over her legs, while the man with her simply stood a half-meter away from the booth, just eyeing the three sitting there.

Mikula then looked over at Alexis, catching her eye. "Alexis, this is my sister, Kayla. Kayla, this is Alexis," he said, using a hand to help his introductions with gestures.

Alexis blinked, and then smiled politely. "A pleasure to meet you," she said. "Mikula's only barely mentioned you to me."

Kayla's smile mirrored Alexis' own. "Well, he certainly hasn't said anything of you to me," she said and then looked accusingly at her younger brother.

Mikula blushed again. "I would have, Kayla, in time. It's just that…" He sighed as he paused. "It was enough of a shock for you to see me working along with the people who are now protecting us," he waved towards the closed door. "How would you have reacted if I told you that my love is a gatón?"

Although he said it gently, Alexis still felt a bit hurt at his words. _Not that Mikula means anything by them. It's just what they represent._

Kayla frowned at her brother. "Well… I won't lie and say I wouldn't be shocked," she said slowly. "But I do care for you as my brother, Mikula, and that's more important to me than who you choose to be with."

Mikula smiled a bit at that. "Thank you, Kayla. It means a lot to me."

Kayla smiled in return, and then she looked at Alexis. "So, how did you two meet?"

"I helped to take care of Mikula when he was injured after his unit was attacked," Alexis said after taking a look at Mikula and receiving a nod from him. Then she blushed. "We've not been too far apart ever since."

Kayla smiled, even as Mikula blushed along with Alexis. "Sounds like a fairytale," she said.

"Sometimes it was. Sometimes…" Alexis' voice trailed off as she remembered.

Mikula cleared his throat. "It's not always been… The best of times," he said quietly. "It seems that danger follows us around."

"As well it should," the male standing near the booth added in harshly, getting looks from the three sitting. "Your relationship is unnatural."

Alexis felt anger rising in her, and she could see from Mikula's face that he felt it as well. Kayla, whose face also displayed displeasure, spoke next in a low tone. "Marner, nephew though you may be to me in marriage, do not think that I will suffer your insults to my brother."

Marner glared at her. "Insults? It is he who insults you and your family, and indeed, all lupar, by consorting with this gatón whore."

Mikula leapt up at that, though constrained as he was by the table, he was blocked by Kayla's mass. "You bastard! I'll rip your face off!" He yelled as he reached for Marner across Kayla, who had turned and was trying to hold her brother back.

Marner was sneering, and about to say something again when something kicked his legs out from under him. He fell forward, and his muzzle slammed into the table with an audible clack of teeth. The impact stunned him, and he couldn't do anything as his weight carried him past the table to fall to the floor.

Alexis, who had slipped out of her seat to trip the lupar, now kicked him in the belly to stun his solar plexus, driving air from his lungs. As Marner struggled for breath, she kicked him again in the shoulder to flip him from his side to his back, and she quickly laid a foot on his neck, digging her toe claws into the fur there.

"You listen to me you motherless cur," she said in a low, snarling voice as she leaned over to stare into Marner's face. "If you wish to insult me, do it to my face. Furthermore," she then dug her foot into his neck further, closing off his throat a bit and constricting his breathing even as his muscles recovered enough to let him draw air. "Insulting Mikula and his family by insinuating that he would dare to associate with street trash is a cowardly jab. As is waiting until he's penned in behind a table and his sister when you say it.

"So, until you can wash that taint of cowardice from your fur, I suggest you not speak to us again." Alexis then took her foot off of his neck and stood back, letting Marner take in ragged gulps of air. He glared at her, though the constant panting of his body rendered the look significantly less potent.

"I think you should go now, Marner," Kayla said, standing as she did so. Mikula, surprised and shocked at Alexis' behavior, simply sat on the bench. "You've insulted me and my family. Though we may be kin by marriage, do not think that your actions have in any way honored you or me." She said and waited until the other lupar stood. "Go, and tell my husband that though I care for him deeply, I shall not suffer any more of his family until he himself comes for me."

Marner glared at Kayla. "He will not be pleased at this," he said, though the rasping nature of his voice robbed it of any true menace.

"Then I will deal with him when he comes." Kayla replied as her ears laid back against her skull in anger. "Now, go."

Marner glared openly at the three sitting at the booth. Then her turned quickly and walked quickly from the room, heading for the kitchen and the back door to the building, which was the entrance that Kayla and he had used to gain entrance to the tavern.

Kayla sighed, shaking her head. "That damned fool," she muttered. Then she turned slowly to look at Alexis, Mikula doing so as well with his head. "I don't think I've ever heard of a gatón beating a lupar in a fight before."

Alexis blushed deeply, sitting down back into the booth before replying. "I've learned a few things."

"I'll say," Mikula said in quiet shock. "Alexis…" His voice trailed off as his face twisted to mirror the struggle within his head as he fought conflicting emotions.

Alexis blushed as deeply as she could. "I'm so sorry, Mikula, and you too, Kayla," she looked at the latter as the female lupar sat down. "I lost my temper, and made that shameful display." She looked down on the table.

The change in her attitude quickly cleared the storm in Mikula's head, and he leaned over the table to reach out and arm to squeeze Alexis' shoulder. "Don't be sorry. You defended your and my family's honor, and with far less blood than I would have done it with." He smiled slightly at that.

"I agree," Kayla said earnestly. "I didn't know that gatón women were so… Aggressive."

Alexis looked up. "We're not… Normally…" She sighed and then looked back at the table. "I just couldn't sit there and hear his poison a moment longer." While still looking at the table, Alexis reached up with her right hand to grab Mikula's where he still gripped her shoulder, and she squeezed it. "But I still am ashamed. I should have just knocked him out cold instead of taunting him like that."

"You… You could do that?" The surprise in Kayla's voice brought Alexis' head up, as did Mikula releasing her shoulder, though she and him still held hands in the middle of the table. Alexis nodded in reply to Kayla's question. "As I said, I've learned a few things," she said with a ghost of a smile.

"More than just fighting, eh?" Mikula asked with a small smile of his own. "I see spending some time with Tanaka and her lance has affected you."

Alexis blushed at that, realizing the truth in it. "Yes… Yes, it has, though it merely let me see how much I've changed from all my time with you," she squeezed Mikula's hand again. "And as well with our friends."

Kayla sat back in the bench seat. "Sounds like you two have had quite the experience."

Mikula chuckled. "You could say that. I only gave you the highlights when I told you my story last night."

"I'll say," a new voice came in, bringing the heads of all three around to see Mrs. Reyka carrying a platter. She set it down on the table, and Alexis could see that it held three mugs of water and a small plate of food. _Must be some sort of appetizer_, the gatón thought, seeing that the food consisted of several distinct, uniform pieces. The sweet smell of sugar and water wafted from them, and Alexis realized that it must be a fruit.

Reyka handed out the mugs and placed the fruit in the middle of the table even as she spoke. "I've never seen anyone handle a man in his prime so easily before, especially not a woman." She said musingly. "I take it that your friends that you spoke of, Mikula, helped you two to learn that kind of fighting?"

Mikula nodded. "Indeed they did," he said as he and Alexis released each other's hand so that they could sit back properly. "Amongst other things, as well."

"Speaking of your friends," Reyka added as eh finished laying the dishes out so that she could hold the serving platter under her arm. "Do they want anything themselves? I'll be happy to help them, as well."

Mikula began to shake his head, but he stopped when he saw Alexis nod a bit. "Not all of them, but I have a friend out there who would like to sit, since she doesn't have any armor." She spared a glance to Mikula long enough to see him give her the slightest of nods. "I don't suppose you'd mind her coming inside for a bit?"

Reyka shrugged. "I don't see why not, though I hope she won't scare the others. Not after that scene you just had here," she said with a small smile.

Alexis blushed again. "Well, though our friends are different in attitudes from the invaders, they are the same species, so she'll look similar to the invaders. Only she's not on _their_ side." Alexis made sure to place scorn on the pronoun referring to the Wobbies. "I just wanted to warn you."

Reyka frowned a bit, but she nodded. "Well, thank you for that. And yes, she can come in. They all can come in if they want, in fact."

Alexis smiled a bit as she got off of the bench and stood up. "Well, I'll tell them that, though I doubt that they can with their armor getting in the way." She then bowed slightly to Reyka. "Thank you for all of your help."

"Anything for friends of the Farkas family," Reyka replied with a smile. Alexis smiled back and then went off towards the door, ignoring the stares she got from the other natives in the room.

Reyka, meanwhile, turned back to Mikula with a grin. "You certainly have good taste after all, eh Mikula?"

He blushed at that, and all the more so when Kayla chuckled. "Indeed. I like her."

"Thank you," he said with as much feeling as he could muster. "I know how special she is, but it's nice hearing it from those I trust."

"Well, I'm glad you weren't waiting on us, then," Reyka added, still smiling.

Kayla then cleared her throat. "Mikula, uh, you know my feelings, but… Does mother know?"

Mikula smiled at his sister. "She knew before I did, I think," he said, and then blushed. "Alexis and I… Well, we sort of had to be smacked in the face with our feelings before we acknowledged them." His countenance took on a faraway look then, and he stared into space. "We almost never had the chance…"

"What do you mean?" Kayla asked, bringing Mikula's attention back to the present. He shook his head to clear it a bit. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you sometime, I promise."

Kayla nodded, when gasps coming from some of the others in the room drew the attention of the three lupar to the main door. Mikula could feel his sister tense a bit at the sight of Tanaka walking in, bent over a bit to fit into the room, but still mostly upright. Alexis led her quickly to the booth, and Reyka easily stood aside to let them in.

Alexis went into the booth first, letting Tanaka sit down carefully on the bench. The latter sat only on the edge, however, so that she could let her legs spill out into the area beyond the table, so as to not crowd out the others.

"Kayla, Mrs. Reyka, allow me to introduce Captain Cassandra Tanaka of the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers," Alexis spoke to the others. "I apologize that I or Mikula will have to translate, since she doesn't know but a few words of Lupari."

Kayla, though a bit intimidated, nodded to Tanaka. "Pleased to meet you," she said, being echoed by Reyka a moment later, and then by Alexis when she translated their words. Tanaka smiled broadly to them and nodded, speaking slowly so that Alexis could relay her words. "She says thank you for the welcome, and would you have any ale?" At the last, Alexis blushed and smiled a bit.

Reyka blinked at that, and then laughed. "A hard one, eh? Well, I'll go get some," she said with a smile and walked off.

* * *

Van Horn was pacing again, this time consciously as he waited for news. Sellers had left a few minutes before to rendezvous with the rest of his squad, and the Vanquishers, as a whole, were bouncing around inside the city, helping to put out the fires started by the artillery. Although the troopers didn't know Lupari per se, van Horn had managed to get them to learn a few basic words and commands so that they could warn or offer assistance. From the radio reports he was listening in on, van Horn could tell that it was helping, as the Tanzanos, though frightened initially by the metal creatures in their midst, became less frightened when these monsters only fought the fires, and not the denizens.

_Still, the question remains on what to do next?_ He wondered naturally. _Vickers is in touch with Ladavic and Kujira, but with the _Young_ moving around in her orbit, we won't be able to get a pickup for some time._ Of course, recalling the transport that was carrying the WMDs before it could make it to the _Young_ was out of the question. _The whole bloody _point_ of this raid was to get them as far as humanly possible from the Wobbies_.

"Doc, if you're not careful, you're going to wear a hole in the ground," Castellano said, somewhat amusedly, though the night's exertions were taking its toll on his normal manner. "Besides, the suit uses more power when you're moving."

"Yeah, I know," van Horn said, coming to a stop and turning to face Castellano. "Not much more, of course, but I concede the point."

"Aww, and here I was going to think we could have a good argument." Castellano chuckled a bit, some of his old mirth coming back. "Ah, but seriously, Earl, if you're too busy walking back and forth, you might miss something."

Van Horn nodded. "You're right, of course." He sighed. "I'm just worried… But I suppose we all are."

"Hell yeah," Castellano replied. "Which reminds me. I was wrong earlier."

"Oh?" Van Horn sounded puzzled. "About what?"

"Seeing a transport lifting off without you isn't the loneliest feeling in the world. Seeing the one specifically for you blown up is." Castellano replied with a small, dark chuckle.

Van Horn grinned a bit inside his helmet. "Ah, dipping into the gallows humor already, Dan? You should have a more positive attitude."

"Oh, but I am positive," Castellano replied with mock seriousness. "I'm positive that we're up shit's creek without a paddle."

They both chuckled at that, the humor helping to lift their mood a bit. "Ah, well. I wonder what the Lieutenant's got planned?" Castellano mused openly.

Van Horn shrugged enough to make his suit mimic it. "Who knows? But I'll place my faith in him and Ladavic any day of the week, and twice on Sundays."

"Heh. Well, hopefully, it'll involved a change of scenery," Castellano said and he looked around. "This place is nice, I'm sure, but I get antsy not being able to see all around me."

"Yeah," van Horn replied with a nod. "But it's better than bein' shot at 'cuz you're in plain sight, isn't it?"

"I guess," Castellano replied, not sounding convinced. "Still, I'd rather be on the bounce."

Van Horn sighed. "Same here, man."

"Van Horn," Vickers' voice broke into their local frequency. "Situation?"

"Sir, nothin's changed since Sellers left to rejoin Foxtrot squad. We're still standin' here, and the secondary objective is still secure."

Vickers grunted. "Good to hear somethin's goin' right," he said. "The Wobbies apparently don't have anyone left in the city, apparently. The artillery barrage must've been their last card for now, so Kujira and Ladavic have decided that we just might try a General Lee."

Van Horn blinked a few times in confusion. "Sir?"

"Oh, right, you didn't go to OCS. Well, wait one and I'll explain to the whole platoon."

"Yes sir," van Horn replied as Vickers' carrier wave clicked off of the frequency. He then looked to Castellano, who shrugged despite his arm. "You got me doc, as to what the Lieutenant's thinkin.'"

Then Vickers' voice came back, though now it was not as powerful as it was spread over the entire platoon's frequency. "Listen up Vanquishers! We have a change in orders.

"It seems clear now that we've cleared out all the Wobbies from Tanzano. Intel thinks that the artillery barrage was a last-ditch attempt to keep their WMDs from flying the coop, given the fact that they can't afford to loose humans on a planet where they're already outnumbered."

Van Horn listened carefully, fully appreciating the fact that Vickers preferred his platoon to be fully informed. _The sign of a good leader is letting your men know why you're doing what you're doing… Within reason, of course_.

"So what does this mean? Well, it means that we are going to be taking the offensive to the Wobbies even more now. We just might be stayin' here in this city, dependin' if we can get permission. If not, we'll move out after the fires have been taken care of and look for a place to set up a decent camp.

"Either way, get used to some dirty livin' for a while, people, 'til we can get some army pukes to rotate out here. So be nice to the locals, and try not to step on their toes, all right?"

"Ooh-rah!" Though the cry wasn't as forceful as before, it still held the feeling of pride in it.

"Good. Squad leaders, continue clearing ops 'til further notice."

Then Vickers switched off the main frequency, and van Horn shifted his listening to the local one. "Well, that's interestin.'" Van Horn commented.

"I'll say," Castellano replied. "I wonder if those Intel guys haven't got a screw loose."

Van Horn shrugged. "Well, look on the bright side: Now we can keep the Wobbies from comin' back here and terrorizin' these folk."

"Yeah, I guess." Castellano didn't sound convinced.

Then Vickers' voice came in on the local frequency again. "Van Horn, you still got Firefly with you there?"

"Yes sir," van Horn replied with a small frown creasing his lips.

"Good. See if he knows anyone we can go to and see about conversin' with the local government. We don't want to be a bother, after all."

"Aye aye sir."


	31. Chapter 31

Van Horn knocked on the door to tavern to let people know that someone would be coming in, and then he pushed the door open slowly. Inside, he saw the same assortment of people as he had seen earlier, though some of them had clearly fallen asleep on the tables they sat at. The others had turned at the knock, tensed for anything that might come through. Van Horn almost felt like smiling when they visibly relaxed after seeing him. _I guess they're getting used to us_, he mused. He then looked around and spotted his friends sitting in a booth near the front corner of the room. Tanaka was waving at him with a mug that seemed a bit too small for her hands, and van Horn duck-walked over, careful of the low clearance.

"Well, captain, is the war over for you already?" Van Horn asked lightly as he came tow the booth. Given his armored bulk, he simply sat down on the floor, careful of the space between his backpack and the next table in the room.

Tanaka smiled a bit. "Sort of," she said with a shrug. "It's just one drink to take the edge off."

"Indeed," van Horn replied as he made sure that his shotgun was safetied before he set it on the floor next to him. Then he reached up and unlatched his helmet, taking it off so that he could be more personal with the small group. "I suppose bein' hit by a Long Tom would be nasty enough."

Tanaka nodded. "So, that's what they were?" She asked, waiting for van Horn to nod and reply. "Yeah, they dropped their camo when they began firing, and then when the _Young_ attacked they had a good picture before that ridge became a trench."

Tanaka blinked in surprise. "Shit, you're sayin' the _Young_ fired on them?

Van Horn nodded with a slight grin. "Yeah. Quite a lightshow, and one I don't think anyone within a thousand miles will forget."

"Fuck yeah," she replied. "Jeez-us, an actual WarShip bombardment?" Tanaka shook her head. "Pity I was out like a light."

Mikula and Alexis shuddered at that, and even Tanaka shifted her weight. _Though it might just be the way she's sitting_, van Horn thought. _What with having to fit on that small bench seat._

Then van Horn finally noticed the female lupar sitting to Mikula's right, and he turned to her. "Oh, my apologies." He spoke to her in Lupari. "I did not mean to ignore you. My name is Earl," he said and held out his right hand.

The female looked confused and intimidated, all the more so with the battered look of van horn's black armor. However, Mikula nudged her. "Kayla, it's all right. He is a good friend, so just reach out your right hand."

The one van Horn now knew as Kayla turned and gave Mikula such a weird look. But she then turned back and slowly extended her right hand, letting van Horn grip it carefully in his own, armored hand. "I am Kayla, Mikula's sister." She said quietly.

Van Horn gave her a genuine smile. "Well, I'm glad to meet you. Mikula mentioned he had an older sister, but he hasn't said much about you." Then he released her hand and his smile faded. "Of course, given all the recent events, I can see anyone overlooking such things."

Kayla nodded slowly. "Indeed, given what's happened this night alone, I cannot blame anyone for erring in such a manner." She said quietly.

Van Horn nodded. "In any case, Mikula," he turned to the other lupar, switching to English. "The Wobbies' shelling has changed things. Command has decided that we cannot leave this city undefended for now, lest the Wobbies decide to try for more retribution." He paused for a breath. "So we're going to try and see if we can get some help and permission from the local leaders, if possible. So that's why I came in: To see if you know who we should go about seein.'"

Mikula blinked in surprise, and Tanaka and Alexis looked on curiously. "Doc, this is confirmed?" Tanaka asked, with a bit of hope in her voice. _She's hopin' that we'll stay so that she can get her 'mech fixed a lot quicker_, van Horn knew. _MechWarrirors can't stand to be Dispossessed._

Aloud, though, he answered her "From Kujira and Ladavic themselves, captain." He nodded as he replied. "The Vanquishers, after helping to clean up some of the mess, are to either establish a forward light base in or around Tanzano, or failing any permission, we're gonna go ramblin' out and find a small patch of woods or hills to settle in." He then shook his head a bit and sighed. "Though, I think the 5th's BA platoon's gonna relieve the Vanquishers so they can head to the _Rodger Young_ an' be a rapid reaction force."

Tanaka nodded. "Yeah, and you guys could use some relief." She shook her head slowly, and her voice dropped. "I saw at least one guy dead from the blast just outside the wrecked transport."

Van Horn nodded slowly, Mikula and Alexis joining in, though the former was quietly translating for his sister as inconspicuously as possible. Van Horn noticed this, but he didn't let it distract him. "So Mikula, you got an idea of who we should speak to?"

Mikula finished translating, and looked about to speak, when Kayla turned to van Horn and spoke up. "I believe I might be able to help… That is, if you wish my help."

Van Horn smiled a bit. "If you can help, then please don't be offended if we take you up on that offer," He said. Then his smile faded. "So, how can you help us?"

"My husband, he is noble on the city council. If you wish, I can take you to him and you can speak with him." She said, blushing as van Horn widened his eyes at the mention of her marital ties. "He cannot speak for the entire council, of course, but you can get a good gauge of just what the council might say by how Teyver – my husband – will react."

Van Horn smiled again. "Well, Mikula, your family certainly is illustrious, isn't it?" He asked, making the two lupar at the table blush. Then he again turned serious. "Kayla, when can we see your husband, then?"

Her face went blank a bit, as she thought. Then she nodded and replied, "I think that he ought to be awake now, though," she spared a glance at Alexis, "he might not be in the best of moods when my nephew gets to him."

Van Horn followed her glance and looked at Alexis. "What did you do?" He asked neutrally, though with a half-smirk on his face.

Alexis blushed deeply. "I, uh, lost my temper when Marner –her nephew – said some… Unkind things about me and Mikula."

Van horn's smirk was replaced with a small smile. "So you stood up for yourself?" He asked, getting a small nod. "That's okay, Alexis. You should always stand up for yourself. I just hope you didn't hurt him too badly?" He asked, still smiling.

Alexis managed a small, nearly non-existent smile of her own. "Nothing but his pride, I think," she replied quietly.

Van Horn nodded; wanting to chuckle, but duty overrode that idea. "So, I take it that this Marner isn't going to make my job easier?" He asked, turning back to Kayla and Mikula. The former shook her head. "I am afraid not. He is a suspicious lad, and despite his rough attitude, he is a favorite of my husband." She said with a small sigh. "Still, Teyver is a good man, and he's never been too quick to judge, so I think that you might be able to reason with him." She smiled a small bit then. "Especially if you arrive with myself in tow."

* * *

They spoke for a bit longer, van Horn making sure to explain everything to Kayla, and to translate what had been said to Tanaka, as well. Then van Horn had left, leaving the three natives and Tanaka sitting where they had been when he had come in.

"So, I you two will be leaving soon?" Alexis said in Lupari to the two siblings across from her in order to fill the awkward silence.

Mikula nodded, a sad look upon his face. "Yes, soon," he said and then sighed. "It seems like this long night will never end."

Alexis managed a small smile. "Well, it's not the longest night we've ever had…" She said knowingly in Gatonese, making Mikula blush. "Perhaps it isn't," he replied with a small grin in the same language. "But perhaps this isn't the best time to be speaking of such things," he said cautiously. Then his grin returned. "After all, I don't want to be so befuddled with your beauty that I'll trip over my own feet."

Alexis smiled and blushed, despite the studious manner in which Tanaka and Kayla were trying to pay no attention to the conversation. _Not like they can understand us,_ she thought, _but at least they're nice enough to try and give us the illusion of privacy._ With that, the gatón turned to Tanaka and spoke. "So captain, I hope that you won't be too disappointed just sitting here with me until they get back."

Tanaka grinned at Alexis. "It wasn't a problem when you were riding in my 'mech, and it's no problem now," she said. Then she yawned. "However, it's been a long night," she said as she turned to Mikula. "You'd better not take too long, or van Horn's gonna have you drag me out of the building when I pass out." She winked as she finished.

Mikula gave his lopsided grin. "Well, I'll just remember to have a bucket of cold water ready when I get back."

Tanaka nodded. "Good idea," she then turned to Alexis. "Remind me not to fall asleep around him."

Alexis chuckled slightly. "It's not so much him as his brother, Kanu, who is the trickster."

"Well, maybe you should call him Coyote then?" Tanaka asked mischievously. When Alexis and Mikula gave her blank looks, she sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind. You two should get going, then," she said, gesturing to Mikula and Kayla.

They nodded, and Mikula spoke. "You're right. We'd better leave before Mrs. Reyka catches wind of our intentions and tries to talk us out of it." He said as Kayla edged out of the seat, allowing him to do the same.

Alexis felt a pang of guilt and sympathy as Mikula winced as he stood up. "Mikula, should you really be going anywhere, though, with a wound like that?" She asked, sounding almost pleading.

Mikula tried to give her a reassuring smile, weak though it was. "I'll be fine, Alexis," he said. "You said yourself, it's pretty well taken care of. And besides, I'll have Earl with me, and he's helped to take care of my wounds before." With that, he brought up the leg that had been wounded that fateful night to emphasize. He then placed the leg down and shrugged. "Besides, I can't let my sister go back alone," he said this in English so as to not embarrass himself or his sister. "Even with van Horn escorting her, he's only one man. I can help, at least, to keep things civil, if need be."

Alexis nodded, and then she pushed on Tanaka's back gently. The human got the drift and she got up from her seat to let Alexis out, though she immediately took the seat vacated by the two lupar. The gatón didn't pay it any mind, however, as she stepped over to Mikula, and they embraced again. "You just make sure you come back," she said as she pulled him tight.

"I will. I promise," he replied quietly as they broke their hold on each other. He smiled at her then, and he brushed a hand along her cheek, tucking some stray strands of hair back. "I'm not going to lose you now, not when you finally know everybody."

Alexis nervously smiled back. "It would certainly be a waste of introductions, wouldn't it?" She said, her voice faltering somewhat. "Be careful."

"Certainly," Mikula said, turning to head for the door. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Alexis replied as Mikula and his sister walked to the door, stopping only to nab Senmar so they could talk outside. Then they were through the door, and Alexis practically stumbled back to her original seat, sitting heavily on the bench. Once there, she put her arms on the table and then cradled her head in her hands. Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply, using the action to help her maintain control over her emotions.

"Not easy, is it?" Tanaka asked quietly after a minute. Alexis opened her eyes as she brought her head up to look at the human, who continued on. "It's hard enough saying goodbye when you're the one going, but when it's someone else, someone you care about…" She shook her head slightly as her voice trailed away.

Alexis nodded a bit. "I take it you've had to do it, as well?" She asked, hoping that Tanaka could add some new insight that would help. Tanaka nodded, and Alexis went on "Does it ever get any easier?"

"No, Alexis," Tanaka replied with a sad shake of her head. "It never does. I've had to say goodbye to my family dozens of times. Most times, it's just a short time, only a few days, or a few weeks at most…" She sighed and stared off into space. "It's always hard. More so this last time, since I would be leaving the planet."

Alexis felt mortified. "I'm… I'm sorry that you had to come, then." She said, sadly as she tilted her head down. "As much as you and everyone else have helped, I never would have wanted any of you to leave your families."

Tanaka chuckled slightly, which brought Alexis' head back up to see the other woman smiling wanly. "Alexis, it may be hard, and it may mean our deaths, but you can go and ask every single person in the Firebase, in the Grenadiers, in the Vanquishers and the crewman of every ship, and they'll tell you the same thing; we don't do it because it's easy. We do it because it's right. Because no one else can."

Alexis frowned, her ears flopping down in confusion. "I don't think I fully understand." Then her ears went back in embarrassment. "I guess I haven't learned as much as I thought I have."

Tanaka sighed. "Alexis, you've learned a lot. Don't put yourself down because you've had a different life where you've never known what we have," she said, shaking her head a bit. "We grew up with the Articles of Freedom, with the concept of responsibility to society and of sacrifice. From a young age, we're taught about how you can't just take, you have to _give_, as well." She paused then, to let Alexis absorb this and to take a breath as well. "Our society does so much for us. It created the environment that allowed us to grow up in freedom, to choose our own path in life, and to be who we are. Is it any surprise that we'd want to protect that glorious treasure at any cost? Even with our own lives?"

Alexis continued to frown in puzzlement, even as Tanaka finished. "I think I understand a bit… At least, being a soldier, to defend your homes." She managed a small smile. "I mean, that's what I'm doing here, what Mikula and Senmar are doing here…" Her face went back to total puzzlement then. "But captain… Why are _you_ here?" She asked plaintively. "Why are Earl, the Vanquishers, the army from your world, your people… Why are you here? Earl told me that it's right by your values… But I don't see how, in light of what you just told me." She sat back at that, seemingly exhausted at the mental activity as she frowned.

Tanaka sighed again. "Alexis, it boils down to this: What is the largest group of people that you feel you can owe allegiance to?"

Alexis blinked at the question. "What do you mean?"

Tanaka shook her head. "What I mean, is, I know you'll fight hard to protect yourself, your family, Mikula and everyone you know… _But_," she made sure to look Alexis in the eyes. "Can you bring yourself to risk your life for complete strangers? Even those who might not like you, who might even resent your presence and decry you as evil? Even for those who might fight back against you because they know nothing else but the system they were born into?"

Alexis felt some anger bleed into her face. "Of course I can! That's why I'm here, isn't it? I didn't know anyone in Tanzano until… I came… Here…" Alexis' voice slowed and stopped as she began to think about what she was saying. "But I came here anyway…"

Tanaka nodded. "And why is that, Alexis? I mean, we both know you cared to be as near to Mikula as possible, but it had to be more than that. You told me that story of how you weren't even supposed to go with van Horn and the others to stop those bandits. You ended up going anyway, but you could have gone weeks, months even without seeing Mikula again… If ever." Tanaka paused for a breath. "So, why come now, when you'd only be separated by a few days, at most?"

Alexis thought as fast as she could. Her mind, though, was fuzzy from the night's events, her own tiredness, and the shaking she had received from the artillery blast that had toppled Tanaka's 'mech. Still, she began to piece it together. "I… I guess it was because I thought that I could do some good…"

Tanaka nodded. "And you have, but you had no idea that you could have when you volunteered. So, why did you volunteer, if it wasn't completely for Mikula?"

_Why _did_ I?_ Alexis wondered to herself. Then she began to think about how she had felt good with the MechWarriors of Tanaka's lance. _I figured it was because I was more a soldier… And I am, I know that… And Tanaka's a soldier, too, and so are Earl, and Dan and Jen and John… They all came here, not because they were forced to, but because something makes them willing to risk their lives for something greater than themselves…_

_Just like me_, she realized with a start. _Mikula was a part of my volunteering, of course… But it was more than that, wasn't it? I wanted to protect Hercor and Shulana, despite what many think of me, and when I thought of all the hostages, I wanted to help them too, even though I didn't know them_.

Alexis looked from where she had been staring at the wall, and she looked at Tanaka as the latter sat lengthwise along the booth's bench, using it to give her legs more space. The human was watching Alexis curiously, and the gatón knew why. _She wants to see if I can 'get it…' And I do, don't I? I came here willingly to protect those I don't even know… And so did she. Not because I had to, but because I want to_. Alexis smiled sheepishly then at Tanaka. "I… I think I understand. It's not about who's in trouble. It's about doing what's right, because doing what's right _is_ society, and even though you may die, that which you're a part of lives on."

Tanaka smiled broadly. "You got it!" She said somewhat loudly. "Damn, girl, some people don't realize that in their entire lives, and you got it in a night."

Alexis blushed deeply. "Not in a night, but over time. Talking to Earl, mainly, but you and all my friends helped," she said quietly, and then some tears began at the corner of her eyes. Alexis tilted her head down at the table then to try and hide them.

She wasn't totally successful. "Alexis, what's wrong?" Tanaka asked, clearly concerned. The tone of her voice just made Alexis' emotions run stronger, and her voice cracked slightly as she replied. "It's just… You and everyone else… You've all been so helpful, so caring and kind and willing to teach… I feel so good, knowing I have great friends like you."

Alexis heard a sniff, and she thought that her nose had started running and she had done if automatically. Then she heard it again, and she looked up to see Tanaka rubbing her eyes. "Damn, Alexis, now you got me leakin,'" she said. Although the words could have been taken badly, Alexis could tell by the tone that Tanaka was speaking in mock irritation designed to lighten the mood with some good humor. _The better to get our emotions in check_, the gatón knew, and she stayed silent as she, too, fought against her exhaustion and emotions to regain control.

Finally, Tanaka spoke next after a few moments had passed. "Thank you for thinking me as a friend, Alexis," she said with a smile. "I'll admit I don't have many friends, so it's nice to know that I'm not _that_ bad to deal with," she winked at the last.

Alexis chuckled a bit. "I think you sell yourself short," she said, and then paused. "Did I use that right? Earl says it a lot."

Tanaka chuckled back. "Yeah, you used it just right," she replied. "Seems you're learnin' fast enough to me, pickin' up the idioms and usin' 'em right."

Alexis blushed again. "Thank you. I try hard to learn it." She smiled sheepishly. "I just have this fascination with English since I've been to New Honshu. Just so many words to learn! It's wonderful."

Tanaka chuckled. "Quite a linguist, eh?" She asked. "Maybe you should be one after this is all over."

Alexis blinked at that. "I, uh… I really don't have any idea of what I'm going to do when things are over…" Her voice trailed off and she looked out over the tavern, where now most everyone was asleep, either lying on booth benches or in some cases – usually the men – sleeping on the floor. "I look at everyone now, even the lupar, and I don't see anything that really inspires me… Not like your world did."

They both fell silent at that for a few minutes before Tanaka cleared her throat. "Well, Alexis… If you want, you could always come back if you wished."

Alexis turned her head and looked quizzically at the human. "What do you mean?"

Tanaka shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I don't want to make it sound like it's some great thing, Alexis," she said quietly. "But the fact is, is that we're going to be staying on your planet for a long time, now. Even for centuries, establishing bases to protect everyone." She said, and then sighed. "And also… I don't think anyone would want us to stop there."

Alexis frowned. "I don't know if it's the late hour, or your words, but I am afraid I don't understand you again."

Tanaka sighed, and she now looked over the room, prompting Alexis to follow suit. "Alexis, all your friends, and my own government, we've helped to teach you and Mikula and Pavlo. And you know we want to help out, and as of tonight, you fully understand why. Now, think of where that takes you when the Wobbies are done for."

Alexis did think, pursuing the line of thought. _They help because it's right by their morals, and that help meant training and educating me and Mikula and Pavlo… _This time, she came to the idea more rapidly, and she looked at Tanaka with hopeful eyes. "You mean, your people will try and teach things to mine? To the lupar?"

Tanaka smiled wanly. "Almost certainly. Even if the government doesn't get involved, lots of private charities will, because literacy and education build peace and prosperity. But of course, none of it will be forced."

Alexis nodded slightly, thinking of the ramifications. _Imagine! Everyone learning how to do such wonderful things that the humans do! We can build our society up to their level! No more wars on our planet, nothing between us, because we'll have it all… Only need to worry about those outside the Republic, and even then, our friends will help us._ Her eyes felt like watering up again. "That… That would be so wonderful."

Tanaka shrugged. "Maybe… Or maybe not. Remember, Alexis, technology is a double-edged sword. Anything we teach your people an have the ability to harm you all, as well," she said, and then sighed. "But we'll also try and teach you our history, too, so that you can learn from our mistakes. Maybe even translate the Articles of Freedom into your languages… Heh," she half-chuckled and looked at Alexis with a grin. "There's a job for you after we're done. Translate the Articles so that people can see where my country is coming from."

Alexis nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, that sounds wonderful," she said. Then she thought about it, and her ears went back in embarrassment. "But… I'm afraid that I still don't know what these documents are that you speak of."

Tanaka gave her a small grin. "Well, there's quite a few of them. They're a series of documents from throughout the ages that detail the growth of the idea of personal freedom, equality under law, and the basic rights of a person. They start mainly with the Magna Carta, which is over eighteen hundred years old, and they go through the American Contributions, and then touch on the Ares Conventions and others documents, finally arriving at my own Republic's Constitution." Tanaka finished speaking, and then she blushed. "Listen to me, recitin' the whole litany like a schoolgirl."

Alexis smiled. "But it's so interesting. Eighteen hundred years…" The number astounded her. "That long, you've had these ideals?"

At that, Tanaka frowned and her blush deepened. "Not really. The Magna Carta was a great step forward, and it was a fair sight better than what was there before. But it was still only a step." She sighed and shook her head. "The society you see today, Alexis, in Neo Tokyo, in the other systems of the Republic… It's the end result of thousands of years of human history. Most of which, by the way, is dark and bloody" Tanaka sighed again. "Still, the documents show how we had to learn, slowly…"

Alexis nodded, much sobered by the reminders of humanity's checkered past. "Then perhaps your suggestion of translating these documents is doubly important. Maybe then, I and others could use them to help the Gatón and the Lupar skip all those bloody, senseless wars and let us achieve something better…" Her voice trailed away as Alexis contemplated the idea.

Tanaka's grunt, followed by some gruff words, brought her back to reality. "Alexis, I'm glad you're thinking far ahead, and with such broad strokes. But, don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?" She asked the gatón, who blushed a bit. "Remember, too, that not everyone is a nice, gentle caring person. There will be those who resist."

Alexis only had to think back to earlier in the night for a clear example of what Tanaka was speaking of. "I see your point, and I thank you for keeping me from soaring too far in my flight of fancy," she said to her friend with a wan smile of her own. "But still, the mere idea, the hope that we can do so many great things…"

Tanaka smiled broadly at her. "That's the spirit, Alexis. Reality is never perfect; so don't get discouraged when things don't go your way. But remember that, wherever there is even one person thinking for themselves, there is hope."

* * *

Van Horn walked uneasily through the streets of Tanzano as he escorted Mikula and Kayla towards their goal. The eerie glow of fires had died somewhat, though now the occasional flare of a Vanquisher's jump jets cast a brilliant light over the area as the soldiers bounced from fire to fire, helping to create firebreaks or grabbing people to carry them to safety. Van Horn had heard more than one radio report from an excited, but clearly relieved trooper about how they had finished one spot, or saved some lives. It made his chest feel like it was going to bend his armor outward, but it also made him cautious in case the Blakests _had_ left someone behind to do some nasty work.

_Still, I don't want to be too deadly now,_ he thought, cracking open he shotgun's ammo chamber and withdrawing the last few unused AP shells there to place them into a belt pouch. Even as he made sure to look around and check the area, van Horn quickly began to reload his weapon with simple, solid slugs that would still be potent, though wouldn't have nearly the same unabashed killing power as the magnesium-coated AP shot. _If we encounter any bogeys, it'd be nice if we could take one alive_.

"What are you doing, Earl?" Mikula asked quietly in Lupari from off to the human's side. Van Horn only spared a glace of his eyes to his HUD to see that the two lupar walking alongside him were looking curiously at his activities.

"I'm changing my ammo load, Mikula," van Horn replied, also in Lupari for Kayla's benefit. "The shot I had inside before was for maximum killing power. Now, though," he paused to finish loading the last of the twelve shells. "Now, they're simple lead slugs. Not too deadly, and they might leave someone alive."

Kayla shuddered as they walked. "How can you talk so casually about what kind of weapon you use to kill people?" She asked incredulously.

"Simple," van Horn replied somewhat gruffly. "I'm just plain used to it. After all, one must be objective as possible when it's one's job to kill people and break things, and when killing people, sometimes you want to make sure that a few will survive so that you can interrogate them."

Kayla shuddered again, and she stopped, forcing Mikula and van Horn to pause as well. "How can you even speak like that?" She asked, her attitude that of shock. "Even if we are talking about enemies, they are people, are they not? How can you talk as if they are so much meat to be sliced up?"

Van Horn stood still for a moment, and then he took of his helmet so that he could stare at Kayla with his unshielded eyes. "Because it's my job," he said coldly. "They a_re_ enemies, and as such, they will not grant us any quarter, nor give us the same treatment you seem to want to give them. In the chaos of battle, one cannot afford niceties, lest you become a target." He shook his head slowly, reproachfully. "In modern combat, they way things have become over my people's history, a soldier who pauses in his duty to himself and his comrades dies, and he leaves a hole which allows the enemy to kill more of his friends. So to prevent that, to keep my friends alive, I will do whatever it takes." He finished with a snap in his voice. "So you can be shocked and outraged if you want to. Many of my own people are. But the ones who think that way, _they_ aren't the ones out here, saving your lives and defending your freedom." He almost slammed his helmet back over his head, only moving just slow enough to keep from banging his temples. "Consider that, please, before you judge." With that, van Horn turned smartly on his heel and stalked off along the street they had been heading down.

Kayla stood there still, trying to understand the change she had seen in the human and the words he had spoken. Then she felt Mikula nudge her, and she looked over to him as he spoke. "Kayla, come on, we have a job to do."

She nodded, and then moved off quickly to follow the human, though she and Mikula stayed a few paces behind him to let him cool down. "I don't understand, brother," Kayla said quietly. "He seemed so nice in the tavern, and now he talks so roughly about such things."

Mikula sighed, causing Kayla to glance over at him. "Indeed you don't understand, Kayla. Being a professional soldier… It's not easy." He spoke quietly as they walked. "You've seen how the Wobbies just attacked Tanzano like that… So impersonally." He shook his head. "That is the word, I think; 'impersonal.' It describes the form of war that their society practices…" He sighed. "And that we must get used to, now. For our own culture cannot help but be changed."

Kayla frowned as she looked at her brother. "I don't think I like what you're saying, Mikula. You're implying that our own people could be so… So barbaric?"

"We already are," Mikula replied in a low, almost-growling voice. "How many times have whole families been killed in our city's past, during civil wars and power struggles? How many times have villages been burnt to the ground by ambitious warlords?"

Kayla fell silent at that, and they followed behind van Horn for another minute before Mikula spoke again. "I take it from your silence that you know of what I speak." He paused for her to nod in reply. "Then can't you see, then? This kind of warfare… It's just as nasty, ass brutal as any kind of war. It's just more widespread, so people notice it more." He sighed again, shaking his head. "So when Earl talks of killing people, it's not because he likes it, or anything like that. It's just because he knows that, by killing his enemies, he prevents the deaths of people that he knows, people that are important to him."

Kayla shook her head at that. "But he speaks so casually of it."

"That's because, dear sister," Mikula spoke in a near-growl again, "if he thought like you did all the time, then what he does, as necessary as it is, as much as it saves others and is of great help… If he stopped to think too much about what he does, he'd go insane.

"And so would I," Mikula finished up. "I've taken lives too, Kayla. I've had some of the same training that Earl and his comrades have received." His voice then dropped low. "And I've seen some of their histories. Kayla, you must believe me when I tell you that Tanzano, and indeed our entire world have not even seen one tenth of the sheer terror of total war."

Kayla was unsure of how to answer, and so she simply fell silent as she tried to contemplate what her brother had told her.

* * *

After another few minutes, they reached the main avenue that ran through the city. Van Horn had paused there to let the two lupar catch up to him. "Okay, so where to now?" He asked, his voice much more friendly than just a few moments ago. Kayla, though surprised again at the change in mood, simply pointed down Karno's Way. "We head towards the Citadel, and then to the other side of the city, where the Noble's Quarter is. Once there, we take a turn and head for my husband's house."

Van Horn nodded. "Very well. Please lead on."

Kayla looked a bit surprised. "I am a female, it's not very seemly for me to lead."

"Perhaps for your people, but mine do not care. As such, I do not care, and I doubt Mikula does." Van Horn replied, and then looked to Mikula. The other lupar nodded, a slight smirk on his face. "Earl speaks the truth, Kayla. Please lead on."

Kayla gave her brother a puzzled look, but then she nodded. "Very well," she said, and then started along Karno's Way. Mikula and van Horn soon followed, though the former made sure to stay abreast of his sister, while the latter simply followed behind them at about a half meter's distance.

Van Horn had felt bad by letting loose on Kayla earlier, but now his nerves were working up because of the dozens of lupar that he could see up and down the street. Some were clearly running for fires, while others, tired and exhausted, simply sat on the edges of the street alongside buildings, resting from the night's exertions and the interruption of their sleep.

_I feel kind of guilty about that_, van Horn thought as they passed one such knot of lupar, who still managed to stare open-mouthed as the odd group of three walked past. _At least I and the Vanquishers got hours of drug-impressed sleep before we went into action, and at least Mikula and his sister probably, too, knew beforehand that tonight was going to be different_. He sighed lightly inside his helmet, careful to avoid activating the microphone. _Damn it all, though…_

They continued walking down the street in silence; the only sounds were those of the city around them as its denizens reacted to the strange events that had befallen it. They passed more groups of lupar, some walking back home after fighting the fires and winning, others resting like groups they had passed before. Always, the natives just stared at the trio, pulling themselves to the side in deference to van Horn's armored presence. Then they finally arrived at the main square then, and they couldn't help but pause at the scene.

The first thing they noticed was the main keep of the Citadel, which now was missing half of its mass, as it had partially collapsed from being hit by the artillery shell. Then they looked over to the burning pyre of the Assault Transport, and Tanaka's blasted _Guillotine IIC_. The former still burned slightly from various small materials inside, and the latter simply lay supine across the main avenue.

But by far the worst sight were the bodies. The Vanquishers had begun to collect the victims of the attack, the living-though-badly-injured, and the dead, into the main square. Lupar doctors, who apparently had come after being told by the Tanzanos fighting the fires that the wounded were being moved, were attending to all the former. The dead, meanwhile, lay in rows near the blasted transport, and van Horn felt a great sadness at the numbers. Amongst nearly two-dozen lupar were six larger bodies; the crew of the transport and the three dead troopers, lying alongside the natives they had come to protect.

"My God…" Kayla breathed. "It's terrible."

"Like something out of a nightmare," Mikula added in, his voice trembling with sadness.

_How many need to die?_ Van Horn railed inside his own head. _How many innocents must perish because the Wobbies try to seize power? How many bodies must be piled up at the altar of ambition and greed?_ He balled his free, left hand into a fist. "Those bastards will pay for this," he said quietly, in English. "They'll pay with interest."

Mikula turned and looked up at the human at that, and van Horn realized that he had spoken loud enough to activate his speakers. The lupar nodded slowly. "Earl… No matter what, I want to be there when this ends…" He then turned back to look over the scene. "I want to see the Wobbies brought low for their crimes."

"You'll see more than that, my friend," van Horn added. "You'll see the full justice of the Republic fall upon their heads. From this day forward, their lives are forfeit, and nothing short of their blood watering the ground shall stop us." He spoke darkly, savagely, as the anger inside boiled over before he could get a handle on it. Van Horn then shook his head to help clear it. "We should go," he said in Lupari for Kayla's benefit. "The sooner we can get some sort of permission to be here, the sooner we can bring in our own people to help treat the wounded."

Kayla nodded and they started off again, walking slowly as their path would take them near where the wounded lay. Unsurprisingly, the natives took quick notice of van Horn and the other two in his presence, and they stared. The wounded were all gathered next to the dry moat of the fortress, crowding the side of the road, and so the trio walked past them carefully, moving off the roadway's center.

They passed the group of wounded in a few minutes, the encounter having passes in silence thanks to the reluctance of the wounded to draw the attention of one of the nightmare creatures, and also to the reluctance of the moving group to engage in any discourse. Van Horn, especially, felt like he couldn't talk any more for the night. _I feel so empty…_ He thought as he and the two lupar he was escorting moved along the street. _I don't know how I can feel so enraged, so saddened at what's happened since this mess began, and yet feel so… Blank._ He shook his head slightly. _Stop it, Earl. You're tired, and the stress of the night's events is catching up with you._ He again forced his emotions down, knowing that he'd have to take time, later, to have a full accounting with them, but knowing also that that time wasn't now.

Finally, Kayla turned down a side street, speaking as she led the small group on. "Down here. Teyver managed to get an empty house down here when the Invaders arrived and…" Her voice faltered then, and van Horn realized that the event she spoke of was also when she was abducted. Again, anger roiled in his belly, and he figured that if had a Wobbie there at that moment, he'd have snapped the man's neck in two.

Fortunately, the moment passed, and van Horn again found his mind playing the scientist, drinking in the details of the ornamentation along the decently-sized houses of the Noble's Quarter, each with its own oil-fired lantern keeping the shadows somewhat at bay. _No one ever _did_ think of a way to get a good look at these places, even with sneak suits_, he remembered from the months of preparation leading up to his assignment at the planet. _Damn shame it took an invasion for me to see this_.

They followed the street as it twisted, and soon they came to a cul-de-sac formed by a larger-than-average house, whose two additional wings formed the walls of the artificial ravine. Though modest by the standards of some of the larger houses in the Noble's Quarter, it nevertheless was impressive, made all the more so by the single, large lantern that hung off of a pole in the middle of the cul-de-sac.

"Wow," Mikula spoke quietly. "I don't think I pictured your home quite like this, Kayla."

His sister managed a wan smile. "What did you expect, anyway? A palace of some sort?"

"That's not what I meant," Mikula replied hastily, to which his sister shook her head a bit. "I know, Mikula. I was trying to jest, and lighten the mood…" She then dropped her attempt t good humor. "I suppose it's not the time for that, though."

Van Horn sighed, allowing his helmet to relay the sound via its speakers. "Actually, Kayla, it was a good attempt. It's just that it's not enough." He shrugged then. "So, how do we get in?"

"We walk up and knock," she said with all due seriousness, and moved off for the main door, Mikula and van Horn following behind her. They reached and climbed the small set of steps that led up to the larger double doors of the house, and Kayla quickly proceeded to knock.

Then they heard the telltale sounds of crossbows being readied, and Kayla and Mikula started a bit as they looked to their left and right to see two guards coming from each side. Each pair had a man with a crossbow, aimed at van Horn, and another with a drawn sword held at the ready.

Van Horn simply chuckled. "I was wondering when you would reveal yourselves," he announced in Lupari to the four guards, who halted in mid-step. "Really, your places were poorly chosen. Be glad that I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then what are you here for?" One of the guards asked. Though his voice sounded sure, van Horn could see with night-vision that the lupar's tail curled a bit in fear.

"He came to escort me home," Kayla spoke up, her voice loud and sure. "And also to see my husband, your lord."

The main doors opened then, and the trio on the steps turned to see another pair of guards armed with swords flanking another, unarmed lupar. The one in the middle, unlike his men, had a worried look on his face that melted away when he saw Kayla.

"Teyver," Kayla said with a smile, and she easily climbed the last steps and reached her husband, and they hugged. Van Horn couldn't help but feel a bit better with the scene, and he relaxed his stance a bit.

"Kayla," Teyver said as they drew apart from their embrace. "I was worried when the bursts of fire started, and then Marner came back without you…" He shook his head. "He said that you had told him to leave, but I didn't quite believe him."

"Dear husband, I am sorry for making you worry so," she said and then sighed. "But Marner needs to learn tact. He insulted my brother and his friends, and by extension myself for consorting with them."

Teyver grunted. "Then I shan't be taking him out of his arrest any time soon," he said, and then looked up at the other two people standing on the steps. "My, what strange company you keep."

Kayla sighed again. "My brother Mikula, and his- our friend, Earl." She indicated the two men where they stood as she named them.

Teyver nodded. "Mikula, it is good to see you again."

"My sentiments mirror yours," Mikula replied.

Teyver nodded, and then he turned to the human. "So… You're one of the strange men who my nephew and my wife have spoken of?"

Van Horn nodded. "I would assume so," he replied. "But as I do not know what has been said to you, I shall refrain from fully confirming it until I know for sure whether I am the man they speak of, or merely a shadow of the story they made."

Teyver blinked in surprise. "I'll admit, I didn't think you would have such a command of our language… Or such a wit to use it." He nodded slightly to the human. "You surprise me, and do the small tales I've heard well."

"I thank you," van Horn replied. "But I am afraid that time is of the essence now, and though I was happy to escort your wife home, I also have business with you."

Teyver frowned, and his guards shifted nervously into a more readied position, they having relaxed during the pleasantries. "What kind of business then?" He asked gruffly.

But then Kayla reached up and laid a hand on his shoulder. "My dear, it is no threat. He came here to speak with you because I told him how you are a member of the ruling council. He represents his people and they wish to speak to the people in charge."

Teyver gave his wife a quizzical look, and then turned to give an identical look at van Horn. "What sort of business, then, that you must speak with a member of the council at this time of night?"

Van Horn then took off his helmet so that he could speak to Teyver more personally. "Simple," he said, relaxing his posture a bit further as he lowered his shotgun to his side. "My people are here to remove the Invaders that have attacked your city and others. As part of our campaign, we would like to establish a presence on this side of the continent to further keep our common enemy off guard." Van Horn then nodded towards his back, and his voice lowered. "Though it has been costly, for my people as well as yours, your city is now free of the Invaders' menace. The hostages inside the fortress have been freed, and even now my comrades are helping to stop the fires in the city.

"But we can only do so much now. We can do more, but that would mean sending more of our people here, making our presence more felt." Van Horn paused to shake his head and catch his breath. "We are not like the Invaders. We don't stay where we are not wanted. So before we can send anymore people here, we need permission to be here."

Silence came over the group for a moment, and then Teyver nodded his head slowly. "So that's why you're here now? To ask for permission?" He then shook his head. "I cannot speak for the council."

"As Kayla told me," van Horn replied gently. "But as I said before, time is critical here. The sooner we can find out whether or not we can operate here, out of Tanzano, the better it will be for everyone. Besides," he smirked a bit. "It would be poor manners to simply barge in on a meeting without properly introducing ourselves, now would it?"

Teyver gave the human an appraising look. "Strange," he said quietly, almost musing to himself. "You look so much like the invaders, and yet you speak and act so differently."

Van Horn blushed at the comparison. "With all due respect to you, sir, but please do not compare me to the people you speak of." He frowned then. "They are barbarians, and their actions lower them further to the level of pure animals." He spoke lowly, harshly, placing scorn on the words.

Teyver nodded slightly again. "Indeed… You speak well, but how can I take your words at truth?" He asked in an obvious – to van Horn, at least – attempt to stall for time. "You speak as if you are much different than the Invaders, and I find myself believing you, for none of the Invaders have shown anything but contempt for my people." He then sighed. "But how can we be sure that what you speak of is the truth?"

"Sir," Mikula spoke up then, bringing Teyver's attention to him. "I've been a friend of Earl here for months, now." He paused and turned to look at the human. "He and his friends and people have done nothing but be a constant help for me and my family," he then turned back to Teyver. "And now to my old city as well. For the blasts that attacked Tanzano earlier were stopped thanks to their power."

Teyver nodded, but he also frowned. "Perhaps. But then, the argument may be made that their arrival started the blasts in the first place."

Van Horn's face looked pained at that, dragging the lupar's attention to him as he spoke. "It would be a truth, sadly," he spoke with great pain in his voice. "We never thought that they'd attack one of their own cities… One of the places they had taken for themselves." He then shook his head. "To attack blindly as they did… It was so cowardly that we simply didn't think of it.

"But we should of," van Horn continued with a sigh, and he brought is eyes to look into Teyver's. "And though my words will sound hollow, trite, even, you have nothing but the gravest apologies from my people for our underestimation of the Wobbies' barbarity."

Teyver blinked, stunned enough by the forcefulness of van Horn's emotional words that he failed to notice the different name for the invaders. "I… I believe you," he said, not knowing why, just that he did _know_. "I have been at war once myself… Things do not always go as planned."

Van Horn nodded. "My people simply say, 'no plan survives contact with the enemy.'"

Teyver grunted. "Sounds like your people have had some good experience in war, then," he said. Then he felt a chill as he saw van Horn's eyes glaze over. "You have absolutely no idea of my people's experiences…" The human said. Then he shook his head to clear it. "But we are not speaking of the past, for now. I am sorry if I may seem rude, but I must get us back on track. What kind of opinion are you about our request?"

Teyver frowned, thinking hard and fast over the question. "What if we say no?"

"Then we leave," van Horn immediately replied. "Though, we do have some small cleanup to do, so we may not leave right away. But it would be soon, and we would be gone."

Teyver frowned slightly. "You would leave, just like that?"

Van Horn nodded. "As I said, we are not barbarians. And, though working in and around Tanzano would be beneficial to all, we do not necessarily need to be here."

Teyver allowed a surprised look to come over his face. "Then why do you ask, if you do not need it?"

"Because, as I said earlier," van Horn sounded a bit tired at having to repeat himself. "We can help your people; the injured, the sick. And we can better defend your city if we're here, instead of having to deploy from further away."

Teyver nodded a bit before he caught the last remark. "Wait, are you saying that you'd defend us even if we refuse your request?"

Van Horn nodded. "Of course. It is our mission to remove the Invaders and the threat they pose to your people. We cannot win if we simply clear out a city of them – as we've done tonight – and then let them come back to terrorize you again." He shook his head then. "Besides, it's our sworn duty to protect those under our charge, and your entire world is under our charge." He raised his head a bit then, and van Horn looked Teyver straight in the eyes. "It's a duty we've not been able to fulfill yet, and we'll not stop until it's done."


	32. Chapter 32

The rest of the night passed quickly and, to the relief of all in the city, uneventfully, save with the loud lightshow of the USS _Silver Pagoda_ and another assault transport landing just outside the city's northern gates, burning the ground of an empty holding paddock for the local livestock.

The Vanquishers had moved quickly, carrying their dead and the dead of the destroyed transport to the new one so that they could be preserved on board the _Rodger Young_, while simultaneously grabbing the extra power and life support replenishment units that Vickers had requested. Thanks to them, the Vanquishers could stay operational for hours more.

_Fat lot of good it does when you're tired as Hell_, van Horn grumped mentally as he stood guard outside the Laughing Daukner. _Well, Earl, if you can't hack it, then why're you here?_ He challenged himself. Then he shook his head a bit as the first rays of dawn started to illuminate the small courtyard that Reyka's tavern faced. _C'mon, man, stay with it. Don't let it get to you. 'Sides, not like you didn't have hard times before you got back in the gorilla suit_. He smirked as he used the MI Troopers' term for their battle armor.

Someone poked his head out of a door from the building across the courtyard, staring most obviously at the strange creature that van Horn was to the Tanzanos. The human turned his head slowly to face the lupar male, though his helmet kept the native from seeing his face.

_That might be a good thing_, van Horn mused, as the native looked him up and down. _My face must e terrible to look at by now, with the strain of the night, a lack of sleep, and me probably needing a shave._

Then, finally, the lupar walked out, and van Horn could get a good look at him. He was fairly typical of his species, though he was obviously a bit younger than a full adult. _Right at that age where you think you know everything_, van Horn thought with a smile. The native in question took a few steps into the middle of the courtyard, walking slowly towards van Horn and the Laughing Daukner. When he reached the halfway point, he stopped and looked over the armored human once again.

"Can I help you?" Van Horn asked quietly of the native, who jumped back a bit, as he was startled. Though he looked like he wanted the run, the local managed to move forward a bit again before speaking. "Uhm.. Yes, I suppose," he said quietly, almost fearfully. "Might I ask, what are you?"

Van Horn chuckled, the sound carrying beyond his helmet via the external speaker. The noise, though not exactly like that of a lupar, still was close enough that it puzzled the native. "Did I say something funny?"

"No, you didn't," van Horn replied friendly. "It just seems a bit funny from my perspective. In any case, I'm a soldier here to fight the invaders, so you have nothing to fear from me."

The native blinked in surprise. "Then, why are you here? The invaders are in the Citadel in the middle of the city."

"They were," van Horn replied, emphasizing the second word. "We have them taken care of. Tanzano is now free. The only reason I'm here is because Mrs. Reyka has been nice enough to give some friends of ours a place to stay for the night."

The paragraph seemed to freeze the lupar in place, as he processed the information. Then another pair of heads popped from the same building entrance the youth had walked from, and they stared carefully at the tableau.

"You cannot mean that you defeated the invaders so handily?" The youth standing before van Horn asked quietly. "Not even our army would face them."

"Do I look like I'm anything like your army?" Van Horn asked quietly. When the youth shook his head, van Horn nodded his. "That's right. You can be assured that the invaders are gone. Now, might I ask what business you have here?" He shifted his shotgun a bit, mainly to keep his arms from cramping, but also to remind the native that his purpose there wasn't to idly chat.

The youth noticed the move keenly, though he managed to avoid cringing. "We- I mean I was wondering just what made some of our elders go through the building last night telling us not to go into the courtyard…"

Van Horn chuckled lightly, surprising the lupar. "Well, first off son, I can see your compatriots behind you," he paused to nod towards the door where the other two young lupar were looking out. They disappeared when it became clear whom van Horn was referring to, but the youth in front of him managed to catch a glimpse as he turned around.

Van Horn then went on. "Second off, you are told not to do something, and then you do it anyway?" He shook his head as the lupar turned back to him. "You son, are either very brave, or very stupid."

The lupar's ears went back in embarrassment, though his eyes showed some anger at being insulted. _Good_, van Horn thought. _Means he ain't a spineless fool_. "However, given that you're alive and not trying to deliberately taunt me, I'd have to say you're a hair on the side of bravery." He said aloud in an amused tone.

The lupar blushed. "Thank you, I suppose…" He said quietly.

"You're welcome. Now," van Horn nodded his head towards the building. "Why don't you run along with your day, son. I'm sure that we both have better things to do than to stand around chatting all day."

"Yes," the lupar replied with a nod. "Yes, of course." He backed away for a few steps, and then turned and walked quickly and nervously for the building he had came from. Then with another look behind him at van Horn, he disappeared inside the building.

Van Horn sighed quietly within his helmet. _Gonna be a long day, I think_.

* * *

The sounds of a day beginning permeated the air around the building, and thence into the rooms in the back. An especially sharp noise started Alexis awake, finishing the waking process that her mind had already begun.

She lifted her head from where it had lain on the cooling vest that she had worn last night and had used as a makeshift pillow. The strange environment made her pause for a moment, until she could remember the events that brought her to the spot where she now lay.

Alexis then looked down to her waist, where she felt a pressure, and saw Mikula's arm reaching across her form. She smiled at that, and at the warm feeling of his sleeping form spooned up behind her. With deft and soft movements, Alexis slipped out from underneath Mikula's arm and she stood off of the bed they had fallen asleep on.

The room, she knew, had been – and still was, in fact – the bedroom of Mrs. Reyka's two sons, who were still gone from the city. Reyka had been adamant on Alexis being able to use the room, since Mikula and Senmar had already paid for it, and so Alexis had retired to it sometime after Tanaka had left for the relocated _Silver Pagoda_. She had lain on the bed in her clothes for only an instant before falling asleep.

_I must have been really tired if Mikula's arrival didn't wake me_, Alexis thought as she looked over the room. Mikula lay on the bed – fully clothed as well – that Alexis had just stood up from. He was still asleep and with a faint smile on his muzzle that made Alexis grin even wider.

The room held another occupant, as well, as Senmar lay on another bed that was across from the bed that Mikula and Alexis had slept on. Like his brother, Senmar was still asleep from the night's exertions, though he was lying on his belly.

Alexis yawned as her body continued the task of waking up. She then began to walk towards the door out of the room, carefully watching the floor so as to not trip on any object that lay hidden in the murky gloom that the light coming from the tiny window to the outside couldn't dispel. She reached the door quickly, only briefly running her fingers through her hair to make sure that it wouldn't look too terribly bad, and then she pushed the door open quietly, slipping outside the room and into the narrow hallway on the second floor of the Laughing Daukner.

Alexis paused as her eyes adjusted to the light coming from a lamp at the stairwell that lay at the end of the hall. Noises from there indicated that someone was already at work in the rooms below, and Alexis puzzled over it. _Who could already be at work after last night? I only woke up because I'm a light sleeper, anyway, and I didn't do much running around._ Her curiosity perked, she walked down the hallway that also connected to the other family rooms and a small ladder that let people down into the storeroom if the main stairs weren't usable.

Alexis reached the stairs and she quickly descended them. In the main tavern room, she saw some people awake already, and yet more in the process of waking up. She then heard noises coming from the kitchen entrance to her right and she turned to the kitchen in time to see Reyka working on mixing something in a large bowl. Various ingredients and used utensils spread along the table in the center of the room and along the counters built into the walls, indicating that the middle-aged lupar had been quite busy.

Although deeply surprised, Alexis held her tongue until Reyka put down the bowl and the spoon she had been using. Then she coughed lightly, causing Reyka to start a bit, and the lupar turned around fairly quickly.

Reyka blinked a bit, seemingly at a loss for words, but then she smiled. "Alexis, you startled me there."

Alexis smiled a bit. "I am sorry about that. But I must say that you surprised me as well, being up earlier than me despite having done so much during the night. I hope you are feeling well?" The latter she asked with concern in her voice.

Reyka shook her head a bit. "I managed a nap, so don't be worrying about me." She said, still smiling. "And I'll take another one after breakfast, to be sure. But for now, there's work to be done if everyone is going to be fed."

"'Everyone?'" Alexis asked, confused. "Oh, you mean all of the rescued people that are, I presume, still in your tavern?"

Reyka nodded as she turned around to continue her work. "Of course. My family and I have always prided ourselves on treating those we host with the best of care. Besides," her voice took a downturn in its tone. "Those people have had it rough. I want to help them start to get over it."

Alexis nodded, which Reyka caught easily as she bustled about. "Do you want some help, then?" The gatón asked, and she blushed a bit. "I used to help make the meals for my village's shaman, so I know a few things."

Reyka smiled politely at her. "Dear child, you're a guest too. I wouldn't think of asking for your help."

Alexis grinned as she replied. "Ah, but you're not asking, I'm offering."

Reyka blinked at that and stood for a moment. Then she chuckled. "Smart lass, aren't you?" She asked rhetorically as she shook her head. "Well, if you put it that way, I'll be glad to have some help."

* * *

The morning evolved onward, and though the night before had been so totally unique and earth shaking, the natives of Tanzano nevertheless struggled mightily to carry on with their lives. Unfortunately, this also meant taking care of the victims of the Blakest attack, and so many had to start the day in mourning for departed loved ones.

At least, this is what Lieutenant-Commander Jorge Hernandez reasoned as he saw groups of natives leaving the city by the eastern gate, carrying bundles that couldn't be mistaken as anything but bodies. Hernandez stood in the command center of his ship, the _Silver Pagoda_, and it afforded him a wide view of the area. Thus, he had an unfortunately clear view of the locals as they marched their dead off to their graveyard.

He sighed, dismayed at the scene and what it represented. _Bastards_. The word that rolled in his head pertained not to the locals that he was observing, but rather the people who had visited the destruction upon the city.

It was a destruction that had become apparent with the dawn, and Hernandez couldn't help but look over from time to time to get a view of parts of the city that lay to his right. In some places, smoke still drifted up from the smoldering remains of buildings, and the blasted ruin of the natives' fortress was a clear example of the kind of devastation that could be seen.

And see he did, as fighters from the Republic fleet made Tanzano the focus of a second set of barrier combat air patrols. The pilots, usually a bantering sort, held their tongues quiet and civil, as they had the best seat to watch the city, and the pictures from their sensor suites could be accessed by anyone in the Republic battlenet.

Steps coming up from the Bridge's access ladder brought the young commander's head around in time to see Captain Tanaka ascending to his level. "Major, I hope you had a good rest," he said, adhering to naval tradition as he spoke.

Tanaka gave him a queer look. "What's up with this, Jorge? I thought we were friends?"

Hernandez stood for a moment, puzzled, and then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cassandra. I'm just… Not in the best frame of mind right now," he said, turning to look at the groups that still walked out from the city.

Tanaka walked alongside the ship's commander, and she nodded sagely. "I see."

"I'm not sure you have," Hernandez remarked. Even as Tanaka gave him a sour look, he looked down at the terminal he stood at and quickly pressed a few controls on it. "This is a picture taken of the city about twenty minutes ago," he said and stood back so that Tanaka could get a good look at it.

She stared at it for a full minute before shaking her head. "Damn… I knew it was gonna be bad, but I still can't believe it."

"You'd better believe it, Cassy," Hernandez remarked. "Those Wobbie assholes just shelled randomly, as far as Intel can see." He frowned and looked out over the area beyond his ship again. "If Cap'n Ladavic hadn't been on the ball, half the city would be flattened, and the other half would've burned by now."

Tanaka sighed sadly. "Mother fuckers," she muttered, and then looked at Hernandez. "I hope we got 'em?"

"Oh yeah," Hernandez replied, managing a small ghost of a smile. He then stepped back to the console and brought up another picture, this one of a small ridge viewed from orbit. The image was rendered in black and white to emphasize contrasts, and several red circles had been drawn over four clusters of what appeared to be protrusions that sprang up from the ground. "This is an image taken by the satellites that we've had in orbit since the _Glacier Bay_ and the _Twilight Tornado_ got here weeks ago. Apparently, no one noticed the unusual nature of those lumps 'til after the attack." He sighed and shook his head a bit. "Someone's head is gonna roll for that."

Tanaka nodded. "I hope so. But why are you showin' me this?"

"Just givin' you a perspective of 'before,'" he replied. Then he punched another few buttons, and another picture came up. "This is 'after.'"

Tanaka gasped. "Holy Hell!" She exclaimed, as the new image showed the same ridge, though at a different angle. However, now it had six large craters, and large hunks of rock lay strewn about. The same red circles where there, but now they circled nothing but burnt, blasted terrain.

"Yeah, Ladavic smashed 'em up good," Hernandez said with a nod. "This was taken by aerofighter over flights. The flyboys confirmed that there's nothing left of the gun crews that were there to fill a thimble."

Tanaka whistled. "Damn good work," she said quietly. "Still, it shouldn't have been necessary."

"You're preachin' to the choir, Cassy," Hernandez replied. Then he cleared the screen. "Well, now that you're a bit up to speed, mind if I ask ya what you're doin' up on my bridge?"

Tanaka shrugged. "Wanted to see what was goin' on. 'Specially since I can't find Stein or Myers, and Carmike's out like a light." She then took a look around the bridge. "In fact, where's the second guy you navy pukes insist on havin' up here?"

Hernandez managed a smirk. "Well, first off, Myers and Stein are off on a patrol about twenty-five clicks north. Carmike was standing watch with the Vanquishers 'til the other two got a few hours of sleep. So he's gonna be out of it for a bit, as are half the MI troopers."

Tanaka grunted. "SOP, keepin' everyone from getting' too tired," she said blandly. "I take it that's from the Major?"

Hernandez smirked. "Yeah. He's runnin' overtime at the firebase, ridin' the Seabees to finish the airfield early and tryin' to get them to send some of them out here for when you ground pounders got a spot to set up in."

"Good. Any possibility, then, of them getting' a prime mover out here to drag my 'mech's metal ass here to the _Pagoda_?"

Hernandez shook his head. "'Fraid not. They need the _Cheops_ out there for now, and all we got is some shuttles that can land maybe a couple of their fancy-ass jeeps."

Tanaka tilted her head to the side, and she looked over to the north gate of the city, which was only a few hundred meters away. "Hmmm…" She hummed as if in thought.

"What's goin' through that purdy little head of yours, Cassy?" Hernandez asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Huh?" Tanaka half-started and she gave a sly grin at the other in the Bridge. "I was just thinkin' that maybe a couple of jeeps an' some help from the Seabees might be enough." She glanced out towards a forest that was a bit distant in the east. "Mebbie use some 'o them trees, too."

"Oh?" Hernandez replied, intrigued. "What in the worlds for?"

"Ever see one of them shows where they recreate how the Great Pyramids of Egypt were built?" Tanaka asked, and she smiled when Hernandez blinked a couple of times as he got the idea. "I see," he said, smiling back at her. "'When in Rome,' eh?"

Tanaka shrugged. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," she said. Then she paused for a moment, and then chuckled. "Listen to us, recitin' phrases like they were a dime a dozen."

"You mean, just like that one?" Hernandez replied and then chuckled as well. "I see your point, but you gotta remember, English is made up of crap like that."

"Yeah, you got a point," Tanaka replied, turning serious again. "Speaking of things in the city, anythin' from our friends at the bar?"

Hernandez raised an eyebrow. "Just now you ask 'bout them?" Tanaka blushed a bit. "Well, I'm tired. But at least I remembered when we started talkin' 'bout language," she said in her defense. "So, anythin' new?"

Hernandez shrugged. "Nothin' from the city. Vickers just finished a couple hours of sleep, so he's takin' in some rested scout troopers to relieve the guys guarding the place, maybe even think 'bout bringin' them in here."

"I might wanna go with them, then," Tanaka said almost absentmindedly. "Might as well see how my brute's taken the hit in good light, as well as some other things."

* * *

Alexis felt contented for the moment, as she helped Mrs. Reyka and her daughters to carry food and drink out to the rescued hostages in the main tavern room. Reyka was especially grateful, as Alexis translated for the gatón in the group far more effectively than the few who knew Lupari in their number could do. Soon, most were fed, and more than a few lupar started talking about when they might go home.

The Gatón, however, simply stayed quiet and talked amongst themselves about little things. They didn't have anywhere specific to go, and they thought that with the strange attack that the offer they had received would be rescinded.

Alexis, of course, engaged them in conversation, telling them that the offer still stood, and that she knew their new friends to be honest. _Still, it makes me wonder what's going to happen now_, Alexis mused as she walked back out from the kitchen and stood next to the stairs in the back corner of the main room. _Earl mentioned something about staying. I hope that nothing's wrong._

Then a knock came on the main door, and Alexis began to walk for it, recognizing the pattern of the knock as something from human culture. _'Shave and a haircut,' Dan called it when he taught it to me._ The natives in the room, unsure of the pattern themselves, tensed up a bit, though the casual way Alexis and Reyka's daughters still moved kept them from becoming too worried.

Then Alexis was at the door, and she pulled it open after unbarring it. On the other side, she saw van Horn and Lieutenant Vickers standing there, in their armor but with their helmets off. Also standing in front of them was Tanaka, who was dressed in a non-combat duty uniform. She smiled a bit when she saw who had answered the door. "Alexis, glad to see you're up."

Alexis returned the smile. "As I am glad to see all of you. However," her smile went away, "I am a bit worried about this appearance. Is something the matter?"

Tanaka shook her head, and Vickers spoke up next. "No, nothing's wrong Alexis. Just that things're gonna change a bit." Then he gestured with his suit's heavy weapons arm at the building. "For one thing, you can tell the lupar in there that they're free to go, as the city is as safe as it can be."

Alexis smiled broadly. "That's wonderful news! But, what about the gatón?" She asked the second part with a note of worry that took the smile from her face.

"They're gonna be escorted by me an' some troopers to the _Silver Pagoda_, where they'll wait for the next transport to come along and relocate them to Shulana." Vickers then nodded his head towards Alexis. "Also, you an' Mikula an' Senmar can come along back if'n ya want."

Alexis felt good that the people inside would soon be back to a reasonably normal life soon, though Vickers' last comment gave her pause. "Well, Lieutenant, I can't answer for Mikula or Senmar, but I will go wherever you all think I'd best serve," she said slowly but clearly. "I volunteered for this mission, and I don't plan to run just because it's gotten tough."

The three humans smiled at that, and Vickers nodded. "Good. In which case, Alexis, please go and tell everyone what's goin' to happen."

"I'll do that," Alexis replied, and she saluted, prompting replies from the three standing in front of her. "If there's nothing else, I'll get on that then."

"Actually, there is," Tanaka spoke up again as she held up an object that was wrapped in rice paper. "I'd like to come in and thank Mrs. Reyka on behalf of the Republic."

Alexis nodded with a smile. "Certainly."

"Good," Vickers said with a nod. "You two take care of things while we wait out here."

"Yes sir," Alexis replied with a nod of her own, and she stood aside to let Tanaka in even as Vickers and van Horn began to don their helmets.

Turning around, Alexis found the entire room again staring at her and Captain Tanaka as they walked towards the bar where Mrs. Reyka and her two daughters now stood, the human bending over again to fit into the room.

Reyka smiled politely as the two reached the bar. "Well, I see your friend liked my place well enough to come back," she said with a tone of mirth in her voice.

Alexis smiled and nodded. "Indeed. I believe I've already introduced Captain Tanaka?" She asked as the human got to the bar and kneeled down so that she could look Reyka in the eyes.

Reyka nodded. "Oh yes. I'd not have forgotten anyone so… Unique in such a short amount of time."

Alexis nodded, and she translated these words for Tanaka. The latter responded in English, and Alexis turned back to Reyka. "She thanks you for not only remembering her, but also for your hospitality from last night." Alexis then paused as Tanaka spoke again. "She also wishes to express the gratitude of her people and to repay you for the supplies that you used up by helping us."

Reyka blushed a bit. "It was nothing. I am happy to help those who took care of the invaders and to help these people to recover from their imprisonment." She waved a hand over the natives in the tavern, who were now watching the exchange keenly. "I need no repayment for doing the right thing."

Again, Alexis did the double translation. "Captain Tanaka says, and I quote, 'we don't wish to repay you for doing what you did. That would demean your wonderful act of kindness and compassion by indicating that it was done with the intention of getting money.'" Alexis paused as Tanaka spoke again and she placed the package she carried up on the bar in front of Reyka. "She says that the repayment is for your supplies only, as though her people honor your kindness, they also wish to not cause you any hardship, such as making it more difficult to make a living by using up that which you use to provide for your family. As such, she offers this payment in the hope that you and your family may become prosperous enough to be able to help others in the future."

Reyka blinked a few times in surprise. "That is… I'd have to say that is one of the best ways of saying 'thank you' that I've ever heard," she said incredulously.

Alexis smiled broadly. "Well, it gets a bit better," she said, and then she reached over and undid the string that held the rice paper bound around the blocky object. Between the thin outer material and the object was a small scarf that obscured the shiny metal beneath.

Reyka and several others in the tavern gasped at the chunk of gold that was now revealed. It was cut expertly, and was about the size of two moderately large human fists. On top was a pair of marks stating that it was guaranteed gold, as certified by the Federal Reserve of the Republic and by ComStar. Alexis could read that it wasn't pure gold, but rather a mix of gold and silver to add the metal some rigidity that the pure form lacked. _Still, 95 pure, and silver is valuable as well_.

Mrs. Reyka finally found her voice after a few moments. "I… I can't accept such wealth! The supplies weren't worth but a few gold coins, not a treasure like this."

Alexis didn't even bother to translate for Tanaka this time. "Please, Mrs. Reyka, I and my friends are incredibly grateful, and this is but a small token of how grateful we are. It would make all of us happy to see that you and your family are well taken care of"

Reyka shook her head. "But this! How can you just give a large amount of wealth to a lowly worker like myself? And for just taking some people in!"

Alexis shook her head slowly. "It's not 'just' taking some people in, Mrs. Reyka. You took in a large amount of people that you didn't know, who could've done some terrible things to your building, and made you a target for our enemies." At the last, Alexis paused for a moment to let Reyka gather that in. "We had to place you in jeopardy, Mrs. Reyka, and we're not happy about it." The gatón then cast her eyes down at the bar, ignoring the glint of the gold. "I and Captain Tanaka spoke of this last night while we enjoyed your hospitality. We knew that, if things had gotten worse, you might have had to pay the price for it." She shook her head. "None of us wanted that to happen, but we had to risk it anyway because events forced it upon us.

"So now, we want to make it up to you. We know that money isn't everything, but anything we can do to help you, to repay you even in some small, insignificant way – as money is insignificant to your compassionate actions – will let us feel less like we've taken advantage of you."

The tavern fell silent for a bit, and Alexis could hear some people fidgeting. Tanaka, however, remained in her kneeling position, looking at Reyka, but not staring in challenge. Alexis blushed deeply in embarrassment and she continued to look down at the countertop.

Finally, Reyka cleared her throat. "I hope you don't think, Alexis, that I didn't realize what I was doing last night when I let those people in," she said quietly as Alexis brought her head back up to face the middle-aged lupar. "I was married for many years until my husband died in battle. He often told me of the fighting he had to do, and how people who sheltered an enemy could be punished quite severely.

"But he also spoke of how people continued to help those who had been hurt by war, no matter whose side they were on. Some of these people took care of my dear Feker when Tanzano's army was on the loosing side of a battle. If not for their help, I'd have lost nearly fifteen years of his company." Reyka sighed then before going on. "So please don't feel that you've taken advantage of me child. You don't deserve that kind of guilt. I didn't do it for wealth or because I was worried what people might do. I did it because it's the right thing to do." She then nudged the gold towards Tanaka. "That's why I don't think I can take this."

Alexis shook her head. "How many times have you wondered about those people who helped your husband? How many times have you worried that they might have come to harm because they helped him, either from enemies wanting to punish them, or simply because they gave their supplies up freely, and were worse off for a winter because of it?" Alexis let her voice fill with emotion. "How many times have you wanted to thank them, or to help them out if they needed it, but you couldn't?" She waited and looked at Reyka's face as the lupar realized these things in her mind. "I… I think I see your point," Reyka said quietly.

Alexis pressed on. "Then please, take this small token. Because though you did the right thing to help us, it's also the right thing for us to repay your kindness so that you may continue to be kind to all."

Reyka frowned. "But, it's so much! I can't possibly be so greedy as to bankrupt your friends like this."

Alexis then chuckled, which prompted looks of confusion from Reyka and her daughters. "What's this? What's so funny?" The elder lupar asked.

"Mrs. Reyka, I'm sorry," Alexis said as she gained control of herself. "But… You don't yet realize, do you?" The gatón shook her head. "My friends, here, have vaults of this stuff sitting in their ships. You would not be bankrupting them, I can assure you."

Reyka still looked dubious. "I don't know… Money in this amount tends to borrow trouble."

Alexis frowned, but nodded. "It can, yes. But I can assure you that if anyone wants to threaten you, or attempt to do nasty thing to you, well," she turned to look at the door behind where she stood. "My friends can easily come back and make sure that those kinds of people will never bother you again," Alexis said as she turned to face Reyka again. "And I'll be with them."

Reyka smiled at that, and she nodded a bit. "All right, then. You've twisted my arm enough," she said, and then sighed. "Please tell your friend that I am honored and deeply humbled that she and her people grant me such generosity."

Alexis nodded, and she translated this for Tanaka, who replied soon after. "She says that it is we who are honored for knowing someone such as you, and she also adds that if you ever need help, you can always count on her and her people." Alexis smiled a bit at that.

Reyka nodded. "Thank you both, then," she said, and then reached up to rub the corner of her eye. "Excuse me, it's not often that I meet such extraordinary people." She said. "And you can tell her that if any of her people need help again, they need but ask me as well."

Alexis translated this, and Tanaka replied and then bowed her head and upper chest. "She says thank you again, and now she must beg leave, as she has duties to attend to." Alexis spoke for Tanaka again.

"Of course, of course," Reyka replied, waving her hand towards the door. "By all means, do not let me keep her here a moment longer."

Alexis nodded and relayed this, to which Tanaka smiled back and nodded her head. "Thank you, Alexis," she said quietly. "And you make sure that no one is gonna bother her about that gold, ya hear?"

"Definitely," Alexis replied. "I hope you don't mind, but I also said that you all would come and kick some ass if that happened."

Tanaka chuckled. "Damn straight we would. Well, be seein' ya," she said, and then got up to walk out of the tavern in a crouch.

"Be seeing you," Alexis replied. Then Tanaka disappeared outside the door, and Alexis turned back to Mrs. Reyka, who was sitting on a stool that she had pulled up behind the bar. "Excuse me, please?" The gatón asked.

"Hmm?" Reyka said and looked up at Alexis. "Oh, of course dear. Pelana, Ayora, you two get off your tails and make sure that everyone's comfortable," she said to her daughters as she noticed them just staring at the gold. They quickly started and moved off, and Reyka grinned as she looked back at Alexis. "Look what you did; now they'll feel like they're too good to look for a husband."

Alexis smiled politely at that. _So this is what Earl felt like whenever we spoke of our more backwards customs_. Aloud, though, she stayed friendly. "Well, I'm sure that once they get around a bit, they'll easily find someone that they just can't live without."

Reyka chuckled. "Indeed. Well, at least with this," she gestured to the gold, "they can truly look around for love, instead of feeling like they have to marry into some rich family."

Alexis blinked a bit. _Perhaps I was too hasty a moment ago_, she mused and nodded. "That would be excellent. Now, I need to speak with the people here, and let them know that they can go home. Well," she let her smile fade. "The lupar, anyway. The gatón will be leaving soon so that we can take them someplace where they can start their lives over again."

Reyka smiled and nodded. "Alright. Besides, I needed to get cleaning dishes and to take care of this thing," she tapped the gold at the last. "And then I think I will take a nap. The morning has been almost as tiring as the night."

Alexis smiled at that. "Indeed. Well, I guess we should get moving."

* * *

Van Horn fought to stifle a yawn inside his helmet. _Good thing that I took some sleep substitute_, he mused, thinking of the supplement that replenished certain chemicals that the body only produces when asleep. _It certainly keeps the need to sleep down to something manageable, if only for a short time_.

They were waiting outside the Laughing Daukner for Alexis to bring the gatón out so that they could escort them to the _Silver Pagoda_, where they would wait for the next assault transport to carry them to the west. Standing beside the good doctor were Tanaka, Vickers, and two troopers in Marauder suits from Delta squad. Another two troopers in scout armor from Sierra squad were at the back of the tavern in a 'just in case' deployment.

Van Horn yawned again, and this time he couldn't keep from letting it escape his helmet. At the noise, Tanaka and Vickers turned to him, the former with a smirk on her face. "The job's getting' to ya, doc?"

Van Horn shrugged. "Not so much the job, as the endless waiting. 'Sides, I haven't had much sleep since yesterday afternoon."

"Which is why you're getting' some rest as soon as we get to the dropship," Vickers interjected. "I'm gonna need you in top shape for when that guy you met manages to get the city's leaders to hear us out."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir. It should be tonight or tomorrow as I reported earlier."

"I remember," Vickers replied. "Just hope it's sooner rather than later."

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the tavern opened and Alexis stuck her head out. "We're ready," she said in English.

"Good," Vickers said with a nod. "Tell 'em to come out and line up so that we can make sure that everyone's counted, and then we'll get a move on."

Alexis nodded, and she turned back to the darkened room behind her and she repeated the instructions in Gatonese. When that was done, she pulled the door wide open and she took a step outside, stopping beside the doorway and turning so that she could face the first gatón as they walked out.

Van Horn couldn't help but feel sympathy for the natives, as they trepidly began to walk out. He got a clearer look at them than the night had afforded, and he was faintly appalled that their clothes appeared to be old and ratted from constant use over an unknown time. _Damn Wobbies didn't let them have their own clothes_, he grumbled mentally.

A random idea entered his head then. "Alexis," he quietly addressed his friend in English. "Have you found out where these people are from?"

Alexis turned to van Horn and she nodded. "Yes, they're from Gortal, another village that was attacked by the Wobbies, apparently just like Kuamket," she spoke sadly, and van Horn and the others could see the sadness in her face.

"Well, I hope you've told them that we're not gonna let that happen to 'em again?" Vickers asked, and Alexis replied with a nod. "Yes sir," she said with a faint smile. "I made sure that they knew that they are going to be safe."

"Good," Vickers said with a nod of his helmeted head. "Any lupar commin' along?"

Alexis shook her head at that. "No. They're all from here in Tanzano, and they'd rather go home."

"Can't blame 'em a bit," Vickers replied easily. Then he turned to van Horn. "Doc, I'm takin' Rodriguez to check the main street out. You take charge of Jackson and the natives, call when you move out."

Van Horn nodded a salute. "Aye sir."

"What am I?" Tanaka interjected. "Chopped Blood Limpet?"

Vickers waved his left hand casually to his left to indicate Tanaka. "Oh, and if you have the time, make sure the good captain doesn't trip over her hangover."

"I'll give you a hangover, boy," Tanaka said somewhat menacingly, though the smile that she fought a loosing battle to keep off of her face robbed her words of offense. "Just take off that helmet for a minute."

Vickers turned gracefully to look at Tanaka, despite his armored bulk. "Why captain, I do hope you're not threatening assault against a fellow officer?" He asked with a jocular tone.

"It's only assault if they can find the body," Tanaka shot back with a devilish grin. "Now, anybody have an endo-steel can opener?"

Vickers chuckled. "Perhaps another time, captain." He said and bowed slightly to Tanaka. Then turned to lead one of the other armored infantrymen down the alley, leaving van Horn to chuckle a moment later.

Tanaka turned to the offending noise. "I suppose you think that's funny?"

"Well, not so much the Lieutenant," van Horn temporized. "You were rather more amusing with that can opener joke."

Tanaka shook her head a bit, but she chuckled anyway. "Nothin' like the old jokes, I guess," she said and then turned to look over the gatón who had now lined up with instructions from Alexis, who was trying not to laugh at the exchange between the humans.

Van Horn followed Tanaka's gaze. "Alexis, are we ready to go?" He asked in Gatonese for the benefit of the people they would be escorting.

Alexis nodded and she replied in the same language. "We are, Earl."

Van Horn nodded back. "Okay. Everyone, follow behind me and these lovely ladies here," he spoke to the gatón, indicating Tanaka and Alexis. "My friend in the large armor shall follow behind to make sure that no one gets lost. If you need to stop, please raise your voice and let us know. This is not a forced march."

The gatón, apparently impressed with the treatment that was in stark contrast to what the Blakests had given them – _and probably not a little intimidated by the armor_, van Horn mused – nodded mutely. Van Horn wanted to smile at them, but his helmet blocked that, so he made himself contented with another nod. "Good," he said and then turned to the other MI trooper in the area. "Jackson, we're movin' out. Take caboose and holler if any of the locals look like they need a breather or anythin' like that."

Jackson nodded, and her rich voice rolled from her helmet speaker. "Got ya, doc."

"Then let's get going."

* * *

Mikula stirred awake with the noise of people moving about in the front room. The first thought he had was that his side hurt, and as the memory of how he had been hurt rolled into his mind, he became wide awake.

His next thought was that something was missing. Then he realized that Alexis wasn't in his arms anymore. _What the? Doesn't she ever rest?_ He wondered and he shook his head as a small grin crossed his muzzle. _Well, if she's up, then I certainly should be_.

With that, he sat up in the bed, and he looked around the room. Senmar still slept on the other bed, and like Mikula and Alexis, he hadn't even bothered to pull up the sheets, and instead had slept on top of the covers. His and Senmar's packs were still on the floor, which was still dimly lit, though it was a bit better than when Alexis had awoken.

More noises came in through the door and through the floor, and Mikula realized that more people than Alexis must be awake if that much noise was being made. He shook his head a bit to clear some of the tiredness from his mind, and then he checked his aching side to make sure that the MediJel bandage was still there.

_Good_, he thought as he saw that it still held. _It won't last forever, but just so long as it lasts until I can get to the _Pagoda_, I'll be all right_. He didn't know what was going to happen exactly, given the recent changes to the Republic's plans, but he did know that he should get to his friends as soon as he could.

With that thought, he turned and slowly got off of the bed, moving slowly to keep from hurting his side any more. He stood erect slowly as well, carefully stretching just enough to get his muscles limber while avoiding tearing at the bandage on his side. _Damn thing still hurts, even with the pain relievers in the MediJel_, he thought with irritation at the pain. _Still, not as bad as when I was hit on the plains that night_.

Mikula then walked over to the side of his brother's bed. Laying a hand on Senmar's shoulder, he then shook his brother a bit. "Senmar, wake up."

"Mmmph," his brother moaned a bit. "Just a little longer mother…" He mumbled, still half-asleep.

Mikula smirked and he shook a bit harder. "Come on, you zugert. Wake up or I'll dump some water on you."

Senmar propped himself up on his elbows at that, and he looked towards the speaker and blinked his eyes. "Mikula…?" He said, and then he woke up more fully. "Oh, sorry," he said as he twisted himself into a sitting position. "I'm up."

"Now you are," Mikula replied with an amused tone in his voice as he turned and went for his pack. "Come on and start to pack what we've got out."

"Huh? Why?" Senmar asked, clearly confused. "I thought your friends were staying?"

"They may or they might," Mikula replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "But we won't know until we talk to them, and if we need to head out to speak to them, then we should be ready to leave if they do."

Senmar made a grumpish noise. "All right, then," he grumbled and then stood up. The two brothers got to work quickly and soon they were packed and heading for the stairs at the end of the hall.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, they both paused at the fact that no gatón were in the room anymore. Before Mikula could think of asking anyone, Reyka walked in from the back and her face broke into a smile as she saw the two brothers. "Mikula, Senmar, so glad to see you awake," she said as she carried a tray of water mugs. "You two wait at the bar while I get some people their drinks."

"Alright," Mikula managed to utter as Reyka swung past them. He and Senmar glanced at each other in surprise. Mikula then shrugged and he walked over to the nearest stool and sat upon it, followed by his brother.

"So, it seems like your friends were already here," Senmar commented. "I can smell the oil from their armor well enough."

Mikula grunted. "Indeed. That, and the gatón have left. I don't think they'd just up and leave in the middle of a lupar city without good reason, do you?" He asked with a sidelong glance at his brother.

Senmar blushed a bit. "Ahh, there is that, isn't there?" He asked rhetorically.

They then sat for a few moments in silence until Pelana came up from behind the bar. "Good morning you two," she said politely and with a smile. "You missed quite the show earlier."

"Oh?" Senmar asked with an ear tilted in interest. "I hope nothing's wrong?"

Pelana shook her head. "No, not at all. In fact, things are going to be all right," she said with her smile broadening. Then she paused in speaking and glanced at her mother, who was busy. Apparently relieved, Pelana turned back to the two brothers and she leaned in towards them, lowering her voice. "Momma didn't want anyone to know, but the Daukner has been in trouble for the last few months, ever since the invaders came."

Mikula blinked in surprise. "Really? But the Daukner has always been such a popular place."

Pelana nodded. "It was, but when the invaders came, people stopped wanting to spend their money, I guess," she said with a shrug. "That, and well… I don't want to point out anyone, but your mother leading half the clan away took some of our best customers."

Mikula felt his ears go down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Pelana shook her head a bit. "No, don't be. Momma didn't blame her, and neither do I. Although, you might not want to talk about it around Ayora."

"Amongst other things," Mikula muttered. When he noticed Pelana giving him a knowing look, he blushed. "Anyway, so times were tough?"

She nodded. "Aye. Nothing too bad, mind you, but enough that momma stayed up late worrying over the gold and how we were going to buy supplies for the next week."

"That sounds bad enough," Senmar interjected. "But you sound as if everything had changed."

Pelana smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes! Your friends, Mikula, the ones who are like the invaders, but not. They were so nice, coming in to repay momma for the stuff she fed people and for all the help she gave." Mikula could practically hear her tail swing back and forth behind the bar. "But they paid so much! They left a gold bar almost as long as my tail!"

Senmar leaned back, his face a study in surprise. "Wow," he said quietly. "How can anyone just drop off a large hunk of gold like that?"

Mikula's chuckled brought both of the others' attention around to him. "What's so funny?" Senmar asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Oh, just that you still don't quite understand our common friends," Mikula replied with a shake of his head. "I've told you of their city, of their ships. Don't you see that such wonder represents more wealth than any one of us can conceive?"

Senmar looked about ready to reply harshly, but Pelana spoke before he could say anything. "You've been to one of their cities?" She asked in awe. "What was it like?"

Mikula smiled at her. "It was amazing. A huge city, sprawling over an area nearly the size of the Tanzano plains," he said, closing his eyes to help remember. "And buildings… They were the size of mountains, and made from materials that none of our people know about." He sighed. "And the people… So many different kinds, and so many different ways they dress and act. So many different things to do, to see… You could spend a lifetime there and never know even half of what's there."

"Sounds like quite the place." The voice that intruded on Mikula's reminiscing was significantly different from Pelana's, and he opened his eyes to see Reyka standing behind the counter next to her daughter, smiling as Mikula blushed. "I must admit, I was quite surprised when they came in and wanted to thank me like that."

Mikula smiled. "Give them half a chance, and they'll surprise you, alright. And speaking of surprises," he gestured to the rest of the room. "I notice that you've done a bit of redecorating."

Reyka chuckled. "In a way. Your friends came by and escorted the gatón off, along with your friend Alexis." She leaned back from the bar and began to clean a glass then. "She said something about taking them somewhere else on one of their fancy machines."

Mikula felt his pulse quicken a bit. "Did she say when they were leaving?" He asked, the tone of his voice betraying his motive for asking.

"Sometime soon," Reyka temporized. "She didn't say when, but she got the gatón to follow her outside after she told the other folks in here that they're free to go."

Mikula stood up then. "Then we should probably be going," he said as he reached down for his pack. He quickly picked it up and was about to sling it over an arm when Reyka's spoke again. "Mikula, you can't seriously be wanting to leave before having breakfast, can you?"

"Yes, we should probably have some food to help make up for the long night last night," Senmar added coyly. "Besides, you're hurt. Shouldn't you get something in you to help you heal?"

Mikula gave his brother a dirty look, but Senmar put on a mask of innocence, though he could see his brother's eyes twitch to the right, once, to where Pelana stood watching the scene. Mikula then just shook his head. "Fine. Give me your pack."

Senmar, who had relaxed a bit at the first word, now looked confused. "Pardon me?"

"You want to stay, fine. But I want to go to the ship, and the advanced devices in your pack need to be returned. Since you don't want to go now, and sine I can't very well leave those items here, even with you 'guarding' them." Mikula raised an eyebrow at the last. "I'm responsible for them, and so let me have your pack."

Senmar's ears went a back a bit at the implication. "But you're hurt! You can't possibly carry both packs without being in pain."

Mikula crossed his arms as he looked at his brother. "You are not leaving me much of a choice, now are you?""

Senmar blushed deeply, and he gave Mikula a dirty look of his own. They stood there for a moment before Senmar broke eye contact. "Fine, let's go then," he said angrily as he stood from his seat. He stooped just long enough to grab his pack off of the floor, and then he slung it around his shoulders as Mikula had done while the younger lupar was standing up.

"Mikula, are you sure that you don't want to at least have some ruyo?" Reyka asked, naming a popular lupar breakfast dish.

"No, thank you though, Mrs. Reyka," Mikula said with gratitude. "But we really should leave so that we might catch up to our friends." He then turned to Senmar. "Let's go."

* * *

Alexis felt completely conspicuous as she followed Vickers, Tanaka and van Horn through the city, the other gatón trailing behind them. Their path had to follow some of the larger streets through the city, as the sheer size of the armored humans surrounding the group of natives precluded the use of the smaller, less traveled streets. Thus the citizens of Tanzano had an easy enough view of the odd group, and like any curious being, they stared.

However, Alexis felt safe enough, with six MI troopers and Tanaka's not insignificant presence arrayed around her and the other gatón, and so she managed to keep her feelings under control. _Besides, I can't look panicked for the people we're escorting,_ she thought with a glance back at the group trailing behind her. _They all look scared enough already. I won't frighten them further by letting my emotions get the best of me_.

Still, she felt a bit nervous, mainly due to her clothing; she still wore the same abbreviated garments from her time in Tanaka's 'mech, though she managed to just carry the cooling vest over her left arm and carry the helmet in her left hand. _Certainly not anything normal by most standards_, Alexis mused. _I'm showing more fur than anyone else on the street. The folks behind me must think I'm a streetwalker_. Though somewhat mortifying, the thought also made Alexis smirk. _Dad would be collapsing in outrage if he could see me now_.

The thought of her family, however, soon took the smirk off of her face. _I really shouldn't think that way, so matter how much father has hurt me. I still love him as my father, and I don't really wish him harm_. Alexis let out a small sigh as she thought about the situation. _I know I wasn't this… Generous, before. But I suppose I've 'cooled down' as Earl says. I wonder if when I get back, we might reconcile?_

Alexis then had to break her train of thought as the group took a detour from their path in the road. Looking ahead, she could see why; Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ still lay across half the street, its metal bulk causing a backup of traffic along the main avenue. Fortunately for the group, however, native Tanzanos quickly peeled themselves out of the way for them. Soon, they were beside the metal behemoth, and Alexis could see the two other MI troopers who were standing guard on top of the fallen war machine.

At this point, Vickers held up a hand for the group to halt, and Alexis turned around to look at the gatón behind her. "We're stopping," she said gently. "But only for a moment." _I hope_, she added mentally as she turned to see one of the guarding MI troopers from the Elemental armored Alfa squad approach Vickers. The two stood facing each other for a few moments, moving a bit as they spoke over their radios.

_How surreal_, Alexis thought. _So strange to see them moving like they're talking, and to know they're talking, and yet hear nothing_. She gave herself a shrug then. _Well, at least now I know what's going on, unlike when I first met Earl_. She managed a small smile at the memory.

She glanced over at Tanaka then, wondering how the human was dealing with her 'mech lying helpless in the street before her. _Cassandra has spoken of how her kind of soldier feels almost dead when they don't have a 'mech to pilot. I hope she's taking it well._ Unfortunately for the gatón, Tanaka's face was an unreadable, neutral mask. Still, Alexis could make out a slight tightening of Tanaka's eyes at the corners, and so she knew that the MechWarrior was affected.

After a few more moments, the trooper on top of the fallen 'mech saluted with his laser-arm, and Vickers quickly parroted him. Then Vickers turned and started off with a wave to the others behind him, and the group quickly began walking again. They walked along through the main square of the city, passing groups of locals who were out just to stare at the devastation wrought by the Blakest attack. Alexis herself couldn't help but gawk at the half-collapsed fortress to their left, and also at the burnt wreckage of the transport to the right. She felt a pang of sadness, knowing that four people had lost their lives in that one spot alone, _not to mention the many who've died all over the city_.

The group continued on in silence, making a turn around the edge of the fortress' moat to follow the last stretch of street to the north gate. Alexis looked down the street, and outside the opened gates, feeling a sense of relief and comfort at the glimpse of an oblong shape rising above the ground outside of the city.

"So, lieutenant," Tanaka began to speak as they walked along. "Might I ask what you had to say back there?"

Vickers moved along for a moment, seemingly ignoring Tanaka's words. Then he spoke up without changing his posture or pace. "Nothin' major, captain. Just askin' how they were doin' and mentionin' that I'll be able to have them relieved soon." Then he managed to turn his helmeted had about and towards the captain. "Don't worry, we'll take care of your metal beastie."

Tanaka managed a sheepish grin. "I'm sure you will. I just can't help but be worried, after all."

Vickers nodded his head and he turned it back to face the front. "Understandable. Though I wonder what you think you can do if something _is_ wrong," he half-muttered. "No offense, but at least an armored trooper can carry out a comrade. Your ride needs a semi to haul it away."

Tanaka nodded, but Alexis caught a strange look in the human's eyes. "Perhaps, lieutenant…"

Vickers turned his head back to the captain. "I know that tone, captain; I had a little sister growing up. What do you have planned?"

Tanaka chuckled, and Alexis couldn't help but smile a bit at the noise. "Oh, you'll see, Lieutenant, you'll see."

Vickers grunted. "And that's another phrase I've learned to dread when it comes from a female," he said with mock severity. Then his body hitched a bit in its stride. "No offense, Miss Hurano," he added in a lower voice.

"None taken, lieutenant," Alexis replied with a small smile. "I have a younger sister as well, and a younger brother in addition. I know exactly what you mean."

Vickers and Tanaka chuckled at that. "Ah, so that's why you're always so patient," Tanaka observed. "Comes from practice."

"Indeed," Alexis replied, though her smile faded a bit as she thought of her family again. _Gods, I miss them._

A silence came over the group then, which van Horn interrupted by clearing his throat. "Lieutenant, permission to speak freely?" He asked politely.

"Go ahead doc," Vickers replied. Van Horn then nodded and continued. "Well sir, I don't suppose you'd know when the next transport would be arriving?" He glanced his head to look over the gatón following the leading humans and Alexis. "These folks look about scared as a group of 'mech martens facin' a pack of magma wolves. Frankly, sir, the sooner they're gone the better."

Vickers grunted. "I agree with ya, doc. However, unless things go south – that is, if they do so _again_ – then the brass don't want to waste fuel with brute-force orbits, so we wait 'til the _Young_ circles around again in about, oh, an hour."

Van Horn nodded. "Yes sir, thank you sir."

"No problem, doc. Just drop the _kaydet_ routine," Vickers replied with a bit of abrasion in his voice. "Hell, you're older than me and you got more learnin.'"

Van Horn chuckled. "Maybe, but you be the bossman here, and since I don't want to walk back to the Firebase, I'll try not to piss you off."

Vickers laughed at that, which let Tanaka and the other MI troopers in the group to chuckle as well. "Excellently put, van Horn," Vickers added. "You might want to clean the brown off of your nose then."

Van Horn chuckled. "Aye aye, sir."

* * *

Mikula pushed through the morning crowds as he moved at a fast walk, leading Senmar along the street that would lead them to Karno's Way. Most people gave him a rude look, but he ignored them, his goal simply to get to where he was heading quickly.

The two brothers reached the main avenue that ran through Tanzano, and there Mikula paused to give Senmar a chance to catch his breath. _Well, and I as well_, he admitted to himself. Looking around, Mikula could easily see that, despite the horrors of the night before, the city went on. People of all ages were walking along the road, some heading to their work, others clearly at work, hauling goods along to deliver them, and merchants of smaller, cheaper pieces of merchandise were pushing their carts up and down the avenue, and those who sold food even began to make turns into the residential sections of the Worker's Quarter.

Beside him, Mikula could hear Senmar's stomach growling. "Mikula, can't we at least get some kuvos along the way?" He asked, naming a local fruit that was a popular snack. "I feel like I'm going to faint."

Mikula grunted as he looked at his brother. "I see you've taken lessons from Pavlo," he teased with a smirk. "But at least he tries to back up his excuses with a more believable act."

Senmar glared at him. "Funny," the younger lupar grunted. "I still don't see why we couldn't have had breakfast at the Laughing Daukner. Mrs. Reyka obviously wanted to help."

Mikula shook his head with a sigh. "She's helped enough. More than enough, in fact," he said and then looked Senmar in the eyes. "Didn't you notice how tired she was?"

Senmar blinked at this question. "What? She seemed fine enough to me."

Mikula shook his head again. "Senmar, when you get to be more experienced, you'll be able to tell when someone's pushed himself or herself to the edge of exhaustion," he said, and then sighed. "Mrs. Reyka was willing to be nice, of course. But she's been working half the night, with very little – if any – sleep, and now she's been making people a meal for the last hour or so. She's clearly very tired."

Senmar frowned. "I don't understand. She seemed fine to me, even a bit more energetic than usual."

"It only seems that way," Mikula replied. "In fact, some people when they get really tired, can start to become a bit more energetic. But I saw it in her eyes, Senmar; she's quite exhausted."

Senmar continued to frown, but he nodded. "I shall take your word for it, Mikula," he said. "Still, you cannot deny that you have another reason for leaving so soon."

Mikula grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. I'm hopeless," he said. "Still, it's generally a good idea to get someplace that will be safe for both us and the Reyka family."

"Hmm?" Senmar tilted his head in puzzlement. "I don't understand."

Mikula turned and then started off down the street before replying as Senmar caught up. "Senmar, given what's happened, people are going to know that some rather, 'interesting' people spent some time at the Laughing Daukner," Mikula said quietly to avoid people from overhearing too much. "Now, that's going to bring enough of the nobles' attention to her place as it is. How would you think the nobles will act if they knew that they could catch two people who are good friends of this new group of people?"

Senmar thought for a split second, and then he shuddered. "Kidnapping, at least," he replied with disgust. He then nodded. "I see your point, then." He then shook his head and sighed. "I'm such a fool, sometimes…"

Mikula stopped at that, forcing Senmar to do the same, and then he placed a hand on the shoulder of his younger brother. "Senmar, you may be young and inexperienced, but you are no fool." He grinned a bit. "Mother didn't raise us to be fools, and as she had time to perfect her technique on Kanu and I before you came along."

Senmar blinked a bit. "Th- thank you, Mikula," he said with surprise in his voice. "I… I didn't know you felt that way."

Mikula smirked a bit a he let go of Senmar. "I guess I never could get past my typical big brother arrogance before," he said as he started off again, leading Senmar along. "But I've come close to death a few times now. It really gives you a better perspective on things that is clear of pride and arrogance."

They continued on in silence for several minutes, and then Senmar spoke up again. "Mikula…?"

"Yes?"

"How close _did_ you come to loosing your life?" Senmar asked quietly. "I mean, you make it sound like you had more than just a wound in your leg, or your side."

They continued on in silence a bit more, Mikula using the time to gather his thoughts and words. "Senmar, I'll have to tell you the whole story sometime. But for now… Let's just say that it wasn't just me being close to death."

Senmar frowned a bit, clearly puzzled. Then he blinked and he opened his eyes wide at the implication. "I see…" He said quietly. "I didn't know."

"Well, it's not something I like to talk about," Mikula added. "But when you see someone you care about so deeply hurt very badly…" He let his voice trail off at that, and they went on in silence again.

After a bit, they approached the crowds still standing around Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_, and they had to push their way through. However, Mikula made sure to avoid the core of the group, and they passed through relatively quickly. Around them, the crowd seemed to reverberate, with all the people talking back and forth about the strange things sitting in the middle of their city. Mikula felt some anger as he heard some people blaming the Republic – _"the other invaders," they call them _– for the strange attack. _How wrong they are_, he grumped to himself.

Then they were past the crowd, and moving through the more open main square. More crowds still stood about, and now merchants were setting up some small stands where they hoped to take advantage of the gatherings to sell various small food items or other cheap wares. Guards from the ruling council began to show up as well, herding people away from the broken body of the Assault Transport, which made Mikula wonder if his brother-in-law had anything to do with that. _It would be a good show of faith_, he thought. Nevertheless, he and Senmar avoided the guards and crowds, instead following the same path taken by the earlier group of soldiers escorting the gatón.

Up ahead and through the gates, Mikula could see the rounded, navy gray-painted bulk of the _Silver Pagoda_. It lay some distance beyond the city, but it was close enough that many natives heading into the fields for their work passed relatively close to it, though they gave the ship and the sentries around it a wide berth.

"Wow," Senmar commented from beside his brother as they walked along the street. "I don't think I realized it when it was sitting on the plains outside Hercor, but that's a huge piece of metal to be moving around by itself."

Mikula chuckled. "Indeed. But if you compare it to some of the other ships our friends have, it's positively tiny."

Senmar spared Mikula a sidelong glance. "Really? They have bigger?"

"Much bigger," Mikula added. "For instance, that ship that made the attacks last night that lit up the sky, it's over ten times as large."

"You're kidding?" Senmar asked. Mikula shook his head in reply, and his brother looked incredulous. "That's huge!"

"Yes, but even then, it's not their largest ship," Mikula added, enjoying his brother's amazement. "They have ships far, far larger. Ones that would make Tanzano look small in comparison."

Senmar shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes, brother, I think you're just trying to pull my tail."

"Sometimes, yes," Mikula admitted with a sly grin. "But now I'm telling you the truth. I've seen some of these ships, ridden in the one in orbit. They are quite real."

Senmar gave Mikula another look. "'Orbit?' What's that?"

Mikula grimaced slightly. _I keep letting these words leak into my Lupari_. "It's an English word, from our friends. It's a word that means that the ship is circling around our world in an endless loop."

Senmar frowned as he looked at his brother. "How is such a thing possible?"

"By going very, very fast," Mikula replied with another grin. "And our world is round, so that helps, too."

"Round?" Senmar asked with a confused look on his face. "It doesn't look that way."

Mikula shrugged as they approached the gate. "Well, it's so large that the curve of the world seems like it's flat to us standing on it. But I've seen our world from very high up, and I can tell you that it is, indeed, a round sphere."

Senmar shook his head. "I don't see it… But, given everything that's happened, I'll take your word for it."

Mikula grunted a bit. "Well, in any case, let's not speak of such things for now," he said, gesturing to the crowds ahead of them. "It would not be best if people overheard us." He added _sotto voce_. Senmar nodded his understanding, and the two brothers pushed into the rear of the crowd that stood at the gate.

They had, apparently, come to stare at the new arrivals. Many comments Mikula overheard as his pushed forward usually centered on the Republic ship and troops. Most seemed surprised, some seemed angry, blaming the new arrivals for the attacks. But good amounts were about how the Republic troopers hadn't acted nearly as bad towards them as the first invaders had, especially given their obviously better strength.

Mikula couldn't help but smile a bit at these comments. _Good. Already people see the difference_. He hoped that they would continue to experience the good nature of his friends.

Then he and Senmar reached the front of the crowd, which was being held back by a phalanx of guards. Some lupar were getting through, though it was apparent that they were farmers who needed to get to their fields and tend them, aliens or no.

One guard caught Mikula's eye, arguing as he was with a merchant who had pushed his cart of kuvo fruit up to the gate. Smiling, Mikula pointed out the two arguing lupar to his brother. Senmar looked and then reflected his brother's smile, and they walked over to the pair.

"Look, we can't just let anyone out," the guard was saying. "Official orders by the ruling council."

"Bah!" The merchant replied as Mikula and Senmar drew close. "Those old fools couldn't and wouldn't do a thing against the first invaders. Now they want to reestablish their officious attitudes?" He shook his head in disgust. "Outrage! Who are they to tell me who I can trade with or not."

"Yekar," Mikula spoke from the side, attracting the attention his friend, the guard. Yekar looked over with an annoyed look on his face, but he managed s small smile when he saw Mikula and Senmar walk up next to the arguing pair. "Mikula, glad to see you, but I'm kind of busy."

"So I see," Mikula replied with a nod. "What's going on?"

Yekar turned and gestured to the merchant. "This man wants to go out, despite the fact that the ruling council has placed orders that people should be kept from these new invaders."

The merchant made a growl, but before he could say anything, Mikula spoke again. "So? Why do you want to go out there anyway?" He asked of the man. "Not like you'll find many people who want to buy the fruit there."

"That's what you think," the merchant replied huffily. "Many farmers love to have a snack in the fields. And besides," he gestured to the alien ship sitting several hundred meters away. "They might even want some."

Yekar shook his head. "You're a fool. They will probably just take your food, like the first invaders did with other merchants," he said with a growl.

"I doubt that," the merchant replied with more conviction than Mikula thought such a man would have in the face of such strangeness. "I saw these new arrivals help put out the fires from last night, even save a few people. The old invaders would have just let things burn." He puffed out his chest a bit. "I'm willing to risk it."

"Then you're a double fool," Yekar growled.

Then Mikula laid a hand on Yekar's shoulder, and the guard turned to face him. "Look, Yekar, what's the harm?" Mikula asked quietly. "If you're worried about the man's safety, Senmar and I were leaving anyway, so we can keep an eye on him until he's done dealing with these new people."

Yekar frowned at his friend. "I have orders, Mikula. I can't even let you two go."

"Well," Mikula said, and then he leaned in to whisper into his friend's ear. "Look, with everything happening and the ruling council coming back into power, how long do you think they'll wait until they look for deserters?" He asked, and then gestured to Senmar.

Yekar looked over at him, and then back to Mikula, frowning. "You always did go for the throat in practice," he muttered. Then he shook his head. "Fine, but if anyone asks, you said that you were still in the army when you went out."

Mikula smiled a bit. "No problem," he said, and then turned to the merchant. "Sir, care to have a couple of companions for a bit?"

The merchant looked like he smelled something funny, given Yekar's abrupt turnaround, but he nodded. "Alright, then."

"Fine," Yekar grumbled again, and he stood aside, signaling the other guards that he was letting a couple of people through. The merchant quickly pushed his small cart forward, passing past the guards with Mikula and Senmar in tow.

Once a few dozen meters past the gates, the merchant looked over his two unexpected companions. "So, if it's not too prying, why are you two just as determined to come out here?" He asked as he pushed his cart. "You don't look like farmers."

Mikula spared a glance back towards the gate to make sure that no one would overhear. Then he turned back to the merchant with a smile. "We have a common point of interest," he said, and gestured to the ship sitting on the ground.

The merchant grunted. "Well, the guard was right about me; I'm a fool at times. But you two young lads, I hope you're not making a mistake coming along."

"I doubt it," Mikula replied. Then his smile grew a bit. "In fact, we might be able to help you."

The man gave him a look. "Well, if we're going to go off to our dooms, we should introduce each other. I'm Deger Makao," he said, nodding his head at the last.

"Mikula Farkas, and this is my brother Senmar," Mikula responded, gesturing to Senmar as he spoke.

"Farkas?" Makao asked with a knowing tone. "The city has heard tales about a good group of people being led away by a Farkas. A woman, even."

Mikula blushed. "She's our mother."

Makao blinked in surprise. "I didn't think those tales were true," he said. But then they began to grow close to the _Silver Pagoda_, and his attention shifted. "Well, perhaps now isn't the time."

Mikula shrugged, at ease. "Well, don't worry," he said, and then waved to the ship. Makao gave him an odd look, and he stopped pushing his cart, forcing the two brothers to halt with him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Calling over a friend," Mikula replied nonchalantly. "Ahh, here comes one now," he said, gesturing to a shape that appeared from the open side hatch of the ship. The armored trooper walked over the last forty meters between the ship and the small group of lupar, his imposing bulk emphasized by his Gnome armor.

"Mikula," the man said with a friendly voice. "Glad to see you."

"As I am glad to see you too, John," Mikula responded to Osis in English. "We thought we'd report in. Not to mention," he turned and gestured to the shocked Makao. "This merchant wants to know if anyone wants to buy some fresh fruit."

Osis laughed. "Actually, that sounds pretty good," he said boisterously. "The _Pagoda_'s on MREs for now, since they gotta feed us grunts as well as the crew and mechjocks." He turned and looked over the kuvos. "What kind of fruit is that?"

"It's called a 'kuvo,'" Mikula replied. "I know that it might look strange to you, being purple, but it's surprisingly good."

"Heh. You've obviously never had kancha," Osis replied easily. "Still, tell the guy to come back in about an hour or so. That way, we can see if we have a way of paying him."

Mikula nodded, and he turned to Makao. "My friends are interested, but they are not sure if they can pay you. So he says to come back in about an hour, and by then they'll know if they can buy some or not."

Makao just stared open-mouthed at Mikula. "You… You know them?"

Mikula nodded, a sheepish smile coming over his muzzle. "Yes. I met one of them some time ago, and I and many others have come to know them."

"But… How?" Makao asked, looking suspicious and curious at the same time. "How could you even approach them?"

"One of them approached me," Mikula replied with a smile. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, it's a long story. Just let it suffice that they are good people, who won't treat you like the Wobbies."

Makao tilted an ear down in puzzlement. "The who?"

"Oh, that's the actual name of the invaders," Mikula replied. "They're called 'Wobbies' as a derogatory name, so feel free to call them that," he said with a wink.

The merchant smiled a bit. "Indeed. So, I should come back later?" He asked, looking up at Osis again.

Mikula nodded. "Aye. They don't rely on gold for money, so they don't always have a lot of it around." _And that's only a half-lie_, Mikula thought. _But it's easier than trying to explain a monetary system that even I have little understanding of._

Makao looked suspicious, but he nodded. "Very well. I hope you'll be around when I come back?"

Mikula nodded again. "Either me, or one of my friends who can translate," he said with a wave towards the ship. "A gatón and a human, so don't worry if you don't see me."

Makao blinked in surprise. "A gatón? They can speak Lupari?"

"This one can," Mikula replied, fighting to keep his voice neutral. "And if I were you, I'd avoid making racial distinctions. These people frown on that sort of thing."

Makao looked surprised a bit, but he nodded his understanding. "Very well. I hope to see you young men soon then," he said, waving a goodbye before reaching down to grab the handles of his cart.

"And I as well," Mikula replied. The three watched Makao walk towards the fields for a bit before Mikula and Senmar turned to face Osis. "So, John," Mikula began. "I hope that everyone made it here okay?"

"Yup," Osis replied. "Vickers brought 'em in only 'bout a half hour ago. I think Earl went to get some sleep, though Alexis is with the gatón we rescued last night. They're up in the crew's mess if you want to say hi."

Mikula smiled a bit. "That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

Alexis felt tired as she sat down for the first time in a while. _I was up half the night, and now running about to make sure that these people are taken care of_, she recounted mentally. _Still, I don't regret one bit of it_.

She sat at an empty table in the crew's mess of the _Silver Pagoda_. The other gatón were all sitting at two other tables in the mess across a narrow aisle from where she sat, and Alexis watched them as they talked quietly of the things they had seen.

_Certainly, the 'mech bays are an interesting sight_, Alexis mused. _Especially with all the armor suits of half the Vanquishers strung up on service lift platforms. And not to mention, the checking over Dan and the ship's medic gave them._ Alexis had been happy to report to the rescued people that they were all as healthy as could be expected, and they had taken the news with good humor.

_Well, except for one_, Alexis remembered. Thinking of the one gatón, she looked over at the child who had only identified himself as Jaylee. _And that was only because Dan wanted to know his name and age so that they wouldn't have to refer to him as just a number_. The child sat at the last chair on the table that only held two other gatón, his arms crossed on the table, head resting atop of them, facing away from everyone else to stare at the metal bulkhead. Alexis knew from van Horn that the thirteen-year-old had lost his mother abruptly in the attack, and through a rather horrific way. She felt sympathy for the child, but as of yet, he hadn't had any more interaction with anyone else than was absolutely necessary.

_I wish I could talk to him_, she thought. _But I still haven't changed… Hell, my kit's still in Tanaka's 'mech._ She suddenly realized that she had no clothing to wear. But then the child's predicament overrode her brief worry. _In any case, I bet I look strange enough in any human-made clothes, and dressed like this? I'm sure he's never seen any female showing off this much_.

Then another voice spoke inside her head. _Well, Alexis, how much are you really showing?_ The question lodged itself in her thoughts, and she looked over her body. _Actually, it's not like I'm showing anything really private… Well, maybe by the standards of my culture… But then, I've pretty much discarded much of the more useless conventions, haven't I?_ Alexis nervously scratched her arm as she thought about it. _That unnerves me, frankly… Have I turned my back completely on my culture?_ The idea was somewhat frightening, but even as she thought about it, Alexis dismissed it. _No, not turned my back completely… I just think some changes have to be made_. She then felt a decision being made inside her, and she looked over at Jaylee. _And how can changes be made if I can't make them myself?_ With that, she stood and walked over to where the child sat.

The other gatón gave her the strange looks they had been giving her for some time now, though they remained courteous as they recognized that things had changed. Alexis, however, ignored them as she quietly walked up behind the child.

Gently, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Jaylee, wasn't it?" she asked politely, and then paused for any reply, but the child remained silent. Alexis then removed her hand and walked around to kneel in front of the child's face.

Jaylee's yellow eyes barely flicked to meet hers, but they then grew a bit wider when he saw the startling blue of Alexis' own. Alexis, however, calmly returned the eye contact. "How are you feeling?" She asked gently.

His eyes seemed to lose some of the energy they had gained while looking at her. Then he turned his head slightly so that he could look at the wall without canting his eyes constantly. "I'm fine," he replied quietly.

"Physically, yes," Alexis said, and she again reached out her hand, placing it on one of the youth's arms. "But it doesn't take a shaman to see that you're wounded on the inside." She saw his eyes tighten at that, and she rubbed her hand along his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jaylee remained silent, which made Alexis sigh. "Would you mind if I talked then?" She asked. The youth remained silent still, and Alexis stood up, walking over to sit at the chair opposite of the child. Some of the gatón at the table took their cue to get up and move to the table Alexis had been sitting at, realizing that some privacy might be warranted.

Alexis sat and looked at the youth for a moment. "I know, from a friend, what happened…" She waited to see if he reacted, but Jaylee stayed still. "I know that you must feel terrible, and indeed, you must feel far worse than you've ever felt in your life." She paused a gain, this time to take a breath before going on. "I can't say I've had the same experience. My family is safe… But there have been times where I've thought I lost them, and more."

Jaylee stirred a bit, shifting his head around on his arms. When he said nothing, though, Alexis went on. "I've come close. My own village was attacked, much as I understand yours was, and at that time, I saw many people die." She let her voice drop a bit. "Good friends, cousins… People I knew and had grown up with." Pain infused her voice at that, but she controlled it, kept it from getting so bad that she couldn't speak. "And then… Then once, the man I loved…" She took in a deep breath at that before going on. "I saw him attacked, and I thought he was dead."

The youth stirred again, shifting his head around so that he could look at Alexis over the edge of his arms. He still didn't speak, but Alexis was heartened a bit, despite the reliving of her own pain. "I felt probably much as you do right now… Like something has been torn out of you, like your very life has drained away, leaving nothing but an empty body behind." She saw his ears twitch, and Alexis knew that she was close to the mark. "I was lucky, then, in that I had some good people to help me along," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I was even more lucky to find out later that my love was, in fact, alive.

"But for a good time, I knew only the kind of soul consuming pain that comes from losing someone that you care for deeply." Alexis paused and again reached out a hand to lay it on Jaylee's forearm. "But through it all, I remembered one thing that made me go on. And that is that if I could have talked to the one I'd lost, he would have told me that the last thing he would have wanted was me spending all of my time suffering." She paused; rubbing the child's arm again in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "Of course, I would still have mourned for him for many days, had he really died. Grieving over the one you've lost is natural, and no one blames you for wanting to sit and mourn your mother.

"But all the same, I've found that it's helpful to talk to others about it." Alexis removed her hand then. "Perhaps you don't want to speak now, and that's fine. I just wanted to be here if you did want to talk, and to let you know that though some of the pain will always be with you, that it will fade to the point where you will be able to remember the good things of life again. Especially, the good memories of the one you've lost." She stood then, and she walked next to the younger gatón. "If you ever do want to talk, you can always speak to me, or any of my friends." With that, she turned and walked away slowly, just in case Jaylee did speak up.

He didn't however, and Alexis heard him shift again. She spared a glance back to see that he had resumed his earlier position of staring at the wall. She suppressed a sigh, and instead turned to walk over to an empty seat at the table that she had been sitting at before. _I can't blame him, after all,_ she thought, thinking of the events that had brought her to the place as she rested her arms on the table.

"You did good," a voice came from her right, and Alexis turned to see that one of the gatón from the rescued group had moved over to the seat next to her. She looked him over, noting his typical brown hair and yellow eyes, as well as the faint smile on his muzzle. "Jaylee just needs some time."

Alexis returned the faint smile with one of her own, and she nodded. "I know. I just hope that I managed to say the right things that will help him heal faster," she said, and then sighed. "I may not have lost a mother to death, but I have lost one…" She let her voice trail away.

The other gatón wisely let her comment go. "I don't think any of us have been introduced properly," he said. "My name is Wargo Legano."

Alexis nodded to him. "Alexis Hurano," she said, and then held out her hand automatically.

Legano gave it a queer look, and Alexis grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, a habit picked up from my friends here," she said as she brought her arm back. "It's a form of greeting."

Legano smiled a bi then, and he held his own right hand awkwardly. "Well, I don't want to be offensive."

Alexis chuckled a bit as she reached her hand back out and she shook his. "You're not offensive. It's not like you'd be able to learn such a mannerism. Especially," her voice lowered into a growl as she let go, "with those bastards who were holding you."

Legano blinked. "My word, you've got a mouth on you," he said bemusedly.

Alexis blushed a bit. "I suppose I've learned a few bad habits, as well," she said sheepishly.

"Indeed," Legano replied. "I hope your husband doesn't mind."

At that, Alexis felt her smile evaporate. "I'm not married," she said flatly.

"Oh?" Legano asked in surprise. "But, you introduced yourself with two names."

She nodded. "Hurano is my family name. And before you go off about how it's bad luck and all, let me tell you that I don't give a damn." She spoke quietly, but fiercely. "Frankly, if you have any complaint about it, you can go to Hell."

Legano leaned back from her, holding his hands up in front of himself. "Okay, okay," he said quickly. "Honestly, I was just curious. You just seem far too nice a person to be still single."

Alexis snorted. "Sure, and if a danier had wings, then it would fly," she said disdainfully. "Flattery is a good trick sometimes, but it won't work on me."

"No, seriously," Legano said, slowly lowering his arms to his lap. "Not many people I know would go to a person they don't know and try to comfort them like you did."

"Then you obviously don't know any good people," Alexis retorted.

"No, no," Legano said, his ears going back a bit in twinge of anger. "I meant, not many people would willingly bring up their own pain and suffering and use it like you did, to show that he's not alone." He sighed and then shook his head. "It's just… Real nice."

Alexis let some of her anger drain away. "Thank you, I suppose," she said more neutrally. "My apologies for loosing my temper. You just hit a sore spot."

"So I see," Legano replied with a nod. "I meant no offense, really. I was just surprised at the way you act. You're so much different fro any other gatón I've known."

Alexis smirked. "I've had some… Interesting, experiences," she said bemusedly. "As a friend would say, 'there's been some changes made.'"

Legano nodded. "I can understand. Our village was attacked, too, and after something like that, you will never be the same."

"Indeed," Alexis replied. "I've had some other, even more unusual things happen," she said, leaning back on the bench. Legano blushed a bit as she ran a hand over her exposed belly. "As these scars will attest to," she said, tapping one of the ridges.

Still blushing, Legano managed to look them over. "Scars? How did a nice person like you get hurt bad enough to get scars?"

Alexis chuckled as she leaned forward again. "From fighting not-so-nice people," she replied, then her countenance turned serious. "I was hit pretty bad, had to be out of it for nearly a month."

Legano gave her a suspicious look. "You're joking, right?" Then he saw her ears begin to go back and again he held up his arms. "Wait, I'm just saying, you seem quite well for someone who's been hurt that bad."

Alexis smirked again. "Sure, that's what you meant," she said sarcastically. "But in any case, my friends here have quite well learned doctors."

"So I see," Legano replied. "As for your other remark, I must say, I don't think I've ever met anyone who's been so… Sensitive."

Alexis sighed. "I've had some bad experiences with people not accepting me," she said, trying to avoid mentioning her disownment. "Frankly, I'm kind of tired of explaining myself to people who don't realize that things are changing."

"Changing?" Legano asked, his face a study of puzzlement. "Well, the invaders and your friends here are different, but they don't seem too different."

"But they are," Alexis replied earnestly. "In the short time I've known my friends here, I've seen some very, very different things." She shook her head gently and sighed. "Things are going to change… Our entire culture is going to change."

They sat for a few moments in silence. Then Legano spoke up. "You sound as if that idea doesn't exactly scare you."

Alexis turned and gave him yet another smirk. "From where I sit, it doesn't," she said assuredly. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm a woman, and we tend to not have much in the way of consideration in our culture."

Legano frowned at her. "That's how society works, it's just the way things are."

Alexis snorted. "'The way things are.' A few months ago, I would have agreed with you," she said as she stood up and moved a few feet to the end of the table. "But after all that's happened, after all I've seen and done and _know_," she paused and shook her head again briefly. "'The way things are' is not a reason. It is an excuse, and it is one that will no longer do. I will not accept it, and soon many others won't as well.

"So do forgive me if I am not terrified at being treated decently for a change," she finished sarcastically. Then before Legano could say anything else, Alexis turned and walked for the door out of the room, leaving a set of confused gatón behind her.

_Not like you can keep a conversation secret in such a small room_, she thought as she observed the astounded looks on the rescued gatón's faces. _Especially not with our hearing_. With that parting thought, Alexis walked out of the room and into the narrow hallway beyond.

She paused as the guard at watch tensed a bit, but then the man relaxed. "Miss Hurano, I hope there ain't a problem?" The unarmored MI trooper asked. "I heard some raised voices."

Alexis shook her head. "I'm sorry, it was just me losing my temper a bit," she said apologetically. "Things are fine, but I'll be happy when they are safe back at Shulana."

"You won't be the only one," the man replied with a nod. "Anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

"No, thank you," Alexis replied with a small smile. "Just call me if any of them have any problems before the transport arrives. I'll down in the 'mech bay with the other Vanquishers."

"No problem," the man added with a grin. "Go and rest then. I'll call if'n there's trouble."

"Thank you Mike," Alexis said, naming the guard. Then she turned and walked along the corridor, which was curved to accommodate itself to the hull. She walked clockwise around the ship, as viewed from above, reaching a corridor that ran perpendicular to the one she walked in. Alexis took this new hall to the ship's core, reaching the main elevator bank, and she quickly pressed the call button.

_I wonder if I was too hard on that guy?_ Alexis thought as she waited, leaning against the bulkhead. _I mean it's not like he was anything like father. Hell, Alexis, he was doing his best to be nice and avoid ticking you off._

_Yeah, probably wanted to get in my pants_, she thought with a snort. _Sheyana on down knows that you're certainly showing enough fur to get any male excited. Especially one from… Well, from my old culture_.

That thought made Alexis shiver, even as she stood up and entered a newly arrived car. Stepping in, she quickly pressed the button for the 'mech bay ground floor. Her stomach churned a bit as the car started down, but she knew it wasn't entirely from inertia. _I'm still not settled over what's going on with myself. Just where do I stand, then, if I don't consider myself a part of the culture of my people?_

Then another idea hit her, one that made her pause. _With my father disowning me, and with all the changes recently… I don't really _have_ a home, either in a culture _or_ in a town. But then, if that's true, where do I go when this war is done? What do I have to look forward to?_

The thought haunted her as the car slowed to a stop.

* * *

Mikula suffered through a quick medical check over by the _Pagoda_'s part-time medic with relatively little embarrassment. _At least I'm used to this by now_, he mentally grumbled as the young woman gently prodded and poked at the wound in his left side. _I certainly had enough of this when we got to New Honshu_.

The woman finished looking at, and she tilted her head up from where she kneeled. "Well, buddy, it looks good. I'm just going to give the MediJel a boost and cover the whole shebang over with a conventional bandage." She stood as she spoke, stretching a bit. "The jel will let the wound will heal normally while the regular bandage will keep the jel from bein' eaten away." With that, she turned and walked a couple of steps over to a table set up in the 'mech bay.

Mikula grunted his understanding. "Well, that's good that it will heal nicely," he said good-naturedly. "The last time I was wounded, it took weeks to heal."

"Well, you won't have to worry too much 'bout it this time," the lady replied as she came back to Mikula carrying some tools and a package of gauze. "This'll heal in about a week, 'specially if you keep takin' the supplements I'm goin' to give you."

"Supplements?" Mikula echoed the word slowly. "I don't think I've heard of this word before."

The lady kneeled down again next to where Mikula stood. "It means that I'm going to give you some pills to swallow every morning," she said as she brought up a MediJel applicator and began to put some more of the unusual substance around the edges of Mikula's wound, where the original material had started to dissolve. "They have chemicals in them that will help you heal faster, so I want you to take them, okay?"

Mikula nodded emphatically. "I will definitely do that," he said as the medic began to apply the gauze over his wound. _That's going to hurt taking it off,_ he thought to himself as the lady applied the medical tape that would keep the gauze in place. _But it's better than leaving my wound open to the elements._

To distract himself, Mikula looked around the large 'mech bay. He stood in an alcove formed by several fold-up tables that had been set up in the empty cubicle where Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ was normally berthed. Lieutenant Vickers had asked for a first aid station down where his platoon could easily be treated if they had to be carried into the ship in their armor, and so Captain Hernandez had had his combination medic/gunner set up a temporary station.

Mikula thus had to endure the ministrations of the brown-haired woman while his brother looked on with a smirk on his muzzle. _Not to mention the troopers from the Vanquishers_, Mikula thought as he glanced over to where some of the men and women sat or lay down. _At least most of them are asleep or out on guard duty_, he thought to console himself.

"All done," the young lady finally said as she stood up and walked back to the table where she had grabbed her tools. "Can't say it's the best treatment in the worlds, but it's gonna be a fair sight better than just lettin' it fester."

"Indeed," Mikula replied as he lowered his shirt down over the treated wound. "Thank you very much, chief," he said, using the woman's abbreviated rank.

"'Twas nuttin,'" she replied casually as she worked on something at the table. Then she turned and walked back to Mikula, and she handed him a small self-locking baggie that contained several small capsules. "Here's the supplements I told you about. Take one a day every morning until they're gone," she said as she held out the bag. But when Mikula reached for them, she jerked them away and made sure to look him in the eyes. "Follow those instructions exactly, okay?" She asked. When Mikula gravely nodded his head in reply, she smiled a bit and gave him the bag. "Sorry 'bout that. I just wanted to make sure you understood."

Mikula managed a small smile of his own as he placed the bag in a pants pocket. "I understand; there's no harm done."

The lady smiled a bit broader. "Good. Now, git." With that she waved her hands in a shooing motion, and Mikula and Senmar turned and walked off, heading for the central elevator bank. As they walked, they couldn't help but hear strains of country music and the sharp clangs of metal drifting over from the cubicle that contained Carmike's _Wyvern IIC_. Senmar spared a long look in the general direction, though the 'mech bay's support structures blocked much of his view. "Whatever is that noise?" He asked.

Mikula shrugged a bit, causing the pack he still carried to rub against his back. "The technicians are probably repairing some damage that the 'mech endured."

Senmar glanced over at his brother. "Although you used a couple of words I don't recognize, I would be correct to assume you mean the men working on that machine?" When Mikula nodded, Senmar shook his head a bit. "I know those sounds. The Wobbies had similar things going on during the march to Hercor.

"What I was referring to is that strange music." His ears twitched back a bit. "It sounds very strange."

Mikula chuckled. "It's called 'country' music. And before you ask why, let me tell you that it's called that because back when it was first created, it was mainly played by people living in the country, rather than in a city."

Senmar nodded to Mikula as they reached an elevator. "I see that. Though why anyone would listen to that is beyond me."

Mikula grinned. "I kind of like it, myself," he said with another shrug. "Of course, it might help that I know what's being sung."

"Indeed," Senmar replied. "So, what are we doing here?" He asked as he turned to look over the elevator shaft.

"This is a device that will take us higher in the ship without us needing to climb stairs," Mikula answered as he pressed the call button. Much to his surprise, the lights over the door lit up right away. "Well, we're in luck, we don't have to-" He didn't finish his sentence as the person riding in the elevator caught his attention. "Alexis!"

The gatón looked up at who had spoken, and she smiled. "Mikula, so nice to see you managed to wake up," she said in Lupari as she easily crossed the space between them. They gently embraced for a moment and then separated. Mikula noticed Senmar blushing a bit at the display, but he ignored it as he spoke. "Well, I couldn't help but not wake up when something goes missing," he said with a smile and a wink. "How come you didn't wake me, though?"

Alexis let her smile fade a bit. "I am sorry, but I wanted to let you sleep, and then I went to help Mrs. Reyka, and then Lieutenant Vickers came by to escort the rescued gatón to here." She shrugged a bit. "I just got caught up, and I figured that a pair of lupar like you two would be able to leave the tavern alone without any trouble that I might have."

Mikula nodded. "Well, no harm done. Where are you off to?"

Alexis gestured to where some of the MI troopers were sitting. "I was going to try and take a nap. Or at least talk with some people who won't think me some poor little girl." She said the last part somewhat bitterly.

Mikula blinked. "I'm… sorry?"

Alexis blushed. "No, don't be, Mikula. It's not your fault." She sighed. "I just… Had another run in with the way people view me," she said and tilted her head down a bit. "I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

"Now it's your turn to not be sorry," Mikula replied warmly, the tone bringing Alexis' head back up to face him. "I know you're going through something that's stressful. I don't blame you for a little release."

Alexis smiled at him. "Thank you," she said quietly. Then she took a breath and spoke again in a louder voice. "So, what are you two up to, then?"

"Well, we left before we got anything to eat," Mikula replied with a lopsided grin. "So we were going to get some breakfast. Chief Garcia said that the mess was on deck four and that we could get some MREs there..."

Alexis nodded. "I just came from there, since that's where the rescued people are waiting. However, you don't have to take the elevator up. The Vanquishers had some MREs sent down so that the guards on duty don't have to leave their armor."

Mikula smiled a bit. "Well then, it sounds like we should head to the same place." He then looked at Senmar. "Unless you want to go hungry?"

Senmar managed a smile. "Not on your life, brother. Lead on."


	33. Chapter 33

Strains of bluegrass music flowed through the bay, rolling into Mikula's ears and waking him from a light doze. He opened his eyes quickly and then felt his ears go down in a blush as he realized he had fallen asleep. Quietly, he brought up his left hand and looked at the watch that Alexis had given him, and he quietly sighed as he realized he had only dozed for fifteen minutes or so.

The person lying in his arms shifted her weight a bit. "Woke up I see," Alexis said lightly from where she lay with her back and head against Mikula's chest. "I was afraid that you would sleep through the day," she teased as she turned her head to smile at Mikula.

The lupar returned the smile. "Not with you around, I'd bet," he replied as he brought his left hand down to lightly stroke her hair. "With all that energy you have, you'd probably kick me in the tail to get me moving."

Alexis chuckled. "That would be a safe bet," she said with a devilish glint in her eyes. "Speaking of which, we should probably get up before either one of us falls asleep again."

Mikula chuckled. "Oh, I don't think anyone will mind us dozing off here," he said, nodding his head to the inner bulkhead of the _Silver Pagoda_'s hull. They had ventured up a ladder to the overhanging catwalks to find a small private area where they could just rest by themselves, and they had discovered a small solid-floored platform that served as a tool storage area. Among the secured toolboxes they had found a small crevice to lie down in and simply enjoy being near each other.

_And then I dozed off_, Mikula chastised himself mentally. _Not like we have a lot of time to be together before duty calls again, and I spend it dozing._ He sighed mentally then, and thought _well, make the best of it_. With that, he hugged his love a bit tighter.

Alexis purred a bit in response to this and she closed her eyes. "I suppose you're right," she said quietly. "If there's any problems, they can just yell."

"Mikula!" Senmar's voice rang through the cavernous bay just then. "Where are you?"

Mikula growled. "I thought he was asleep."

Alexis opened her eyes and gave him a smirk. "Seems your tendency for quick naps runs in the family, eh?"

"Mikula!" Senmar again called out, causing the elder Farkas to clamp his mouth shut lest he utter something impolite. "Maybe if we ignore him…" Mikula muttered under his breath.

Alexis shifted her weight and got off of him. "Oh, hush. He's your brother and you know you can't just ignore him," she said gently as she stretched her arms. "Besides, he can't speak English. How would you have liked it if Earl had just left you to your own devices on the _Rodger Young_?"

Mikula grunted as he pulled himself into a standing position. "As always, my dear, you see clearly and compassionately," he said to her with a grin. Then he walked to the edge of the platform and dropped the smile. "I'm up here Senmar."

His brother looked up from where he had been standing by one of the open 'mech access doors. "Mikula, there you are! That merchant's back, and no one down here can translate for us."

Mikula made another growling noise that only Alexis could hear. "I'll be right down then," he called neutrally to his brother. Then he turned to face Alexis. "Duty calls."

"So it seems," Alexis replied with a small grin. Then she stood up and stretched a bit more. "I suppose I should go and check on the transport's status and get the other gatón ready. I don't want to keep the crew waiting unnecessarily."

"Indeed," Mikula replied with a small grin as he turned and started along the catwalk, Alexis following right behind him. "Although I hope they'll listen to you despite your… Casual attire," he said gently, glancing back to see her reaction.

Alexis blushed a bit. "Well, I don't have anything else to wear at the moment, thanks to captain Tanaka's 'mech sitting in Tanzano. It has my kit in there."

Mikula tilted his head a bit in puzzlement, though he had to turn it back around so that he could watch where he was going. "You didn't stop to get it when you passed it on the way out?"

Alexis shook her head automatically, but then she realized that Mikula couldn't see that. "No. Lieutenant Vickers wanted to keep moving as fast as reasonable through to city to avoid any incidents."

Mikula snorted a bit as they came to the ladder leading down to the main floor of the 'mech bay. "I don't think he needn't have worried," he said as he mounted the ladder and began to climb down. Alexis followed and they remained quiet until they had both reached the floor below.

"He shouldn't have worried," Mikula continued as they turned to head for where Senmar and a certain trooper stood. "Not with the kind of appearance the Vanquishers have."

Alexis nodded. "True. But still, the goal is to minimize any problems, isn't it?"

Mikula sighed. "Indeed it is," he said, stopping a few meters distant of the two waiting for them. "I suppose this is where we part paths for now."

"For now," Alexis replied with a nod and a grin. Then she stretched herself higher, just enough to give Mikula a peck on his cheek. "Soon, though, we'll have some more time."

"I'll look forward to that," Mikula replied with smile as Alexis settled back into her normal stance. "Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye," Alexis returned, and then she walked off for the elevator bank in the middle of the 'mech bay. Mikula couldn't help but stare at her for a moment before a light cough brought him back to reality. Blushing slightly, he turned and walked to where his brother stood.

"All right, I'm here," Mikula said with a slightly annoyed tone. "What's the status, John, on those gold ingots?"

Osis grumbled. "The techies got a couple of small strips sliced off of a brick, and they weighed 'em against your leftover coins. They think it oughta be close enough in mass to be the same value as a coin, but they can't be sure 'cuz they don't know how much alloy the local smiths put into the stuff."

Mikula nodded. "I wish I knew myself, but I suppose it'll have to do," he said, and then sighed. "Are you sure that they do not want to make them into a likeness of a Tanzano coin?"

Osis shook his helmeted head slowly. "'Fraid not, man. That's counterfeiting, and that's a crime."

Mikula nodded in reply. "Yes, I know," he said dejectedly. "Still, it would make things easier."

"So would a lot of things. Don't make 'me right, man," Osis replied gently.

"Indeed," Mikula said as he turned his head over to where the techs had set up a workbench in the 'mech cubicle next to where they had been working on Carmike's _Wyvern IIC_. "Well, let's go get them," he said to Osis in English, and then turned to his brother, switching to Lupari. "Senmar, please go tell Mr. Makao that we shall be a few more minutes."

Senmar frowned a bit, but he nodded. "All right then. Just don't take too long."

"We shan't," Mikula replied, and then turned and started for the tech's temporary work area. Osis followed behind, albeit at a slow pace for the elemental-descended human.

Mikula noticed this from the sound of Osis' footfalls, and he glanced back. "John, if you want, you can go ahead and I'll meet you there."

Osis chuckled. "Don't worry 'bout me, Mikula. Frankly, this slow walk is almost as good as real sleep when you're a cap trooper."

Mikula smiled and he shook his head. "You're all crazy, you know that?"

"But of course."

* * *

Senmar walked out of the bay and down the access ramp to the ground below. A few meters distant stood Makao by his cart, with a few kuvos gone, but most of them still sitting in the flatbed cart. Between the lupar merchant and the base of the ramp stood a sentry in Marauder armor, who kept his arms at his sides to appear friendlier.

Senmar walked past the guard with a small nod that the human returned, and then he walked up to Makao. "I found my brother. He says they'll be a minute before they can get out here, but they are coming."

Makao managed a nervous grin. "Well, when it comes to customers, it's better to wait a bit to satisfy one than to provide a bad deal to more than one."

Senmar managed his own smile, and he nodded. "That sounds like sage advice," he said quietly and looked over at the armored trooper. "Besides, these people aren't the kind you'd want to anger."

Makao nodded. "Indeed," he said quietly. Then he sighed. "I just hope I didn't make a mistake coming back here."

"Well, I don't think you did," Senmar said matter-of-factly. "To tell the truth, I don't always find myself comfortable around these people myself. But I've not seen them act badly, nor have my brothers – who have spent much more time with them – spoken of them as anything more than just another group of people." He shrugged.

"Well, I can see that they aren't like the last invaders, at least," Makao added in as he leaned a bit against his cart. "The old ones just sat back and watched when a fire started once, by accident, in a shop off of Karno's Way." He shook his head slowly. "I saw a couple of them standing on the streets, armed with their fancy weapons. I could have sworn that they were even betting on what would happen, somehow.

"But these people actually worked to put out the fires," Makao continued and gestured to the guard nearby. "They looked even stranger with that- Well, I can only assume that it is armor. But they helped out where the first ones just watched. If that isn't enough to give them the benefit of the doubt, I don't know what is."

Senmar grinned a bit. "You sound almost like my brother. Though he is a little more… Certain, in his convictions."

Makao grunted in reply. "Well, you said he's known them longer. Maybe he just knows more about them than we do."

"Oh, he does," Senmar replied. "But it's trying to understand him is where the headaches begin." He rubbed his head between his ears to emphasize. "He talks on about the city of theirs he went to, and all sorts of crazy things."

"Their city?" Makao asked in surprise. "Where is that?"

Senmar shrugged. "It's not on our world, that's all I can get from him."

"You mean… They're spirits?" Makao asked quietly.

Senmar looked at the merchant, and then he shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, I guess I'm starting to talk like my brother," he said, and then sighed. "To hear Mikula tell it, there are many other worlds like ours, but they are far apart… Somehow." He reached up to scratch his head at that. "I don't understand it myself, but they're not spirits or gods or anything. They're just… From somewhere else."

Makao gave Senmar a suspicious look. "Well, that and some gold will buy me a night at a merchant's quarter inn."

Senmar smiled ruefully. "Yeah, well, I never pretended to understand it myself."

It was at that point that Mikula and Osis appeared at the top of the ramp, along with a third man who Senmar hadn't seen before. Unlike Osis, who was clad in simple flat gray pants and sleeveless t-shirt, this new arrival was clad in a khaki uniform and he wore a billed cap over his black hair. The three walked quickly down the ramp and reached where Senmar and Makao stood.

"Mr. Makao, good to see you again," Mikula said in a friendly manner. "I'd like to introduce Jorge Hernandez, commander of this ship, and Jonathan Osis, a good friend," he said, indicating the man Senmar was unfamiliar with first. Both humans were smiling politely, but not nearly with the same warmth Senmar had seen Osis show his brother before. "They're the ones who can actually buy anything from you."

Makao managed a polite smile. "Please tell them that I am happy to meet them," he said, and he waited as Mikula translated. A moment later, Mikula relayed their response. "Captain Hernandez thanks you. He also says that before we go on, he says that they cannot pay you in gold coins, as they have none. However, they do have some gold ingots, which they've weighed and should be worth about the same as a coin. He wants to know if this is acceptable, because if not, they will not waste any more of your time."

Makao blinked in surprise. "How can they not have gold coins, but have gold just lying around?"

Mikula grinned sheepishly. "They don't use money the same way we do, but they still use gold for trade when it becomes difficult to use their own money."

Makao thought for a moment, and then he nodded. "Well, makes sense… I suppose. In any case, I do know an assayer, so tell them that I will take their ingots."

Mikula did a quick double translation. "The captain asks if he might be able to try one of the kuvos, since they have nothing of the sort where they live."

Makao tilted his head in thought for a moment at that. Then he nodded. "Very well, I can't see the harm," he said, and then reached into his cart. He pulled out one of the spherical purple fruits and then held it towards Hernandez.

Mikula, however, reached out and took it gently. "Here, I'd better show them how to eat one, or they'll just bite into the skin," he said as he turned the fruit in his hands, looking for a good place to start peeling.

Makao grunted. "Yes, that would be beneficial," he said amusedly.

Mikula nodded and he turned to speak to Hernandez and Osis. "You have to peel the skin off of the fruit, because it's very bitter. If you'll let me?"

Hernandez nodded. "Please do."

Mikula nodded back and he quickly used his finger claws the slice down the side of the kuvo. Then he peeled the millimeter-thick skin off along the entire girth of the fruit, and he discarded it to the ground. Underneath, the flesh of the fruit was a pasty white, and its texture resembled a grapefruit. Mikula used a finger claw to slice off a crescent-shaped piece of fruit, which he held out to Hernandez.

The commander of the _Silver Pagoda_ deftly picked it out of the lupar's hands. "Any special way to eat it?" He asked.

Mikula shook his head. "No, just bite and chew like most things."

Hernandez nodded, and he did so, biting the small hunk of fruit in half. After a moment of chewing, he swallowed and nodded his head. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Tastes kinda like an apple… though it has something in there besides that I can't quite identify."

Mikula smiled a bit. "Glad you like it," he said, and then he turned his head to Osis. "Want to try a piece, John?"

"Sure thing," Osis replied, taking a piece from Mikula after the latter had cut another one loose. "Pretty good," Osis agreed with Hernandez's claim after his had swallowed his own sample. "How much is he chargin?'"

Mikula turned and spoke to Makao. "Well, they like it," he said with a smile. "How much is your price?"

Makao smiled back. "Well, normally it's three kuvos for a gold coin, but since they helped with the fires last night, I can let them have four for that."

Mikula nodded. _Not a bad price_, he thought, bringing up some memories of past dealings to confirm this. With that, he turned and relayed the price to Hernandez, who thought for a moment before speaking again.

"The captain asks how much for whatever you have left in your cart?" Mikula relayed the request. He managed to suppress a smile at the merchant's surprised look. "They want all of them?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes. We're down to basic field rations for now. I don't know if you've ever been in the army, but that kind of food isn't very tasty." He shrugged a bit. "So some fresh fruit helps a lot."

"So I see," Makao replied quietly as he thought quickly. "Well, I put in about fifty kuvos this morning, and I've sold about twelve so far, and add to that that sample…" He let his voice trail off as he mused. "So, tell them they can have it all for nine gold."

Mikula translated, and Hernandez nodded, saying something to Mikula before reaching out his hand towards the merchant.

Makao frowned for a bit before Mikula explained. "He agrees. It is usually customary for them to seal an agreement of this sort with a hand clasp."

Makao nodded at Mikula's words. "Odd, but it seems okay," he said and then reached out and grabbed Hernandez's hand. The human squeezed it slightly and he shook it up and down twice before letting go. Then he turned and said something to Osis, who reached into a bag he had been carrying and he started to pull out small slips of gold that had been cut from one of the bars the _Silver Pagoda_ had been issued prior to the counter-invasion.

Osis counted out nine of the ingots, and he then held them out towards Makao in his large right hand. Makao, for his part, slowly reached out and took the little slips, and he hefted them in his hand. "These feel a bit heavier than gold coins."

Mikula nodded. "They don't want to underpay anyone, so they made them a bit heavier in case the gold content isn't the same as in a coin."

Makao gave Mikula a suspicious look. "These aren't pure gold?"

Mikula shook his head. "No, but neither are gold coins," he said assuredly. "Pure gold is soft, and anything made from just gold would bend from constantly being moved around. So our smiths and these people add in some other kinds of metals to make it rigid. In the case of my friends, they add one part of silver in for every twenty parts of gold."

Makao blinked. "Well, that's close enough to pure, I suppose," he said quietly. "And silver's worth a good amount, too."

Mikula chuckled. "So I hope you're satisfied?"

Makao nodded his head. "Oh, yes. But I do have one question: Do they want me to just dump this here?"

Mikula shook his head. "No, just wait a few minutes and we'll get some people to come down and unload the kuvos," he said with a smile. Then he turned to Hernandez and switched languages. "He's satisfied, commander."

"Good," Hernandez replied with a smile of his own. Then he turned to Osis. "Corporal, if you would be so kind as to get some of your friends to help out?"

Osis casually saluted Hernandez. "It'd be my pleasure commander," he replied. Then he dropped the salute and turned to walk up the ramp. "Hey, dumbasses! We got fresh eats!" He bellowed as he walked up the ramp. "Get your lead-lined asses in gear!"

* * *

Alexis rode the elevator car until it reached the fourth deck, where the small crew's mess could be found. She felt a bit cold in the air conditioned cab, though she knew it was mainly from the prospect of going back into the room of the other gatón so soon after losing her temper, rather than the air conditioning, which the humans never put too low thanks to their furless skin.

_Still another reason is that I was much warmer not too long ago_, Alexis remembered with a smile. Then she shook her head a bit. _Come on, Alexis, stay focused. Now, think of how you're going to get information on-_

She blinked as she realized that she shouldn't be heading for the mess right away. _I need information firs, and that would be available in the bridge_. With a slight blush, Alexis quickly pushed the call button for the highest level accessible by the elevator, pressing in Tanaka's combination – which the captain had given her just in case. She had to wait while it stopped briefly at the fourth deck, but then she was soon at the deck below the bridge.

She walked out as soon as the doors opened, and Alexis paused to regain her bearings, since she had only been here once before. Quickly, however, she remembered the direction and moved down the narrow corridor.

_Amazing, though_, she thought, sparing a moment to reflect on the ship itself. _Cassandra said that the _Silver Pagoda_ is over three hundred years old. Yet the place is clean and works as if new_. The very idea that someone could not only build such a wonderful ship, but also keep it running for dozens of generations gave her a mental pause.

Then she was at the staircase that served the bridge. _Not the kind of stairs one would expect from hearing the word_, Alexis thought as she began her way up the narrow steps. _So highly angled, almost like it was mixed in with a ladder_. Then her head poked above the deck of the bridge, and she paused for a moment to gather in the sights.

At one of the consoles sat a man wearing the simple blue uniform of an enlisted man, though his rank insignia showed him to be a petty officer. Another man in khakis sat in the chair in the middle of the bridge, his head bent over a small noteputer.

Alexis coughed lightly, bringing both men's attention to her. She blushed a bit and took another step up the ladder. "My apologies, commander," she said to the officer, reading his rank. "But I'm specialist Hurano. I didn't know where else to go, but I was looking for information about when the next transport will arrive to take the rescued people to Hercor."

The man in the chair stood up, holding the noteputer to his side. "Well first off, Miss Hurano, you can step up all the way to the main level," he said with a gesture with his free hand. "I don't like having to bend my head down," he said with a wry smile.

Alexis smiled back, and she ascended the last few steps to the deck, saluting the man as she did so. Smiling broader, the officer, who Alexis could now see was named Hernandez from his uniform, returned the salute. "Second off, you should have probably asked Lieutenant Vickers. However," he added quickly when he saw her blush. "I think we can overlook that mistake."

"Thank you, sir," Alexis replied.

"Yes, well," Hernandez turned to look at the other man on duty. "Mr. Shang, what _is_ the status on that shuttle? I'm a little curious myself."

The petty officer turned from the scene and he pressed a few buttons on his console. He read a few lines before replying. "Apparently, sir, Captain Tanaka's request was approved, and they're taking some time to load up two transports with Seabee jeeps and some of the engineers themselves." He paused to read another few lines. "They're takin' a bit longer than anticipated, but they'll be launching in about ten minutes. After that, they'll be here in another twenty."

Hernandez grunted. "Thirty minutes? Well, that's not too bad," he said and then turned to Alexis. "That satisfy your informational needs, Miss Hurano?" He asked gently.

Alexis nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes sir. That's just what I was looking for."

Hernandez grinned. He then opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the intercom making a buzzing noise. With a quick move, he turned and hit the button on the arm of his chair. "Bridge, Hernandez here."

"Bridge, 'Mech bay," the voice came through the speaker. "This is Pennant speakin' skipper," the man identified himself as the ship's engineer. "We got some gold ingots cut up like ya wanted, and that there merchant's back, so I'm callin' ya since ya asked to be notified."

Hernandez nodded absentmindedly. "Thanks Bill, I'll be right down. Out," he said and then cut the line. He turned his head to look at the petty officer then. "Mr. Shang, can you handle the bridge alone 'til I get back?"

Shang turned and gave his superiors a small smile. "I reckon I can, skipper."

Hernandez grunted. "Good. Carry on," he said, and then walked to the stairs. "Miss Hurano, you'll have to excuse me, but I got work."

"Of course, commander," she said as she stepped aside to let the man pass. Hernandez nodded to her and soon he was gone down the stairs. Alexis sighed in relief, and she closed her eyes to think a moment. _What next?_

"Got any other questions?" The voice from her side started Alexis a bit, and she blushed as she turned to the man she had forgotten was there. "No, thank you Mr. Shang," she said friendlily. Then a sudden thought hit her. "Would you mind, though, if I stayed a moment and looked out through the windows?"

Shang shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. "No problem. Just don't touch anything, okay?"

Alexis chuckled. "So I was told the last time," she replied good-naturedly as she walked over to the far console area. She carefully rested her hands on the parts of the board that held no controls, and she leaned forward a bit to look out through the windows. She suppressed a smile as she heard the petty officer's chair squeak as he turned it around. _When it's something important, everyone checks twice, even if it's someone they know who knows better_. Alexis didn't mind the man making sure that she wasn't going to do anything stupid.

That made her pause in thought, though. _Why am I so forgiving when people take a moment to make sure that I'm not doing anything wrong, but when that Wargo says a few nice, if somewhat demeaning things I lose my temper?_

She stared out over the landscape, for a moment, and then the reply hit her. _It's because when they're keeping an eye on you, the humans at least are giving you a chance to show that you _do _know what you're doing. Unlike what some more… Stubborn gatón would do, thinking you were automatically wrong, anyway_.

_But Alexis,_ the little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. _What does that say about you tearing into that poor man earlier? He was trying to be nice and open-minded, and you just went off on him like a loaded gun_.

Even as she thought this, Alexis blushed. _My Gods, I'm acting like dad!_ She thought, and her tail curled around her right leg. _Here I am being angry and stubborn when someone doesn't agree with me totally, instead of trying to be understanding and calm. And with someone who was even trying to be understanding as well!_

Alexis felt bad, and she hung her head down, giving her a view of the control board beneath. _I guess I'm more my father's daughter than I realized_, she thought bitterly. She stood like that for a moment until a thought entered her head. _Unlike some people, though, I can change. I've done it before_, she thought as she stood upright from the console, _and I can do it again_.

Alexis then turned away from the console and she walked to the stairs. "Thank you, Mr. Shang," she said as she started down the steps.

"Anytime," he said friendlily, not knowing just how much the few minutes had helped Alexis. The gatón mused over this briefly before she clambered down the stairs and headed for the elevator.

Several minutes later, Alexis was walking along the corridors on the fourth deck, heading for the crew's mess._ I'll start with the announcement that we're leaving soon_, she thought, knowing that she would probably have to go with them. The thought made her sad, because she wouldn't know when she'd be able to see Mikula again once they were separated. _But duty is duty, and if Cassandra and everyone else can leave their loved ones on planets far from here,_ she thought, _then I can spend some time away from Mikula_.

Even as this thought finished, she reached the door to the mess, and the guard there nodded his head at her. "Hello again, Miss Hurano," he said friendlily. "Nothin's wrong I hope?"

Alexis smiled a bit and shook her head as she paused next to the human. "No, things are fine. I just wanted to check in with the people here and let them know that we will be leaving soon."

"Ah, I see," the guard replied with a nod. "I was just wonderin' 'cuz you weren't gone very long."

Alexis shrugged. "You're telling me," she said unenthusiastically. "Still, it's what I have to do."

"Ain't that the way it always is?" The guard asked rhetorically, and then sighed. "Well, don't let me keep ya then."

"I shan't," Alexis replied with another smile, and she pushed open the unsecured door to step inside. As soon as she had, every other gatón looked up at her, save for the mournful Jaylee.

Alexis cleared her throat. "Hello. The ride to safety is not too long out, and I wanted to come down to let you know that we'll be leaving soon." She spoke politely; making sure that her voice was even. "I also wanted to talk to you about the mode of transportation we'll be using, namely, it will be in one of the machines my friends use to move around. It will be a bit loud, though tolerable, and not too comfortable, but certainly not painful. If you have any questions, you can ask them at any time."

They sat there silent for a moment, and then one man raised his hand, getting a nod from Alexis before she continued. "We've been told that we will be going to someplace safe, but we've been told little else. Frankly, I find it unnerving to go somewhere without knowing about the place first." He paused and the others nodded their assent, save for Jaylee. "I would like to know more about this place."

Alexis nodded slowly. "It's called 'Shulana,' and I'm sure that you recognize the name?" She paused and waited for them to nod their heads again. "It was named that because it is a new village created by the survivors of a lupar caravan from Tanzano, and from gatón from my own village of Kuamket." She took a second to gulp down her emotions. "Kuamket was attacked and brutally razed by the invaders while we were playing host to the lupar, and so the survivors from both groups banded together.

"We marched through the forest of Garin, and then came to a lupar town called Hercor. There the members of our caravan have built a small town separate from the other, exclusively lupar town, and they have begun to again live like we-" Her voice cracked and Alexis closed her eyes for a moment. "Like we had done in Kuamket."

After another few moments, she opened her eyes again. "So, there is room for more, and I know that our shaman would be glad to lend all the help he can to each of you. Also, the lupar from the caravan are quite nice, and they too will most likely help all they can if you so ask." Alexis then paused and looked around at the other gatón. "Is that good? Are there any other questions?"

"I have one," a woman said, and she waited for Alexis to nod before going on. "I want to know how you think this new town is safe?"

Alexis smiled a bit at her. "Because, the people whose guests you are now also guard Hercor and Shulana with even more force than what you've seen here. And more of them are coming, so the area will be safe from the invaders."

The others looked surprised, and they shared some looks between them. The woman who had spoken up, however, cleared her throat and continued. "Not that I'm not grateful, but is it possible for your friends to leave us somewhere else?"

Alexis frowned a bit, and then she shook her head. "I understand your reservations. But unfortunately, while my friends are powerful, they are not gods. They can spare time and effort to move you to a safe place of their choosing, but not to just anywhere." She sighed and shook her head, lowering it a bit as she did so. "So we cannot take you to another village. You may leave, of course, if you like and try to make it by yourselves. I and my friends will do our best to give you supplies to help you along your way, but that's as much as we can do if you do not wish to go to Shulana."

The other gatón started to murmur amongst themselves at that, sounding dismayed somewhat. But they didn't raise any more questions, and Alexis nodded. "So, does anyone wish to change their mind? You can make a decision any time before you board the craft, of course, but if you have made up your mind now, then it would be best if you let me know so that it will be easier for us to accommodate you."

No one raised a hand or a voice, and so after a few moments, Alexis nodded again. "All right. Thank you for your patience," She said and then bowed a bit to them. Then she walked forward, heading for a certain man.

"May I please speak to you in private?" She asked quietly as she stopped by Legano. The other gatón gave her a suspicious look, but he nodded and stood up. "Very well," he said cautiously.

"Thank you," Alexis replied with a ghost of a smile. She then turned and headed for the door to the outer hallway; walking slowly enough to make sure that Legano would follow. He did, and Alexis could hear his footsteps as she reached the door and pushed it open.

As Legano came up, Alexis held it open for him, which made the other gatón blush. "Trying to embarrass me?" He asked gruffly, though he walked out the door anyway.

Alexis shook her head. "No," she said, and then turned to the guard. "Mike, I just wanted to talk to this man away from the others. I know it's rude, but would you mind if we talked here?"

The guard smiled at her. "Well…" He said, stretching the word out as if by indecision. "Okay, just so long as you promise not to talk about me," he added with a wink.

Alexis flashed him a smile and nodded. "No problem," she said, turning back to Legano and switching languages again. "Sorry about that. I didn't want to just come out here and start talking without him knowing what we're doing."

Legano nodded, but he also frowned as well. "I can see that. But what I don't see is why you'd want to talk to me again." He said tersely. "Did I say something else that offends you?"

Alexis blushed deeply, and she lowered her head. "No. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier," she said quietly. "I was rude and short-tempered, and there is no excuse for my attitude, so I wanted to say I'm sorry."

A few moments of silence passed, and Alexis tilted her head back up to see that Legano was surprised. "I… I honestly didn't expect you to apologize," he said, astounded. "You just seemed so angry with me."

Alexis shook her head. "No, not with you. I…" Her voice haltered a bit. "I had some problems - still have then, actually – with my family concerning the way I act now." She turned and took a step away. "But those are my problems, and I let them bleed over into our conversation. I don't like the way I acted, so much like the people I dislike." She turned her head and faced Legano then. "And for that, I truly am sorry."

The other gatón stood there for a moment, and then he nodded. "I accept you apology. Certainly, we've all been through hard times recently, and with the help you and your friends give us, well, I suppose I can endure a little of your venting." He managed a small smile at that.

Alexis returned the smile. "Thank you. Now," she gestured to the door. "I need you to wait with the others so that no one gets lost."

Legano nodded. "All right," he said and he turned for the door, pressing it open as he had seen Alexis do. However, he paused at the threshold, turning his head back. "By the way, I did mean what I said. You were incredibly nice to Jaylee."

Alexis smiled broader then. "Thank you."

Legano nodded, and then he entered the room, and the door closed behind him.

Alexis then sighed, and she looked to the guard. "Thank you again, Mike, for letting us talk in front of you like that. I know it's not considered polite."

The guard waved a hand. "I told you, it's nothing, so don't bother to thank me."

"If it's nothing, then maybe we should have the boy scouts guard the place?" A voice came from the corridor behind the guard, who turn and blushed at the comment. He then saluted when he saw who had spoken.

"At ease, boy," Tanaka said as she returned the salute. "If you hadn't noticed, things on this ship ain't exactly formal.

The guard relaxed a bit and smirked at her. "Duly noted. As for the boy scouts, I'd like to see one 'o them make a combat drop."

Tanaka chuckled. "Indeed," she said bemusedly. Then she turned to face Alexis. "So, havin' any problems?"

Alexis shook her head as she grinned at the humans' antics. "No, captain. Just explaining things to our guests in there," she said and gestured to the door at the last.

Tanaka nodded at that. "Good. Speakin' of explainin,' I need to talk to you. Let's take a walk." Tanaka waited for Alexis to nod her understanding, and then she looked at the guard. "Take care, Mr. Kyle."

"Yes mother," the guard replied sardonically, getting a nasty gesture in response from the captain, which made him laugh. "I hope you don't touch your parents with that hand."

"Whatever, monkey boy," Tanaka said dismissively, and then she turned and walked down the corridor, heading the way she came. Alexis followed her, nodding her head at the guard, who smiled and nodded back. Then the two women continued on and around the curve of the corridor before Tanaka turned down a small side hallway. Alexis easily followed around the corner, but she had to stop abruptly as Tanaka had stopped so that she could begin climbing up a ladder that had been set into what Alexis now realized was a small alcove, rather than a corridor. Tanaka quickly pulled herself up the ladder, passing through a hatchway in the deck above.

Alexis spared a moment to look around a bit as she waited for Tanaka to clear the ladder, and the gatón quickly saw that the ladder also went down through the deck below as well. Peering through the hatchway, Alexis could see that it went on for several decks.

"You coming?" Tanaka asked from above, and Alexis tilted her head up to see Tanaka's own looking at her through the deck. Alexis smiled a bit and nodded. "I am," she said quietly, reaching out and pulling herself up the ladder, despite the fact that her feet weren't exactly best suited for such a device.

Nevertheless, Alexis quickly traversed the ladder and soon stood next to Tanaka, who smiled at the gatón for a moment. Then she waved Alexis on. "Come on, it's only a few meters to my cabin."

Alexis frowned a bit. "Your cabin? Why are we heading there?"

"'Cuz I think you need a change of clothes," Tanaka replied with a light chuckle. "Lieutenant Vickers had one of his scout troopers fetch your kit from my 'mech earlier. It's in my room 'cuz I figured you wouldn't want to change in front of anyone else."

Alexis blushed a bit, but she smiled as well. "Thank you for your consideration."

Tanaka shrugged. "It's not problem," she said as they reached a door set in the interior wall, stopping by it. Tanaka pressed a few buttons on the number pad next to it, and the door then swished open. "Mi casa es su casa, as they say on Barbados."

Alexis looked over the small cabin, ignoring for the moment Tanaka's unusual words. The room was hardly what anyone would call spacious. A bare three meters by three and a half on the floor dimensions, it only had enough space for a small bed – bolted into the floor and supplied with padded restraints for microgravity – a metal dresser, and a shelf built into the wall over the bed. The room was painted the same flat gray that the Republic and the Star League before it favored for ships, but Tanaka had done her best to liven the area up with several pictures of family members or friends taped up on the walls, along with a poster for something that Alexis couldn't read fully. The dresser and floor were a bit mussed up with clothes, and the bed held a small bag that Alexis recognized as the small kit she had packed back at the firebase.

"I'll be watching the door while you change, so you don't have to worry about locking it," Tanaka went on, drawing Alexis' attention back to her. "And don't worry 'bout makin' a mess. As you can see, I'm not that much of a neat freak myself." She smiled a bit at the last.

Alexis nodded and returned the smile, though she didn't fully understand the meaning of the last phrase, she got the general idea. "Thank you, Cassandra," she said and then went into the room, and Tanaka closed the door behind her.

Alexis quickly went about her business, but even so, she couldn't help but continue to stare curiously at Tanaka's quarters. _You can tell a lot about a person by where he or she lives_, she thought as she changed into a general duty uniform. She peered at the photos most especially, curious at who or what Tanaka would keep near her for memories' sake. _Those two people in that picture, those must be her parents_, she thought as she saw an older couple standing in front of a decent looking apartment building in Neo Tokyo. Another picture showed another man, who Alexis guessed must be another relative from the way he resembled the good captain. _A brother, maybe?_ She wondered. _I know so little about my new friends. Especially Cassandra… She's always been so quiet, even when she's being friendly._

Alexis then shook her head. _You're snooping, Alexis. It's not polite, and Cassandra doesn't deserve it_, she chastised herself as she finished buttoning up the over shirt on her uniform. _Still… Maybe I can ask her about her family sometime…_

She pushed the thought aside then as she made sure to put her previous clothing into the bag she was using, and she quickly zipped it up. Grabbing the bag, Alexis then turned and went to the door, pressing the button she knew would open it.

The door slid open, and Alexis saw Tanaka turn from where she had been standing with her back to the room. "That was quick," the latter commented with a bit of surprise.

Alexis blushed slightly. "I don't want to impose for any longer than necessary," she said quietly.

Tanaka sighed and shook her head. "Alexis, you're not imposing. Hell, you could've asked Commander Hernandez to use his cabin, and he'd just as readily agree."

Alexis blushed a bit deeper. "I'm sure you exaggerate, but I appreciate it."

Tanaka smirked a bit. "You're welcome, then. But in any case, I did want to talk to you, as well, about what you're going to be doing next."

"Oh?" Alexis asked, perking her ears up in curiosity. "I take it that you have been able to find some order in the chaos you complained about last night?" She asked with a slight smirk.

Tanaka smiled back. "In a way, yes. C'mon," she said and waved for Alexis to follow her as she walked down the corridor. Alexis quickly moved off and fell into step alongside Tanaka.

"I'll just skip the preamble, and lay it out cleanly. You're not going to go back with the other gatón, after all," Tanaka said.

Alexis twitched an ear down in curiosity as she turned her head up to look at Tanaka. "I'm not? Might I ask why, then?"

Tanaka nodded. "Yes you may. Simply put, the Vanquishers need some time for rest and recuperation, since they've lost the most personnel since this operation began. They'll be returning to the _Rodger Young_, and van Horn needs to go with them. That leaves only three translators on planet, and that means two of you are out here, where we really just need one for now."

Alexis frowned a bit as she turned her head to look down the corridor as they turned to take the access hall to the elevator. "I don't understand, if I'm staying here then-" Her mind halted abruptly even as the two women stopped in front of the elevator. "Mikula's going back?"

Tanaka nodded as she pressed the call button. "Yes. His wounds, though not severe, should be taken care of better than can be done here. Mikula will be taking the same transport as the gatón so that Doc Jennings can suture up the wounds better." Tanaka then paused and entered the elevator as the doors opened. "In addition, he's going to stay there for a bit since Major Kujira doesn't like the idea of being without a translator at our more important area of operations."

Alexis frowned as she followed Tanaka into the car and the doors closed. "Well, I understand that, and the fact that Pavlo must be working hard, but…" Her voice trailed away as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

Tanaka did it for her, however, as she pressed the button for the 'mech bay. "But you want to be with Mikula as much as possible, and you're worried that you won't be able to do as good a job translating Lupari since you're a gatón?"

Alexis started a bit as she turned to look at Tanaka. "Since when did you start reading minds?"

"Since I started being around you long enough to know what you're thinking," Tanaka returned with a small smile. Alexis blushed a bit at that, and Tanaka continued as the elevator started down. "In any case, I am sorry you're going to be apart from him for a bit."

Alexis shook her head slightly. "Thank you, but I've been preparing myself just in case I would be separated from him." She smirked slightly as she looked forward at the car doors. "Although, I was anticipating that it would be I who would be sent back to Hercor."

Tanaka chuckled slightly. "Well, that's usually how life is like; As soon as you have a good idea on what's going on, it goes and does somethin' weird on you."

Alexis managed a rueful chuckle. "Indeed. Well, is there anything else that you needed to speak with me about?"

Tanaka shook her head. "Not really. I just wanted to drop you off at the 'mech bay for a bit so that you can enjoy the time ya got, if you get what I mean." At that, the human turned her head and grinned at Alexis.

The latter grinned back. "Thank you."

* * *

Mikula stood facing the _Silver Pagoda_, his back to the recently arrived assault transport that would take him and the freed gatón back to the Hercor area. He and Senmar were waiting ten meters in front of the transports, the latter pacing uncomfortably and shooting furtive glances to the almost-ugly visage of the 185-ton craft.

Off to the north sat another assault transport, this one disgorging two squads from the 5th Marauders' 3rd Infantry Platoon (Armored). Each of the fourteen men and women were equipped with Marauder suits, although one set of seven seemed to be in an alternate configuration, or so it seemed to Mikula. _I think I've heard of this one_, the lupar thought as the two squads lined up under the watchful eye of a fifteenth trooper. _They call it a 'ranger' configuration. But that leader of theirs doesn't seem to be wearing anything I've seen before._

Then movement from the _Silver Pagoda_ drew Mikula and Senmar's attention to the ship, and they saw the remaining troopers of the Vanquishers marching down the nearest ramp in a two-abreast line, being led by Lieutenant Vickers in his Kage IIC armor. The entire platoon wore the black paint scheme that the Mobile Infantry favored, though their suits still showed signs of the fight just the night before, and of their efforts to clean up after the artillery attack.

It seemed strange to Mikula to see them like that, marching slowly while armored. _I don't think I've seen the entire platoon like this. Armored, yet not bounding around, or on guard or patrol. They almost seem tame_. Then he smirked at the thought. _Tired maybe, but not tame._

In contrast, the members of the 3rd Platoon had on the basic green camouflage that they had painted onto their armor en route to Bowman's Planet. Unlike the Vanquishers or other Mobile Infantry platoons, the regular army favored more traditional tactics and deployments, and the different paint schemes quickly and easily reflected this.

All of this passed through Mikula's head as he saw the Vanquishers march up to the area where the detachment from the 3rd waited. Then the Vanquishers moved about, lining up by squad as the 3rd's troopers had done just a few minutes ago, and soon they faced each other. Then Vickers and the man in the unfamiliar suit walked towards each other, and then saluted. They then spoke over their external speakers, as opposed to their radios, and so Mikula could listen in.

"I stand ready to be relieved," Vickers said smartly.

"I relieve you, sir," replied the unknown man, who saluted again, prompting another one from Vickers.

"Thank you," Vickers replied sincerely. Then he turned to look over the ranks of his platoon. "Platoon! By the numbers, board the transport!"

"First Section!" The platoon Sergeant hollered, and the call quickly went to the individual squads. Mikula and Senmar quietly watched as the process continued, the Vanquishers filing past where the 3rd's infantry stood, moving into the transport quickly and efficiently. They did notice that four persons in the platoon took a split second of their time to give a small wave at the two brothers, and Mikula couldn't help but grin and give a small wave back.

Then the platoon was aboard, and one of the transport's crewmen walked from in the back to watch the bow doors as they closed. The low rumble of the shuttle's fusion reactor slowly began its constant growl, and Mikula couldn't help but feel a thrill at the noise.

"Mikula," Senmar spoke nervously from the side. "They aren't going to take off right now, are they?" He asked, naturally worried about the Transport's exhaust after watching the type of craft land and take off several times.

Mikula turned to Senmar, sparing him a small smile. "Don't worry. They won't leave until our transport leaves, safety in numbers. So relax, Senmar, you won't be turned into roast pongo today."

Senmar gave his brother a look. "You're awfully relaxed all of a sudden," he observed neutrally. "You were practically ready to bite my head off earlier today."

Mikula blushed a bit. "I'm sure you know by now what my particular cure for irritability is," he said with a lopsided grin.

Senmar smirked a bit. "Indeed. Well then, you'll be happy to note who's walking out of the ship right now," he said and waved to the _Pagoda_.

Mikula turned and saw the rescued gatón walking down the ramp from the _Confederate_-class dropship in a loose line, following as they did one person who's appearance made the lupar's heart flutter for a moment. Mikula watched eagerly as Alexis led the small group of former hostages towards the transport.

_It saddens me to know that she's staying_, he thought as the gatón walked towards the transport slowly, nervous at he appearance of the 3rd platoon's troopers beginning to disperse around the area. _But I know that she will be safe as she can be. Besides,_ he smirked a bit. _It's not like I have a say anyway. Well, not much of one_, he added the mental caveat. _Alexis does care about my feelings, as I care about hers. So she would take it into consideration… But I wouldn't dare try to tell her not to do what she wants to do. I think Earl described it best when he said she was "spreading her wings."_

Mikula then forced his thoughts into a less moody disposition as the group approached. _This will be the last time you see Alexis for a while_, he mentally chided himself. _Do not spoil its memory by overcomplicating things_. Then Alexis approached him, and Mikula smiled as she walked up. "Good to see you're not late," he joked.

"Not like I could forget," she replied easily. Then, just as easily, she walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around Mikula so that she could hug him; a gesture he readily returned.

After a moment, Alexis pulled back and they drew apart. "I'm going to miss you," she said quietly, giving him a wan smile.

"As I will you," he replied with his own, broader smile. "I'm just glad that Captain Tanaka let us have some time together before we parted."

Alexis managed to widen her smile at that. "So am I," she said. Then her face drew more neutral as she turned to watch the last of the rescued gatón reach the transport. "Your attention, please," she said to them politely, but also with a firm tone that could be heard above the rumbling transport to the side. "I am afraid that I must part ways with you all now," she said quickly, and Mikula noted that the other gatón seemed a bit surprised and unsure at the statement.

Alexis went on. "You shouldn't worry. My friends here," she paused to wave at Mikula and Senmar, "will accompany you. The taller one knows Gatonese, so if you have any questions or the like, go ahead and talk to him.

"Now, does anyone has a final question for me?" Alexis paused to see if anyone would raise their hands. None did, and she nodded. "Very well. Please walk up the ramp of the craft behind me, and then find a seat towards the back. I wish you a safe journey," she said. Then Alexis turned around and faced Mikula again. "Do you see the small one at the back?" She asked him, switching to Lupari.

Mikula leaned over to the side a bit to get a look at the end of the line as the gatón slowly approached the transport. "The child? Isn't he the one who lost his mother?" He asked, quietly.

Alexis nodded. "His name's Jaylee. He is still in shock, so I was hoping that you could keep an extra close eye on him?"

Mikula turned his head back to Alexis, and he gave her a small nod. "Of course."

"Thank you," Alexis replied. Then she smiled a bit and stretched up so that she could give Mikula a quick, light kiss at the end of his muzzle. "We'll meet again, I know."

Mikula smiled and nodded. "As do I," he replied softly. "Now, we must go."

"Goodbye," Alexis said, and she took a few steps back before turning to walk towards the dropship.

Mikula stood there for a moment watching her before Senmar lightly coughed. "I, uh, think it might be time to board the craft, brother," he said gently.

Mikula nodded and he turned to the shuttle. "Indeed. Let's be on our way then."

* * *

Alexis paused at the top of the ramp that led into the bowels of the _Silver Pagoda_, and she turned to look over the distance at the two transports as their engines ramped up. Then silvery fire burst from the ducted thrust ports on the northern transport, and it rumbled into the air. Even as it rose on ion jets, the other transport soon copied the same noise and movements.

Then the two craft pivoted and began the transition to horizontal flight, and soon they were flying off at speed, heading to the west. Alexis watched them go, despite the images that the shuttles' thrusters had burned temporarily into her retinas. Then as the transports left her vision, she closed and rubbed her eyes, letting them water. _Although, it's not entirely because of the brightness of the engines_, she thought sadly.

Alexis then opened her eyes, and she sighed. _I know I'll see you again Mikula, I can feel it in my heart. But I can't help but worry as to what will happen in the meantime._

The noise of approaching footsteps from behind brought the gatón's attention back to the present. _In any case, I have a job to do, and I will not fail my duty_. With that thought, Alexis straightened up a bit and she turned to face the person approaching her.

It turned out to be Tanaka, unsurprisingly to Alexis, as she had heard something familiar in the cadence. Alexis then saluted, and Tanaka returned the favor. "You're learnin' the ropes quick, ain't you?" Tanaka asked good-naturedly.

Alexis managed a ghost of a smile for a moment. "I cannot help but to be a fast learner with so many helpful teachers."

Tanaka grinned briefly. "Well, in any case, since Vickers left, we're the new representatives to Tanzano's leaders," she said, pointing to herself and to Alexis. "So be ready to go whenever they send someone out like van Horn said they were gonna."

Alexis blinked in surprise. "Me? But, you can't be serious," she said almost excitedly.

"Oh, but I am," Tanaka replied with a sage nod. "You're the only one who can speak Lupari here with any decent ability, remember?" she asked with a slight grin.

"Oh, of course," Alexis replied while blushing a bit. "I suppose I forgot."

"Yup. That, and well, you're just good at bein' diplomatic," Tanaka continued, her grin growing along with the depth of Alexis' blush. "It's a trait that I tend to lack at times."

Alexis shrugged a bit, unsure of what to say then. _You'd be surprised if you had seen me earlier, Cassandra_, the gatón thought. "I think you sell yourself short, Cassandra, but I do see your point," Alexis conceded with a small nod. "So, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Well, I think we should both get cleaned up," Tanaka replied with a wink. "It would behoove us to be nice and presentable when we go an' see the wizard."

Alexis blushed a bit at the first comment, but the second one gave her pause. "See who?"

Tanaka shrugged. "Ahh, nevermind, it's just an old joke," she said dismissively. "In any case, I'm going to check with the Seabees," she said, referring to the engineers who had came in on the assault transports with a pair of their jeeps. "You remember the way to my cabin?" She paused and waited until Alexis nodded. "Good. Go ahead and use the officer's head to freshen up; no one else is gonna be there for another few hours yet, so you should have some privacy."

Alexis blushed a bit. "Thank you very much. But if I may ask, why are the Seabees here, anyway?"

Tanaka grinned. "How else are we gonna get my 'mech back here?"

* * *

Mikula endured the normal turbulence of the flight stoically. He sat in one of the jump seats in the back of the Assault Transport, carefully strapped in along with the other natives of the planet. His brother and the gatón, however, seemed less than comfortable as the shuttlecraft pitched up and down as winds buffeted it.

_We must be going through a weather system_, Mikula mused. _These things normally don't shift this much_. As if to illustrate, the craft pitched down again, causing a few muted gasps t come from several gatón.

Senmar, sitting beside his brother, turned his head to look at Mikula. "Is it normal for these things to shake this much?"

Mikula shrugged. "No, not really. I think we're just passing through a storm system."

Senmar gave his brother a look. "A storm what?"

"A system," Mikula repeated patiently. "You know, like how a government works."

"I know what a system is," Senmar replied crossly. "I've just never heard someone refer to weather as if it was anything but chaotic before."

Mikula chuckled, which prompted Senmar to twitch his ears in annoyance. "What? What did I say now?"

"Senmar, one of the great discoveries of the humans is that in chaos lies order," Mikula said, and he paused to watch Senmar's face twist in confusion. "I know, it doesn't make much sense. Frankly, I don't understand it much either. All I know is that our friends can understand the weather enough to know when it will get bad, and when it will be good."

Senmar blinked a few times. "I normally would dispute that… But now," he paused and looked around the metal craft they were riding in. "I suppose I had start to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Mikula chuckled again, and he set his left hand on his brother's right shoulder. "Trust me, you will get used to all of this kind of stuff. It just takes a little time."

Senmar grunted a bit. "I suppose."

Just then, the craft pitched down again, and Mikula felt the vibrations change. He took his hand from Senmar and placed the arm against his side so that his brother wouldn't feel his sudden tensing. _ Know it's normal, because the alarms aren't ringing. But it still scares me a bit._

Several minutes passed as the craft angled down through the atmosphere, its passage finally smoothing out as it left the turbulent weather behind. Mikula noted that the other natives all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, even the child Jaylee, whom Mikula kept an eye on. _Good_, the lupar thought. _He's at least recovered enough to care about his own survival_. Mikula had read about human wars in the past, where the sheer devastation and inhumanity would drive some people into such shock that they would not even take steps to protect their own lives. _If he cares about living, then that's one of the steps to recovery._

Another few minutes passed, and then the craft pitched back suddenly. Gasps came from all of the natives, save Mikula. Although surprised by the timing as everyone else, he knew what was going on. "Everyone stay calm," he said in Gatonese for the passengers as the noise of the engines increased. "This is normal. We will be leaving the transport soon."

Although none of the gatón's faces showed anything but uncertainty, they nevertheless managed to stay quiet and in control of themselves as the transport eventually shifted back to an even keel, the noise from its thrusters making the compartment vibrate.

Finally, after what seemed an interminable amount of time, the whole craft shuddered, and the engines began to quiet. Within a few short moments, the noise almost disappeared, with only a slight rumbling to be heard.

"Stay seated for a moment," Mikula spoke to the gatón. "Wait until I-" A sudden voice from an overhead speaker interrupted Mikula, and he grinned slightly as it ended. "Well, I guess we can get up now."

As if to punctuate his words, the bow door to the craft began to crack open, and the ramp started lowering. Mikula relayed this information to his brother, and he led the other natives in undoing their belts, and then down the compartment and down the ramp.

They emerged onto a scene that gave the gatón and even Senmar pause. The shuttle had landed on the north side of a long stretch of pavement, and on the other side stood the massive bulk of the USS _Cheops_.

"They must have finished the airfield," Mikula said quietly in his native tongue, though he slipped in the English word unconsciously. He quickly looked around as he reached the bottom of the ramp, and off to the far end of the runway he saw the aerodynamic shape of a _Charleston_-class assault transport dropship. Forklifts and workers in industrial exoskeletons, which moved between the ship's cavernous cargo bays and a trio of flatbed trucks on the ground, surrounded the large craft. Even as Mikula watched, one worker in an exoskeleton walked down the ramp connecting the ship to the ground, laying a crate he had been carrying into the back of one of the flatbeds.

"Mikula! Senmar!" A familiar voice called to him, and Mikula turned to see Pavlo jogging towards the group from across the runway. Behind him trailed Kanu, who was walking without the aid of a cane now, and a dark-skinned human male dressed in the uniform of a National Guard officer.

Then Mikula forgot about everything as Pavlo reached them, and he drew both of his brothers into a hug. "I'm so glad to see you two alive and well," he said as he pulled them close.

"So I see," Mikula replied jovially as Pavlo released him and Senmar. Then he turned to Kanu as the latter approached. "What, no hug from you?" He asked teasingly.

"No thanks, I'd rather not dirty myself up with your stench," Kanu replied nonchalantly, though the broad smile across his muzzle robbed his words of any true offense. "Still, it is good to see you both here and alive."

"I'll second that," Pavlo added with a grin. Then he noticed the human standing behind them a bit, and he cleared his throat and switched to English. "Mikula, this is Lieutenant Gregory Peterson, of the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers."

"Sir," Mikula said and saluted in the Republican fashion.

"As you were," Peterson said as he returned the salute. "I'm here to make sure that you and these folks," he paused and gestured at the stunned group of gatón, "get where ya need to go. I have a flatbed waitin' by the _Cheops_ to take them into town, where I'm told your leaders have a welcoming set up."

Pavlo nodded and chimed in before Mikula could think of anything to say. "Mother and Shaman Forbasa have rallied the townspeople to help the gatón," he said with a smile. "It's quite a sight."

"I'll bet," Mikula finally managed. Then he glanced over his shoulder to check on the gatón before he spoke up again. "We had better get them to Shulana, then, before we have to cart them off." He added the last part in with a small smile.

"Indeed," Peterson replied with a soft chuckle. "Well then, just y'all follow me and we'll get ya to Shulana right quick."

Mikula nodded, and he turned to speak to the gatón, even as he saw Pavlo recite the short conversation into Lupari for their brothers. He smirked a bit at that. _We certainly seem to be getting used to translating, aren't we?_

Then he switched to Gatonese and began to speak. "Attention, everyone," he said over the din coming from the direction of the dropship at the end of the runway. All the gatón quickly brought their attention to him, and he waved at the human. "Please, everyone follow behind me and this man here. We will take you to another form of transport, which will take us the last of the way into town. Please stay close and do not wander off, do you understand?" He asked the last part gently as he could, given the background noise.

The gatón all nodded, even Jaylee, which gave Mikula a hopeful feeling. "Good. Please follow us now," he said and then turned to Peterson, switching languages again. "Please lead on, lieutenant."

"Alrighty then," Peterson replied with a nod, and then he turned and began to walk off. Mikula and his brothers quickly followed, and behind them came the gatón. Within a few minutes, they crossed the still-warm asphalt of the runway, and then soon were in the shadow cast by the _Cheops_.

As his eyes adjusted a bit, Mikula finally noticed their destination; another flatbed truck that the Republic soldiers colloquially referred to as a 'duce.' It sat next to a ramp that led into the lower cargo hold of the _Cheops_, and the lupar noticed that another human male leaned against the cab. As the group approached him, however, he quickly brought himself erect and saluted Peterson.

"Chill, Renny," Peterson said as he returned the salute. "None of these people are brass."

The one referred to as Renny chuckled. "I should hope not. They look more scared than a cat in a Chinese restaurant."

Peterson backhanded the other man in the stomach. "Watch it with those jokes, Renny. I may not write you up for them, but you oughta keep it clean."

The other man shrugged. "I hear ya man, I hear ya," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, though he did reach down to rub his belly a bit. "I didn't mean anythin' by it."

Peterson grunted a bit. "Well, in any case, get on in and get ready to start the deuce," he said, and then turned to Mikula. "C'mon," he said with a wave, and he led the small group of natives around to the back of the truck. "Just tell 'em to get on up, and I'll help if necessary."

Mikula nodded and he turned to speak to the gatón. "Please climb up the back of the vehicle. If you need help, ask please."

The gatón all looked at each other and the truck warily for a moment. Then one man walked forward slowly, reaching the back end of the truck and grabbing a hold of the fender. Carefully, he managed to pull himself into the bed, where he paused to look back at the others.

Mikula and Peterson both smiled, and the former spoke up. "Well, you see it won't hurt you. So please walk to the front and find a seat along the side," he said, referring to the benches that the truck had been fitted with.

The gatón nodded, and one he found a seat, the others followed. Some couldn't lift themselves so easily, and Peterson easily and quickly helped them up, usually by boosting them up with cupped hands under one of their feet.

The last gatón to climb up was Jaylee, who couldn't even get halfway up. Peterson smiled and shook his head a bit, and instead of trying to boost the child, he simply grabbed the young gatón underneath the arms, and he lifted him the rest of the way into the bed of the truck, eliciting a brief squeal of surprise from the child.

Peterson chuckled as Jaylee retreated from him quickly once the human had let go. "Easily scared, ain't he?"

Mikula cleared his throat. "You might say that," he said, and then lowered his voice. "His mother was killed during the artillery attack, so he's still in a bit in shock."

At that, Peterson's face turned dour, and Mikula saw a brief flash of pain in his eyes. "Oh, God, I didn't know."

Mikula nodded. "Well, no harm done, I think. Just thought you should know, since humans like you tend to be friendly in ways that he might not find appreciative now."

Peterson nodded. "Yeah, no shit. Well," he said, straightening himself out a bit. "Y'all might as well climb in too, and we'll get goin.'"

"Indeed," Mikula replied, and he began to climb up. His brothers all followed him without a word, Kanu and Pavlo having apparently been taken out in the same contraption, and Senmar simply following his elder brothers' lead.

Once they were all inside, Peterson began to walk towards the passenger side of the cab. "Y'all hang on now," he said as he climbed in and shut the door. That was the signal to Renny, who started the diesel engine. The truck rumbled to life, and soon it began to roll.

Mikula worried a bit over how the gatón would react, but he was relieved to see that they were more curious about their surroundings than by the way they traveled. Mikula himself couldn't help but look around, surprised as he was at the completion of the airfield. _I thought it would take another week?_

The airfield _was_ finished, though, and he couldn't help but feel good at seeing the strip of pavement, representing as it did a direct connection to the interstellar lifeline that would keep the Republic forces supplied. _And soon, they will be able to bring down that extra 'mech lance aboard that _Leopard Mikula mused. He then turned his head, and he looked over towards Hercor and Firebase Hotel across the river, seeing them connected to airfield by a large pontoon bridge. Even as he watched, a deuce truck rolled over the unusual structure from the Republic encampment, heading for the airfield.

"Noticed the few changes, eh Mikula?" Pavlo asked from across the aisle. Mikula turned and nodded at his brother. "Yes. We haven't been gone that long, how did the Seabees finish the airfield so quickly?"

Pavlo chuckled a bit. "From what I've been told, the Seabees like to give an inflated time estimate, so that they seem more like miracle workers when they get it done in one third of the time."

Mikula laughed at that, and Pavlo quickly joined in. Kanu even smiled, though Senmar frowned a bit at it. "I don't see why that's so funny. Why tell the wrong time to do something?"

Mikula just shook his head. "The same reason why mother always used to give longer times to complete her work back in Tanzano. It gives you time to take care of things you might run into." _And also so that you don't have to kill yourself when it's not needed,_ he added mentally. _Senmar's not quite experienced enough to know the difference between being wise with your time, and just plain slacking._

For his part, Senmar nodded. "I see, I think," he said quietly, almost too quiet to be heard over the engine and the rushing wind. Then he sighed. "It seems like I have had a lot of things to think about lately."

Pavlo laughed, while Kanu chuckled and Mikula simply smiled at the comment. "I see Mikula has been giving you the same kind of talks that Pavlo has been giving me," Kanu spoke good-naturedly.

"Indeed," Mikula said with a grin. "I hope Pavlo at least hasn't done too much damage telling you things, since he was often too busy stuffing his face when we were learning this stuff the first time."

Kanu and Senmar then chuckled, leaving Pavlo to blush. "Funny, Mikula. I'll have you know that those cheeseburgers didn't deflect me one bit… Once I ate them, of course," he added the last with a self-depreciating smile.

"What were you eating?" Senmar asked curiously. Pavlo waved him off, however. "I'll show you sometime when the mess hall is serving them."

"Yes, but I doubt that they will be as good as that restaurant in Neo Tokyo," Mikula added in.

Pavlo shrugged. "Well, it's better than nothing."

Kanu grumbled then. "You two talk too damn much about this human stuff. Don't you ever think about anything else?"

Senmar managed a grin then. "There is one thing that seems to distract Mikula totally," he said knowingly, which prompted smiles from Kanu and Pavlo, and a blush from Mikula. "I see you found out that Alexis was out there," Pavlo said.

"Yes, and it scared me," Mikula admitted, closing his eyes and leaning back against the bench.

The silence stretched a bit, and then Kanu cleared his throat. "So, where is she now?"

"Mikula opened his eyes and looked at his older brother, managing a small smile. "Doing her duty. She's the only translator who isn't injured, or tired, or needed here, so," he shrugged. "She needs to stay out there so that Tanaka's force can communicate with the Tanzano ruling council."

Kanu shook his head a bit. "Imagine, at one time the council wouldn't have even talked to a low-born, but now? They have to talk to someone they will definitely not like," he said and chuckled.

Mikula managed a wider grin. "She will give them Hell, alright."

Just then, the truck began to slow, and Mikula managed to shift his head back so that he could look around the truck's body. Ahead, he saw the small, new buildings of Shulana, and the crowd gathered at the edge of town. "You weren't kidding when you said mother pulled out all the stops," he half-mumbled to Pavlo.

Pavlo responded with a slight chuckle. "Well, get used to it for now," he said. "People will want to talk to you about how Tanzano is doing."

Mikula turned his head to Pavlo and he blushed a bit. "I can't. I need to report to Major Kujira, and that's only after I've visited the Infirmary."

"Oh," Pavlo looked a bit crestfallen. Then he blinked as he caught the last words. "Wait, the Infirmary? Are you ill?"

"Not really," Mikula said. Then he lifted his shirt to show off the bandaged wound. "I wasn't completely lucky this time, it seems," he added with a wry grin.

"By the Gods," Kanu breathed. "Does that hurt?"

"Yes, a bit," Mikula allowed as he dropped the shirt. "But not nearly as bad as when I was shot the first time," he said, his grin becoming more sardonic, somehow. "Still, I should get it taken care of by a real doctor, since all the _Silver Pagoda_ had was a medic."

Pavlo and Kanu nodded. "Mother will be disappointed, but she will understand," the former replied.

* * *

Alexis walked alongside Tanaka and the now-unarmored sergeant from the 3rd's infantry detachment – introduced to Alexis as Sergeant Samuel Renard – along the dirt road that the _Silver Pagoda_ had landed close to. They headed for the gates, walking slowly so as to not appear threatening to the guards whom they could see were watching the trio closely.

_Not that it's easy for a human to look non-threatening to the Tanzanos_, Alexis thought. _And it being night doesn't help, since darkness tends to make things appear more dangerous than they really are_.

She needn't have worried too much, however, as the gate guards seemed relaxed enough, though they of course held their spears and shields at the ready. _Kayla's husband must have gotten the word out_, Alexis figured as they soon reached the gate area.

The trio halted about a meter from the lupar guards, and they waited for a moment to show that they weren't trying to intimidate. _Kind of hard to do_, Alexis mused._ All three of us in our dress uniforms must look strange, to say the least_.

Tanaka nudged her, and Alexis brought herself back to the present. She then took a step forward and cleared her throat. "We are here to gain an audience with the Tanzano ruling council. We should be expected," she said in as flawless Lupari as she could manage.

The phalanx of ten guards looked between each other for a moment, apparently surprised at a gatón speaking up as Alexis had done. Then someone called for the guards to move, and they parted to show yet another lupar, this one only carrying the sword of an officer, and even then, it was only in his scabbard.

This new lupar walked forward to bring himself even with the front of the first line of guards. "I am Teager Nukarra, commander of this gate. Your arrival has been expected, as you've said." He paused to look over the three people standing before him, his eyes lingering on Alexis a bit longer than on the humans. "I must admit, I would not have expected a gatón with these strangers."

Alexis fought down a brief surge of anger. _Calm yourself, Alexis. He's simply making an observation_. She tilted her head a bit, and then spoke "The times we live in have become rather interesting, haven't they?"

That made the lupar smirk. "Indeed they have," he said, and he seemed to reappraise Alexis for a second. "In any case, I and some guards will take you to where the council is meeting, so please follow closely."

Alexis nodded. "Very well, give me a moment to relay that information to my friends." She then turned her head and looked at the humans. "He is the guard captain of this gate, and we're to follow him to where the ruling council is," she said concisely in English.

Tanaka nodded. "Sounds good to me," she said, and then looked over at Renard, who shrugged but said nothing.

Alexis nodded again, and she looked at Nukarra. "Please lead on, then."

"Very well," he said to Alexis. Then he turned his head and whispered something to a guard at his left. The man looked at his commander and nodded. Nukarra then barked some commands to his men, and they parted further. "Follow me then," he said and then turned and started off.

Alexis quickly moved to follow, and Tanaka and Renard did likewise. They passed between the wary lupar guards, two of whom detached from the group and followed the trio as they moved into the street beyond the gatehouse.

"The place looks better at night," Tanaka observed. Alexis was forced to agree, as the oil-fed lamps hanging from poles up and down the street gave the city an exotic air. Although the light they case wasn't nearly enough to begin to compare with the ocean of light that Neo Tokyo had been, Alexis still found the array amazing. _Who would have thought that a lupar city would have such things?_

The night was still young, and Alexis noticed that several lupar were out and about, moving along the street. Some went into or out of small shops that still had lights on inside, while others seemed to be simply heading on their way home from some late-working job. Many of them, however, began to pause and look at the unusual procession.

Alexis nervously ran a hand down the front of her uniform, feeling the gold buttons that held the dark gray dress jacket closed. _How farsighted of Cassandra to have this brought out on the transports_, she mused as she flattened an imagined crease. _It certainly makes me look smart, with the gold piping and all. _She then glanced over at Tanaka and Renard. _They look decent, as well, in their dark green uniforms._ Alexis looked the two humans' uniforms over quickly, and she noted something new; Tanaka's uniform had red piping, while Renard's had blue. _Sergeant Renard also has some decorations on his uniform, too_.

Then the gatón bade herself to look forward again. _You can't be distracted, Alexis_, she told herself. Then she reached up and made sure that her black and gray-billed cap was still in place. _Still, couldn't hurt to look professional,_ she mused.

The group continued down the main avenue, eventually passing Tanaka's fallen 'mech – eliciting a pained look on Tanaka's face – and taking a turn at the devastated Citadel to walk further into the noble's quarter. They moved on in silence, as no one seemed willing to speak on anything as they sensed the importance of the upcoming meeting. Eventually, they turned one last corner and Alexis and the humans paused to look at the grand structure in front of them.

Shaped in a rectangle and having a small tower at each corner, the building raised a good five stories high, which was quite an accomplishment for the medieval lupar. The towers reached easily another story, and they all had oil lamps hanging from their sides to cast light upon the side of the building and on to the ground as well.

Alexis looked down and she saw that the faced a narrow end of the building, and there were a pair of large – for lupar – doors set atop a short flight of steps. The edifice of the building around the doors was decorated with statues seemingly carved into the stone of the building itself. Two large ones stood on either side of the doors, and they were designed to look like sentries, as each held a sword aloft, the tips pointing upwards, and each bore a shield. They held them in different arms, so that they formed a mirror image of the other.

"Please don't dawdle," Nukarra said, bringing Alexis' attention back down to earth. "The council is meeting inside the Temple of the Creators for now, until a suitable replacement building can be found," he said and started off again, heading for the temple. Alexis quickly turned and waved for her friends to follow, and they followed right up to the main doors.

Walking closer, Alexis could see more detail of the statues, noting the neutral looks on the statue lupar, as well as their pupil-less eyes. _They seem almost like an idealized perfect lupar, rather than any real person_ she mused as the group mounted the steps and reached the landing that led out from the doors. Nukarra simply leaned against them and pushed them open, the heavy wooden doors sliding open on well-greased hinges. Then he went inside, and Alexis and the two humans followed, though a glance behind confirmed what her ears told her; the two guards had stayed behind at the entrance.

Then Alexis turned her head around to look at the interior of the temple. The high ceiling and gothic arches reminded Alexis of a photo of a similar structure on display in a Neo Tokyo museum. _More strange coincidences? Or just the simple fact that the architecture is a logical one_? She pushed such thoughts back as Nukarra led the group down the main aisle, past rows of benches. Along the sides, she could see shrines to the various Creators, but the largest one by far was the main one at the head of the aisle, where a pulpit was set up on a dais. Alexis recognized the luparisized image of Grakia, the mythical creator of the Lupar race as the large statue that the shrine was centered around.

Nukarra led them towards this shrine, but he took a corner around a supporting pillar just in front of the main dais, and he quickly followed the edge until he came to a door in the back wall of the large room. Alexis and the humans followed quickly, the latter, like Alexis, gawking a bit at their surroundings.

Nukarra waited for them at the door. "Wait here a moment, please," he said, and then turned and opened the door, closing it again after walking into the room beyond. Alexis caught indistinct words in Lupari before the door shut, but she mentally shrugged and then turned to look at her human companions. "He said for us to wait a bit."

Renard gave another Gallic shrug, and this time Tanaka mirrored it. "Makes sense," the latter commented as she looked around again. "So, what is this place?"

"Mikula said that it's called, 'the Temple of the Creators,'" Alexis replied as she too looked around some more. "It's a very important temple in the Lupar's religion, as it's quite large and said to be blessed by Grakia herself."

"By who?" Tanaka asked and looked at Alexis.

The latter blinked for a second before remembering whom she was talking to. "Grakia is one of the two great creators, and she is the one responsible for creating the Lupar. Or so the legends go," she added in the last part quickly. _I know that the humans tend to believe different things about their own god_, she thought. _They view their creation legends as morality tales, rather than an actual account of events_.

_Which makes sense, in a way_, Alexis realized. _Earl described it best when he said that, 'science is not meant to replace religion. God by His very nature exists outside of science, and science makes no attempt to prove or disprove His existence. Science is meant only to describe the world around us… A world that the Almighty Himself created. Perhaps not in the way the Bible says, but then, who told the authors of that book what God did? That is the greatest hubris I've ever seen, to claim that you somehow have a private Hotline to the Almighty where he confides in you that scientific theory is wrong.'_

Alexis stood still, pondering the lengthy quote that her memory had dragged up. _Our creation tales are basically a reflection of our society, since no one was around when the world was created, how do we know that it was made in the way the stories tell? Besides, it's not like the creation myths are the greatest part of our religion. All the basics, treating people fairly, worshipping the Gods, living rightly. None of that is at _all_ affected by science._

Just then, the door behind her opening again, interrupted her inner monolog, and Alexis quickly turned around to see Nukarra standing there. "I will be waiting outside the temple to escort you three back," he said simply, and then walked around the waiting group and down the main aisle.

Alexis watched him go, and then she turned around to see another lupar standing in the doorway, this one dressed in better clothes than what the guard had worn. "Your names, please," he asked brusquely.

Alexis felt some of her fur bristle, but she willed herself into calmness. "These are Captain Cassandra Tanaka, of the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers," she said, waving a hand to Tanaka, who nodded as she recognized her name. "And this is Sergeant Samuel Renard, of the 5th Marauder Division," she indicated Renard, who also nodded. Then Alexis turned to look the lupar directly in the eyes. "And I am Alexis Hurano, translator and liaison."

The man standing there gave them all strange looks, but he nodded. "Very well, come in and I shall announce you," he said and then turned to reenter the room behind him. "Alexis spared a glance at her friends to wave them forward before she walked into the room.

It was a much smaller room than the main hall they had just left, but it was still rather impressive, as it stretched three quarters the width of the building, and its ceiling was enough so that the humans didn't have to lean over. A long table had apparently been brought in recently, for its austere looks seemed out of place when compared to the mosaics on the walls that depicted various religious stories. Around the table were ten lupar men, all of varying ages, but all at least of early middle age or older, the exception being one man who managed a small smile at the newcomers.

_He must be Kayla's husband_, Alexis realized. _He seems less stunned than the others, and he is the furthest from the head of the table_. The head being, of course, where the one, eldest lupar sat at, the 'foot' being unoccupied and pointed at the newcomers.

The man who had let them in quickly began to recite their names and ranks, though Alexis noted that he made several mistakes. She decided to not bother with them, as they were minor and therefore unimportant at the moment.

When the man finished announcing them, he retreated off to the side. The room then became silent, and Alexis could fell the lupar's eyes on her.

Another moment passed and Alexis realized that it was her turn to speak. She then took a step forward and cleared her throat. "Greetings to you, ruling nobles of Tanzano," she spoke concisely in Lupari. "We three are the appointed representatives of the government and military of the United Systems' Republic. We are here to formally ask for permission to use the area of Tanzano as a base for our further operations against the Word of Blake."

The council members all shared looks of confusion with each other for a moment before one of the men in the middle spoke up. "That is why you're here? Not to demand our surrender?"

Alexis frowned. "No, of course not," she said quickly, not even bothering to look behind her. "Why would we? You are not our enemies."

"I told you, Kayvo," the man Alexis had mentally tagged as Kayla's husband spoke up. "They were not going to ask for that, as I said."

Alexis saw the lupar along the table give him varying looks, from hostility to admiration. _He just scored some points_, she realized as the elder lupar at the head of the table cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"You are asking permission to do what you are already doing?" He asked rhetorically. "That is either forgetful, or disdainful." He said the last line neutrally, which made Alexis wonder at his true thoughts.

_Regardless_, she thought for a second and then spoke again without consulting the two humans behind her. _It's not like I'm saying anything that I don't know they would say if they could_. "I beg to differ, sir. In the name of military expediency, our forces must sometime move first and ask permission later, so that we can prevent defeat and the loss of life." She shrugged then. "I would assume that a city with such a renowned military as Tanzano would have leaders who could understand this."

Several of the lupar nobles blushed at that, though Alexis saw that Kayla's husband and two others did their best to hide smiles. The elder at the head of the table didn't have such an obvious show of pleasure, but Alexis saw that his eyes showed the smile that he didn't allow his muzzle to display. "Indeed, young miss. Still, there are some who would find the activities of your friends rather brash."

Alexis tilted her head at that. "Might I inquire as to what acts such people might find unkind?" She asked nicely.

One of the lupar near the head of the table who had shown anger and embarrassment spoke up now. "The attack on our city last night, for instance," he replied angrily. "And then taking over that field outside of the city, posting guards inside our walls."

Another lupar shook his head and spoke up. "And we even hear that you kept several people at some tavern in the worker's quarter. All of this without our permission! These acts are no better then the first invaders."

Alexis bristled then, letting it show as she felt her jacket rise a bit as her fur stood on end. "If that were true, then you would be dead for speaking to us in such a manner, wouldn't you?" She asked in a low voice, and she saw the angry lupar blink as their minds hit a mental roadblock. "If I were you, I would seriously consider the fact that what you've said is close to calling I and my friends your enemies. Do you want that?"

The lupar around the table seemed to balk at that, and many leaned a bit away from Alexis and the two humans standing behind her. The first angry lupar who had spoken began to sputter." Of course not, no. We are just merely observing that your friends have not been the best of friends to us so far-"

"Because of military expediency," Alexis reiterated. "What, do you plan for us to just announce our attack before we conduct it? If that is how the vaunted army of Tanzano is run, then perhaps you should improve your tactics by enlisting children as your strategists." She was fairly growling now. "At least they can understand the concept of surprise."

Several lupar blushed deeply at that, clearly indicating the military men. Before any of them could speak up, however, the elder lupar cleared his throat, causing them all to look at him. "As interesting as it is to hear a gatón describe the basics of combat that any valued leader should know," he paused as several lupar around the table winced. "I think it would be better if we could move along. What is the exact nature of your friends' request?"

Alexis took a breath to calm herself before replying. "One moment please," she said, and then turned to speak to Tanaka and Renard. "Captain, Sergeant, what exactly does the army need from the locals?"

Tanaka gave Alexis a slight look, but she nodded. "We require that we be given a small area of land to set up a forward base, complete with an improvised airfield. We also would request that we be allowed to have access to merchants so that we may replenish our food supplies locally."

"We also would need to be able to deploy forces inside their walls," Renard spoke for the first time since they had left the dropship. "Not like the Blakests, of course, but it would help to have a place for my men to fall back to for reloading."

Alexis nodded as he finished, and then she turned and translated the requests into Lupari for the council. Their brows furrowed and their ears went down in thought as they tried to understand what had been said.

Kayla's husband spoke up first. "How large of an area would your friends need?"

Alexis turned and spoke to Tanaka and Renard again before she turned back to look at the council. "An area about five gradragnas square would be sufficient," she said, converting over to the locals' distance measurement. "And it need not be right next to the city, either. Some distance away, perhaps on an unused farm field, would be fine," she added when some of the lupar had frowned at the size requirement.

"Do they want it forever?" Another lupar asked, this one Alexis recognized as one of the few who seemed to be non-hostile.

"Honestly, that depends on factors that we cannot judge fully now," Alexis said, and she brought up her hands to steeple them as she thought and spoke. "My friends are engaged in a war against the invaders, seeking to capture or kill every last one of them. This may take some time, depending on whether or not we can outmaneuver them, or whether we can get reinforcements."

"Perhaps you could give us an estimate?" The elder lupar at the head of the table asked.

Alexis turned and again spoke briefly with her human friends before replying. "At least a month, perhaps as much as a year," she said cautiously. "Almost certainly not longer than a year, as by then the array of forces will have changed dramatically, and we will most likely not need a base so close to Tanzano then."

A few moments of silence reigned before the hotheaded lupar – albeit calmed down a bit – spoke again. "And what if we say no to these requests?"

Alexis turned her head and she made sure to stare him in the eye. "Then we will leave the area immediately around Tanzano, and only come back to defend your city should the invaders try to take it again."

"Just like that?" Another lupar asked.

"Just like that," Alexis replied with a nod. "We may not leave quickly, however, as we need to retrieve some… Equipment from inside Tanzano, but we will leave sooner than later."

"What sort of 'equipment?'" The hotheaded one asked.

"Mainly, the large machine that is sitting in Karno's Way," Alexis said, and she felt a hint of amusement at the lupar's confusion that she knew of the street's name. "Some parts off of the other machines, as well. And that is another thing I forgot to mention," she spoke the last part with a bit of surprise. "We will also clean the wreckage up from the battles fought inside Tanzano the other night, and as well from around the city's southern fields."

The lupar again shared a round of looks. "Why would you do this?" The elder one asked, his impassive mien finally cracking a bit to show curiosity.

"Because it's right," Alexis replied quickly and naturally. "Our forces made the mess, and only we have the expertise to remove the wreckage cleanly and without the potential loss of life that would happen if someone inexperienced tried removing it." She shrugged a bit then. "It would be negligent of us to simply let you take care of it when we're going to be right here."

The lupar began to murmur, and at a level that Alexis couldn't pick up, despite her better hearing. The elder lupar waved a hand after a moment, silencing them. Then he nodded. "Is there anything else?" He asked quietly, his face again impassive.

Alexis turned and reposed the question to the two humans before replying to the lupar. "No, good sir. We have said all that we came to say."

The man nodded. "Very well. You have given us much to discuss. And discuss we shall, for a decision such as this cannot be made immediately," he said with a nod.

Alexis returned the gesture. "Completely understandable, sir. With your leave, then, we shall go back to our ship and await a messenger from you."

"Of course."


	34. Chapter 34

Author's note: Sorry if this popped up. Not really an "update," but I was re-reading this, and I found a few places where I got lazy and let the writing slip. I went back in and changed a few things that, though small, still annoyed the Hell outta my sense of style and prose.

Maddog3060

* * *

Rain fell over the plains, drenching Tanzano and the area around it. Although not a particularly nasty storm, lightning was nevertheless common enough that everyone hunkered down inside his or her homes.

Everyone, save several members of the 3rd Infantry Platoon (Armored), who were in concealed positions in a semi circle around the _Silver Pagoda_ and the newly-arrived _LST-89_, which had arrived several hours before, coming in soon after the meeting with the ruling council. In it was Lieutenant Peterson's lance of four Abrams main battle tanks, which had been cut loose from the main force on Kujira's orders.

_And they should be the stupid bastards out here tonight_, Private Fredericks mentally grumbled inside his suit of Marauder armor. He lay in a small drainage ditch that ran along the side of the road that led out from the gate that the two Republic dropships had grounded near by. His position was only about three hundred meters distant from the two ships, but he still found the watch boring. _Nothin' to do but lay in the mud and hear rain hit the top of my armor_, he thought, continuing to complain to himself. _Sure, it's not like I'm one of those poor PBIs in the past, having to sit like this, but with the rain fallin' on me directly, but this is still fuckin' annoying_.

Fredericks and three other members of the infantry detachment were out standing watch to the north and east of the ships, per standard operating procedure in an area that wasn't fully secured.

_What the Hell _would_ they consider "fully secured?"_ Fredericks wondered as he shifted his position a bit to prevent a cramp in his legs. _Washington? Nimitz Base? Perhaps an Omega Depot?_ He snorted inside his helmet. _Probably one o' those depots… Hell, no one even knows where they are, 'cept the brass_.

It was then that a blip appeared on his thermal sensors, only a double dozen meters ahead of him. _What the Hell is that?_ He wondered quite naturally. Then the blip disappeared, and he became more confused. _Odd, blips like that don't just come out of nowhere…_ Part of him wanted to rise up and get a better look at the area around him, despite the fact that the top of his head already poked above the ditch lip. But something seemed strange to him, and the fact that he and his comrades had been deployed in such weather told him that there just might be a reason for the paranoia after all. Thus, he froze and watched the thermal display in his HUD, and contemplated whether he should call it in or not.

Then the decision was made for him, as he saw two new heat signatures appeared at the same time as two figures slowly crawled into view along the road. Each of the vague, shadowy shapes appeared to be dressed in a black suit, though Fredericks couldn't be sure, given the darkness and the pouring rain. _Not like it matters, anyway_, he thought briefly as the two figures crept closer to his position.

_Do they see me?_ He wondered as the helmeted figures crept along the road. _No… These aren't out people, and those helmets, those're like DEST gear. And that means that they're Wobbies. If they had seen me, I'd be dead by now_. He gave a silent prayer of thanks for Sergeant Renard's paranoia in demanding that each soldier take out a sensor-baffling 'ghillie' cover that made him appear to be a natural formation to all but a combat vehicle's full-power active probe suite. _They would have sniped my head off if I wasn't under this cover_. Although equipped with the best battle armor in existence, Fredericks – like all Republic troopers – was trained to not rely on the armor so much as on their training, since even the best armor had weak spots for an enemy to exploit.

_Stop it Bobby_, he chastised himself as the two intruders drew near. _Concentrate! Okay, they may be monitoring our radios, so wait 'til they're past at least_. After this thought, Fredericks exerted all the will he could to hold himself absolutely still within his armor. _Think like a rock, Bobby. You're a rock, nothing to look at. Nothing to see here folks, go on about your business_.

The intruders seemed to almost take these last thoughts to heart, and they quickly moved along the road in a crouch, passing Fredericks with only a single glance at him. The Republic trooper breathed out a sigh of relief, and he triggered his HUD to a rear view with a simple flick of his chin plate. An image display opened up in the lower left corner of his helmet's visor area, and he watched as the two people continued to move.

_How many are there?_ He wondered. _Just those two, scouting the area? Are they part of an assault team coming to launch a surprise attack? Or are they trying to find a sentry to snipe?_ He couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn that he had seen the long shape of a high-caliber sniper rifle on the back of one of the figures.

_Well, fuck it, I ain't gonna let them get away with whatever they're tryin' ta do!_ With that, he finally keyed his radio to one of the LPI – Low Probability of Intercept – frequencies, using his eyes to cycle the contact list to the command deck of the _Silver Pagoda_. "This is Red Dog One Six to Beta Site, come in please," he said quietly, almost whispering, despite the fact that he could yell and not be heard outside of his armor should he not choose it.

The two figures continued on their trek, and Fredericks breathed a sigh of relief in the brief moment between his radio call and the response from the _Pagoda_. "Red Dog One Six, this is Beta Site, authenticate."

"Authentication Red Square," Fredericks replied as he continued to hold himself still, should the intruders have any friends nearby. "I have had visual and infrared contact with two human individuals dressed in infiltration gear. They have passed my position and appear to be moving towards the dropships."

The channel was silent a bit before the man's voice came back. "You're fucking me?"

"I don't fuck around, boy," Fredericks replied with a menace in his voice. "They were wearin' DEST-style infiltration suits, and crouch-walking along the road. That ain't the sign of a friendly neighbor."

"No shit. Stand by," the clipped words came over the channel, and Fredericks took another breath before moving in his position slightly so that he could raise his helmeted head higher. _Now that I've called it in, I'm a bit more expendable_. The thought made his stomach churn, but his training and duty was clear in that he needed to get information now.

On his HUD, he saw the two heat blips return, though they were very weak. They had stopped moving about thirty meters behind him, and Fredericks remembered that there was the large stump of an old tree along the roadside around that area. _Useful cover…_

"Red Dog One Six, this is Red Dog Two," Sergeant Renard's melodic voice rolled over the frequency. "We're gettin' everyone inside suited up all quiet-like. Tell me what you got."

Fredericks repeated what he had told the naval watchman aboard the _Silver Pagoda_, and he added in the new information about where the two people had stopped. He then waited for a moment as Renard chewed the information over.

Finally, the sergeant spoke again. "Okay, boy, stay still out there and watch for more intruders. If any one of them so much as sneezes in your direction, blast 'em to Hell and get the fuck back to base. Kapeesh?"

Fredericks couldn't help but smile a bit inside his helmet. _Damn nice to know that the guys in charge care 'bout your ass_. "Roger wilco, sir."

* * *

Alexis woke with a start to the sound of the intercom buzzing. She lifted her head off of her borrowed pillow in time to see a groggy Captain Tanaka reach over to the intercom on the side of her bed and slap the control on it. "What the fuck is it?" She asked in a voice made unfriendly by the interruption of her sleep.

"Cassy, it's Jorge," Hernandez's voice came in over the intercom, and the urgency in his tone made Alexis and Tanaka pay more attention than they normally would have after being awakened in the middle of the night. "One of Renard's pickets has spotted a pair of humans in infiltration suits about three hundred meters from the ship. We're movin' to ground combat stations, and I need you to get your ass outta bed right now."

Tanaka had brought herself to sit upright on her bed at the mention of the two intruders, and she now swung her legs over the side. "I hear ya, skipper. We're on our way," she added the last part as she saw Alexis stand up from where she had been laying on a sleeping bag on the floor.

"Good. I need you up here to coordinate with your lance. Your friend can come along. Out." With that, the speaker went dead and Tanaka stood and looked at Alexis. "Get dressed, Alexis, we got to 'splain it to our new arrivals."

Alexis nodded silently, and she and Tanaka quickly went to work, changing out of their nightclothes and into their combat fatigues. _Thank goodness that when they fetched my things from the firebase, they included my armor_, she thought as she began to fasten the light ablative/flak gear over her torso.

Tanaka finished much earlier, since she only had simple camouflage uniform and a small pistol sidearm to put on. "I'm headin' for the bridge, come up when you're ready," she said to Alexis. Then she went to her door, hitting its control stud and squeezing through it even before it was fully opened.

Alexis had nodded at the human, but she didn't spare any words as her adrenalin and some fear tightened her throat. _Never before have I been so pleased to have a weapon nearby_, she thought as she grabbed her laser rifle and needler pistol before she too left the cabin.

It took only a few minutes to get to the elevator and ride it up to the deck just below the bridge. Alexis quickly pushed her way along the narrow passage to the stairs, reaching and climbing up them to hear Fredericks make another report.

_"They're definitely staying still, and I keep getting' intermittent eye-arr blips to my right. Dunno if'n it's more, or just this damn rain_," the voice came over the speakers and flooded the dimly-lit bridge. Alexis paused to let her eyes adjust to the blue battle lighting that had replaced the standard white fluorescent light that the room normally had.

"_I've got One Six's intermittent contacts, too_," another voice called in over the radio, brining Alexis' head around to see where Tanaka and Hernandez stood near a crewman who sat at a communications console. Another crewman sat at a different console on the opposite side of the circular room, and he tapped controls nervously. Alexis climbed up and onto the main level as the crewman sitting away from the others spoke up. "Sensors realigned, sir. We're getting several heat blips across the northern arc."

Hernandez grunted as he turned his head to look at the crewman. "Can you pick out numbers?"

"Negative sir," the man replied with a shake of his head. "I read six unidentified contacts, but I don't know if they're singles, doubles, or whatnot." He tried a few more tweaks on his control board, and then sighed. "The ship just wasn't built with this in mind."

"Damn," Hernandez cursed as he turned his head back to the comm console. Then he leaned forward and hit a stud. "Red Dog Two, this is Beta Site. I'm sorry, but our sensors are geared for ship-to-ship, not anti-personnel. All we can give you is the general locations of some anomalous heat sources."

_"It'll have to do_," Alexis heard Renard's voices come out of the nearby speakers. _"I don't suppose the _Ninety-eight_ can do any better?"_

Hernandez hit the send button again. "I already called Pike about that. Those LSTs were made for one thing only, and that ain't sensor picket duty."

_"All right then, give me the locations of those contacts, and I'll see to them."_

"Copy that, Red Dog Two. I'll have my tech send ya the info," Hernandez replied, and then he let go of the send button. "Shang, get on the horn and relay that info," he said, addressing the sensor operator. Then he took a step back from the comm console, prompting Tanaka to follow. The latter then noticed Alexis, and she waved the gatón over.

Alexis took a few steps closer to hear Hernandez mumbling. "I don't like this. Seems too fishy that they'd appear this soon. We've only been here a day."

Tanaka nodded. "I agree. The Vanquishers had scout armor, and these guys only get here after they leave," she said and then crossed her arms. "Someone's been feedin' them info."

"A spy?" Hernandez asked, his words sending a chill up Alexis' spine. "In the city?"

"Either that, or they were ready for us to move in and take up residence here," Tanaka replied quietly.

Hernandez frowned at that. "If that's true, Cassy, then we might be dead already."

"I'm just callin' it like I see it, Jorge," Tanaka replied and shifted her weight a bit. "I ain't paid to look at things with rose-colored glasses."

Hernandez just grunted. "Neither am I. I'm half tempted to just boost for orbit and have the boys outside rendezvous with a shuttle."

"Unless that's what they want," Tanaka added in. Hernandez then gave her a sour look. "Cassy, we can't be goin' into that, mind game crap now. We need action, and we need it now."

Tanaka shrugged... "I'm open to suggestions."

Hernandez frowned again. "_You're_ the ground-pounder here, Cassy."

Tanaka stood quietly for several moments before she sighed and then spoke again. "All right, I have one idea."

* * *

Fredericks was beginning to feel cramped, having forced himself to remain absolutely still for the last dozen minutes. _Those damned officers had better get a plan soon or I'm gonna be too stiff to do anything when they do_.

His radio came on just then. "Red Dog One Six, this is Red Dog Two," Renard's voice burst into the private's consciousness. "We think we got us a good surprise for them boys you're watching. Wait for activation signal Papa One, and then turn around and waste their asses, and then get clear. You copy?"

"Roger wilco, Red Dog Two." Fredericks replied as he chinned his HUD into battle mode.

"Good. Stand by," Renard replied, and then the channel fell silent.

'_Papa One,'_ Fredericks mused, thinking of the list of code words that he and the platoon had memorized. To prevent an enemy from using the Republic's own code words against them should the radio encryption be cracked, some phrases – like those to initiate or call off an attack – were told before hand, and only referred to over radios prior to their use by a second code word.

Thus, ten minutes later, Fredericks was ready when Renard's voice erupted over the wideband frequency. "Firestorm!"

Within the space of several heartbeats, Fredericks half stood, half leaped up from his hiding spot, canting back his shoulders to toss off the camo netting he had used to escape detection so far. Then with reflexes honed by years of training and experience, he turned far more rapidly in his armor than anyone would rightly assume.

He watched the HUD and noted in an automatic, clinical nature that his two targets were beginning to react to his movement. The only thought that had time to enter his head before his targeting reticules settled over the two moving forms was that they were too late.

Fredericks, equipped in the Marauder suit's "Ranger" configuration, mounted a light machine gun and a support particle cannon, and he wasted little time in aiming these weapons and then firing them. The machine gun rattled off first, sending a stream of white-hot lead to impact the center of mass of the right hand figure.

Then the particle cannon opened up, sending a blinding stream of excited ions and electrons hurtling across the plains at nearly the speed of light. Both weapons tore into their targets, the machine gun sending small, horizontal fountains of blood and gore out from the back of the enemy soldier to mix with the rain, and the particle cannon literally vaporized the entire abdomen of the other figure, sending the two halves of his body to flop to the ground separately.

Fredericks didn't pause to gloat over his aim. He instead crouched his legs a bit before pushing down with them as hard as he could. His armor read and copied the movements, amplifying them so that Fredericks literally leaped a meter into the air. Then he triggered his jump jets, and he angled for a copse of trees that stood nearby in a farm field.

His HUD showed that, behind him, the three other troopers who had also been out on sentry duty began to fire and jump, each one heading off in a different direction. Fredericks then saw the ramps along both spheroid dropships virtually slam open to disgorge their devastating cargo.

The first machine out was an Abrams battletank that came from the side of the _LST-89_. It rolled down the ramp in a split second, its turret swiveling about to train north and towards the enemy.

Fredericks then had to focus in on landing, and he did so amidst several tall fruit bearing trees. Quickly, he turned on his feet and ran several meters to the east end of the copse, backtracking slightly so that he could bring his weapons into play.

Movement near the _Silver Pagoda_ caught his eye, and he quickly activated his radio. "There's infantry near the _Pagoda_!"

* * *

Adept Gregory Chang dashed forward from where he and his group had hidden next to the infidels' _Confederate_-class dropship as soon as the rains had started, emerging as they had from a safe house that in the city that they had obtained through the elimination of the family that had lived there.

_Filthy aliens_, Chang's mind let loose the curse before he regained control and then preceded to head for the lowered ramp. The mission he had planned had required that a third of his team would have to be bait, hiding in the fields and then opening up on the ships with long-range support weapons. Although he knew they had little chance of actually damaging the enemy's ships by any significant degree, they were only supposed to draw out the enemy's 'mechs, and thus open the way for the true attack, where Chang and the rest of the team would move inside the enemy 'mech carrier, kill whoever they found, and set charges around the ship's fusion reactor.

Something had gone wrong, however, as the shots from the field came nearly a minute before the planned start of the operation. Nevertheless, Chang now vaulted himself over the edge of the ramp and ran forward for the bay of the dropship, where he and his team could plant the demolition chargers.

The lack of any mech walking down this ramp didn't surprise him. His team's observations had placed it as the one that would be empty, since its usual inhabitant was now lying in the streets of the alien city. And so he had selected it as his main entrance point, while another team of six would try for the other berth that would be empty as the enemy's lone patrol 'mech was over a kilometer distant.

However, just as he and his team of five other special operatives reached the top of the ramp, the lights inside the bay cut out, causing his helmet's visor to go blank for a few seconds while it readjusted.

Unfortunately for him, it would be a few seconds too late, as he felt several bullets impact his chest, abdomen and neck. Then in a very short time, he felt nothing at all.

* * *

"Tango down!" The call rolled over the common frequency of the Republic ground troopers, distracting Alexis only slightly as she sighted her laser rifle over the still-moving shape of an infiltrator in the rear of the enemy line. Her position, lying on the catwalk above the 'mech bay, gave her an excellent sniper position, and she used her marksmanship training to good effect as she laid a shot straight into the enemy soldier's chest.

The Blakest wheeled about and fell back, though not before he pulled down on the trigger of his Rorynex sub-machine gun, sending a spray of bullets to fly throughout the 'mech bay.

However, the only people standing in its line of fire wore the powerful Marauder suit, and though the bullets scraped some armor off, they didn't do much else as the soldiers of the 3rd Platoon ripped into the enemy with weaponry designed primarily to engage more formidable combat vehicles.

Alexis listened to the few bits of radio chatter via the communicator built into her, and every other Republic infantry helmet. She ignored it, however, as she sighted for another target. She found one in the man she had just shot, who had apparently not been completely slain by the laser entering his chest.

_That can be rectified_, Alexis thought morbidly as she sighted on the man's head, and then fired again. The laser seemed to flash partially off of the man's fully enclosed helmet, and he continued to move, pushing himself up from a lying position.

The man dropped the Rorynex, and Alexis wondered if he was going to surrender. Then he reached around behind him and grabbed a satchel that had been slung around his back as a pair of troopers in Marauder suits dashed forward.

A ball of ice materialized in her stomach as Alexis realized what the Blakest intended. Then with grim determination, she re-aimed the rifle at the man's hand. _You won't take their lives!_ She thought as she pulled the trigger.

The laser again thrummed between her arms, and its bolt struck true, slicing through the man's left hand as he grasped a detonator cord. With a noise that could be heard even outside his helmet, the Blakest screamed in pain. His hand refused to work, and one of the advancing Marauder troopers finished him off with a burst from her own arm-mounted SMG that tore out the infiltrator's chest.

"Clear!" The woman called on the radio then, and the call was soon echoed several times by other troopers. Alexis swung her rifle out to look over the field just beyond the ramp, though her perspective was a bit limited by her perch. "Clear," she called, seeing no one moving other than those painted with the camo scheme of the 3rd Platoon.

"Copy all clear," Hernandez's voice came in over the radio. "Red Dogs One Four, One Six, One Seven, One Nine, and Gator One reports all targets neutralized outside."

"Good," Renard's voice gruffly expounded. "3rd Platoon! Police the bodies and check for vitals. These bastards had some good armor, so don't assume they're dead lest you see a hole the size of a warship in their chest."

A chorus of 'yes sirs' came in, and Alexis closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank the Gods it's over_, she thought as she flipped the safety on her rifle to its locked position. Then she opened her eyes and stood up from where she had lain, picking up her rifle and then heading for the ladder she had used to climb up.

Alexis was surprised that Tanaka's plan had not only worked, but that she had determined what the Blakests had actually been up to so accurately. "It's really quite clear," the female MechWarrior had proclaimed not a dozen minutes before. "Light infantry can't take out a dropship unless they get inside. So we'll let them get inside."

_And in they had come_, Alexis mused as she slung her rifle over her back. _Right into an ambush by nearly two squads of battle armor. They never had a chance._

Arriving at the ladder, Alexis quickly climbed down it to get to the main floor, and then she walked slowly towards where the troopers of the 3rd Platoon were checking over the bodies that lay on the ground.

Part of her wanted to stop, to turn and run from the area and not look at what they – what _she_ had done. However, her sense of duty impelled her on. _I need to help maintain a safe perimeter_, she thought.

_But it's more than that, isn't it? I want to see_, she realized. _I want- No, I _have_ to know what I did._ Alexis knew it wasn't morbid curiosity, though the primitive part of every sentient psyche would undoubtedly be gratified at seeing an enemy dead at her feet. _I have to make sure that I did well. Because if I didn't do well, then I need to know what I did wrong so that I can do better in the future. Because next time, I might not be in a team._

Alexis passed a couple of bodies, and she drew her needler and aimed it at them, just in case. None of the shapes moved, however, and she moved forward to reach the body of the man she had attacked.

An armored trooper was just standing up from the body's side, and he turned to look at the gatón as she walked up. "Did you do that?" The man asked and used his left hand to point at the Blakest's mauled hand.

Alexis walked up and then looked over the now-dead man. "Yes… Yes I did," she said mechanically as her emotions ran the gamut from elation over having survived, to guilt over the taking of a life, and the happiness over knowing that she had helped to protect her friends' lives.

The man in the armor grunted. "Well, if you ever get tired of hangin' around with the space heads, feel free to stop by our neck of the woods," he said, using the army's derogatory term for the Mobile Infantry.

Alexis looked up at the man's helmet, and she managed a ghost of a smile. "Thank you."

The man shrugged, and then turned to walk down the ramp. Alexis took a moment to look over the dead body at her feet, and she willed her mind to rest so that she could settle on something to feel.

Finally, she felt one feeling above all; the satisfaction that the man would never hurt another innocent again. _And that's good enough for me_.

* * *

The next day dawned to the scene of the Republic forces arrayed outside of their dropships. Three Abrams tanks and two battlemechs of Oni lance were arrayed in an arc that stretched from the river on the left flank all the way to the eastern curve of Tanzano's wall.

Alexis couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated at the display, even despite the fact that she had seen much more impressive vistas on New Honshu. _There's just something strange about seeing such vehicles just outside of a city that is so… Well, primitive_. She blushed a bit at that, feeling embarrassed over the need to use the word. _It sounds so derogatory, and even a little hypocritical coming from me. Gatón villages don't even have what Lupar cities do, and yet here I am commenting on how primitive Tanzano is._

She sighed then, and shook her head. _Enough daydreaming, time for work_. With that, Alexis stood up from where she had been leaning against the side of the doorway that led into the mech bay of the _Silver Pagoda_. She then turned and walked for the elevator in the middle of the bay, minding her path so that she wouldn't get in the way of the techs and Seabees who were busy fitting some chains to the back of the Seabee's specialized jeeps.

Alexis took the elevator to the deck that contained the officers' quarters, and she headed for Tanaka's cabin, which the human had been gracious enough to share with her. _Amazing that I got any sleep last night, after what happened_, she mused as she approached the door marked with Tanaka's name and rank insignia. _I suppose that I must be getting used to this kind of life. The 'long periods of boredom, separated by ten minutes of mind-shattering violence,' as Earl said once_. She couldn't disagree with the sentiment, not after what she had seen and done.

The door to the cabin swished open when Alexis entered the code into the panel on the outside of the bulkhead, and she stepped into the small room enough so that the door closed behind her, plunging the cabin into darkness before the lights came up automatically. Alexis paused to look around the small room, noting the disarray of the bed and the sleeping bag laid out on the floor. The latter drew her attention most of all, because next to it lay her armored vest, helmet, and weapons, all of which she had came for.

_Cassandra has an interesting idea about how to get her 'mech out_, Alexis thought as she quickly began to grab the equipment and weapons, securing them to her body. _She said that it was an old, old way of moving things back in Human History, so this shall be interesting._ Of course, the recent attack by Blakest Special Forces meant that the team going into the city would have to be fully prepared for battle, just in case more of the enemy lay in wait. _The one person from the attackers who _did_ survive said that there were no others, but we can't be too sure_, Alexis remembered as she placed the helmet onto her head. _So we go in loaded for bear._ With that thought, she turned and left the cabin, making sure that it locked behind her. Then the gatón quickly made her way down to the main 'mech bay again.

Departing the elevator, Alexis easily noticed that the Seabees were getting dressed in their own, quasi-combatant armor. _Cassandra said that it was modeled after special operations armor, something called 'Mjolnir,'_ Alexis mused as one of the Seabees pulled on a helmet that had a wide, mirrored visor. _It certainly looks like it's made to frighten than anything else, though since the Seabees are supposed to go into battle at times, I guess it makes sense._

Then someone whistled, and Alexis turned her head to see who it was. She then saw Tanaka standing near one of the Seabee jeeps, which had been moved outside. Alexis gave a short wave to the human, and then walked down the ramp to where Tanaka was waiting.

"Looks like you're ready," Tanaka observed from where she leaned against the angular chassis o the jeep.

Alexis managed a small smile as she replied. "Well, you _did_ say to be ready for anything, didn't you?"

"I did, didn't I?" Tanaka returned with a smile of her own. Then she let her expression slip into a more neutral visage. "Still, if there _are_ more of those bastards out there, you've got to be at the top of your game. You think you can handle it?"

Alexis frowned a bit. "I haven't let anyone down yet, have I?"

"No," Tanaka replied, and then shook her head. "No you haven't. Sorry."

"It's no problem," Alexis sighed. Then she changed the subject. "So, where are we going to get the trees we need?"

Tanaka nodded, her eyes showing her gratitude to the gatón. "That forest over there," she said, pointing off to the north. Alexis turned her head and saw a tall stand of trees off in the distance. Then she noticed the field of green that stretched off to either side of the stand. "That's awfully far," Alexis said, her voice revealing her sudden nervousness.

"Only a couple of kilometers," Tanaka said with a shrug. "And we'll have some help from Lieutenant Peterson, as well. He'll be rolling out with us in his tank."

Alexis nodded and she turned her head back to look at Tanaka. "So when do we leave?"

"As soon as the Seabees are done."

* * *

Van Horn drifted out of the _Rodger Young_'s mess hall, and he grumbled to himself at the continued microgravity environment. The return to simple orbiting meant no acceleration to simulate gravity, and the ship's grav deck had been damaged when Ladavic had pulled off her highly successful stunt. Although the emergency brakes had secured the grav deck, preventing permanent damage, the circular deck's motors and bearings had been damaged enough that they needed to be replaced.

_Unfortunately, that requires a drydock facility, since some of the damaged equipment is too large to be replaced without tearing open the hull_, van Horn mused grumpily as he settled his feet onto the deck. The magnetic covers he wore over his boots latched to the deck and provided him and everyone else with some sense of 'up' and 'down,' though they did little to assuage the general feeling of helplessness that most ground soldiers feel when they don't have dirt to stand on.

He shook his head at the thought as he turned and walked towards he nearest elevator tube. _It's more than just a lack of dirt under my feet_, he realized. _I've become close to many people down there. Not to mention, I care about all the natives of the planet._

Van Horn sighed as he reached the elevator and pressed the call button. _This time of 'r & r' might be required to prevent combat fatigue, but it isn't really helping my state of mind too much. I don't feel right, sitting safe here in orbit when I know I could be doing something helpful on the ground_.

Then the elevator arrived, and he was about to get in when the loudspeakers that were in every compartment came alive. "All Mobile Infantry personnel report to the briefing room. All Mobile Infantry report to the briefing room per Lieutenant Vickers' orders."

Van Horn looked at the nearest speaker and raised an eyebrow, despite the fact that the woman on the other end couldn't see him. Then he shrugged and waited for the elevator to arrive, and when it did, he climbed on and pressed the button for three decks down, which would take him to the same level as the briefing room that the Mobile Infantry shared with the fighter pilots.

A few minutes later, van Horn walked into the briefing room, finding it full with most of the surviving Vanquishers. Then he suppressed a wince at the thought. _So many people dead now… So many more to die, I'm sure…_ He paused a moment to give himself a mental shake. _They wouldn't want you whinin' about it like some prissy little military-hating moron. They knew the risks, and they knew what we're fighting for_.

A sudden, light slap against his back brought van Horn around. "You okay there, doc?" Marks' voice asked as she came around his left side. "You look like you ate somethin' that didn't care for the trip."

Van Horn couldn't help but smile at the creative phrase. "Funny, Jen. I was just cleanin' some cobwebs," he said, and then gestured to the holographic briefing table that most of the troopers were gathered around. "You have any idea on what's goin' on?"

Marks shook her head. "Not a clue, though I can't say I really care. I just want to get down and kick some Wobbie ass."

Van Horn smiled again. "Well, since that's the reason we're at this planet, I doubt very much that we're goin' to go grocery shopping."

Marks smirked and then punched him in the shoulder. "Funny boy. Let's go join the others and see what's up. Maybe they'll know what the hubbub is about."

"Sounds like a plan," van Horn replied. Then he waved a hand forward. "Ladies first."

"She ain't no lady," one M.I. trooper commented as he entered the room and passed the two. "I got the bruises to prove it."

"You're a wuss, Jimmy," Marks replied easily. "It's not like you haven't been beaten in sparring before."

The man identified as Jimmy shook his head. "Yeah, but at least the other people who beat me don't try to do it by slammin' my head into the mat."

Marks raised an eyebrow. "Don't you blame that on me! I'm not the one who left his weight shifted too far to the left."

Jimmy looked set to reply when Vickers walked into the briefing room from another door that was closer to the table. The room fell silent as the lieutenant walked to the head of the table, and without a word, everyone gravitated to its edge. Vickers quickly loaded a data chip into the appropriate slot, and a holographic map of the area round Tanzano burst into photonic life.

Vickers then cleared his throat. "At approximately twenty-three twenty-five hours lima, a special warfare team consisting of at least eighteen individuals launched an attack against the landing zone north of the native city Tanzano, designated Beta Site." He paused to let the words sink in, and the room managed to become even quieter, as people held their breaths or stopped shifting on their feet. "Y'all will be happy to know that the attack was repulsed without a single friendly or civilian loss," he paused again, briefly, as several people let out sighs of relief. "However, this attack, coupled with previous failures of intelligence, has rather ticked off Major Kujira," Vickers then crossed his arms and grunted. "Frankly, I don't blame him.

"Thus far, our operations have been reactive in nature, rather than proactive. As a result, the initiative has been slowly slipping to the Blakests. Their attacks have not only increased in daring, despite their precarious position, but they have also shown themselves to be quite comfortable with targeting civilian populations." Vickers paused and looked over every trooper in the room. "I don't know about you, but this does _not_ make me happy. And if I'm not happy, you're not happy, understood?"

"Yes sir!" The troopers all replied as one.

Vickers nodded, and he even let the outline of a grim smile show on his lips. "Good. Now, seeing as I don't like to make people unhappy – well, at least not the ones who ain't my enemies," he paused as several soldiers chuckled. "Therefore, the brass have decided to end our little vacation. Not that I mind, since I think y'all're getting' fat just sittin' around here anyway."

Van Horn stifled a smile at the comment. _M.I. troopers may goldbrick t times like any soldier throughout history, but no one's slacked on their training routines. _Then he focused back in on Vickers as the lieutenant continued.

"We'll be still havin' a couple of days to make sure that you slackers haven't lost all of your edge and to gather intel, and then we'll begin to raid enemy positions to the north of our forces' current operational areas.

"We will most likely be goin' in via the ship's boats, but don't get lazy; we might also be doin' a few combat drops." He paused a second to press a few buttons on the console in front of him, and the map of Tanzano's environs was replaced with a continent-wide map. On it were highlights of friendly and enemy areas, as well as several dots representing enemy positions located thus far by orbital observations.

"Those small red dots you see are gonna be our primary targets. They are enemy camps similar to the one we vaped when we first came to Bowman's Planet, and they exist for the same purpose; to coerce the locals into supporting the enemy."

Several mutters came from around the table, which Vickers cut off with a short, fast wave of his hand. "Focus people. Now, we're gonna be doin' fast raids, regular smash and runs, albeit we're gonna have to be careful not to set things on fire too much, on account of the locals' buildings and their tendency to live in forests. So I want y'all to concentrate on better fire discipline and marksmanship in the warm up period."

Vickers then pressed another button, and the holotable turned off, causing the map to disappear. "Any questions?"

No one moved nor spoke for a moment. Then one woman that van Horn recognized as Jackson did raise her hand. "Sir, what about the people on the ground? Are they just gonna sit there?"

Vickers managed a small smile at that. "Not at all, private. Major Kujira and Captain Tanaka have some ideas cooked up, so you can rest assured that our friends down on the planet ain't gonna be sittin' around."

* * *

Alexis felt strange, standing as she was next to Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_, listening to a rock and roll song blare over one of the Seabee's jeep radios, and surrounded by curious Tanzano lupar who seemed to stare at her as much as they did at the humans and their equipment. _Not like I can blame them_, she mused. _They've at least seen humans before. I doubt that the majority of them have seen a gatón, much less one armed like I am_. The thought made her smile a bit as she simply looked over at where the Seabees were attaching chains to the fallen battlemech.

The plan was an interesting one, to say the least. The engineers had spent the morning cutting down several large trees and then 'cleaning' them until they were simple round logs. Then they had spent another hour dragging them back to the city on top of sleds made from their own thicker branches.

Alexis turned and looked over the crowd again, still uneasy over the surrounding mass of people. _I know they're probably not going to do anything, but it still makes me nervous, the way they stare_. The feeling dredged up several memories from her past, from the time she had been ordained as an apprentice in Kuamket five years before, to the way people had stared at her just the day before as she helped to escort out the rescued gatón. _And all the usual stares I garnered in between_, she thought with a hint of wry amusement. _Neo Tokyo especially. People couldn't believe their eyes, I think_.

The loud clank of a chain caught her attention, and Alexis quickly turned her head around to see a Seabee in armor attaching one of the three decimeter chains being fastened to the back of Lieutenant Peterson's own Abrams. The 70-ton tank looked almost as alien as a battlemech, thanks to the insect-like angles of its armor plating, and it received its own fair share of looks.

Alexis shook her head as she thought over the plan again. _Drag the 'mech onto the logs by using the tank, and then slowly move it forward, taking logs that the 'mech leaves and then putting them down in front so that they can be used again._ The idea struck her as needlessly complex, relying as it did on the armored Seabees and four members of the 3rd platoon to move the logs. _But of course, I don't have any better ideas. No one has, really, and so we must do what we must_.

She watched as another chain was run between the _Guillotine IIC_ and the tank, this one connecting the left shoulder to the Abrams' starboard tread cover. The ten-meter long chains stretched easily over the six logs that the engineering team had brought, and their metal glinted in the early afternoon light. Alexis mused briefly over the metal used in the chains. _Endo-steel… Metal forged in space itself. A metal of the Gods, even?_ The idea made her want to laugh and also to shirk a bit in embarrassment at the subtle jab at her religion. She did neither, but instead simply turned around to look over the crowd again. _Perhaps not a true jab_, she thought. _Perhaps this kind of metal _is_ what the Gods would use, if they were standing here_.

Scanning over the crowd, Alexis suddenly found herself wishing for some sunglasses that she had seen her friends wear before. _It's not that sunny out. The clouds are rather thick from the rain last night, but it still would be nice to hide my eyes._ She noticed that many of the lupar seemed to react whenever they noticed her looking at them. Some of them returned the look; others seemed to sneer at her. But the ones that made her wish for the sunglasses were the people who seemed to almost cringe. _It's like I'm some sort of creature to fear…_

"Alexis!" A voice called to the gatón from the crowd. She tuned her head and soon found the source of the call. It was the elder of Mrs. Reyka's two daughters, carrying a large basket before her, and Alexis smiled a bit at her appearance. "This is Oscar One," she said, triggering her radio and using the codename assigned to her. "I see someone I know, so I'm going over to talk."

"Alright," the voice of the senior noncom, Corporal Greer, replied. "Just be careful. That person may be your friend, but the person around him or her ain't."

"I will," she replied, and then walked towards where Pelana stood. Alexis made sure to safe her weapon and slung it over her right shoulder as she approached the edge of the crowd where Pelana stood. Some of the natives took a few steps back as she reached the young lupar, and Alexis suppressed a smile at their timid behavior. _Although I cannot blame them_.

"Pelana," Alexis said to the slightly taller lupar, letting genuine warmth enter her voice. "I hope your mother is feeling better?"

Pelana smiled as she replied. "She is. She slept all day after everyone left, but she's all caught up now."

Alexis returned the smile. "I'm glad to hear it," she said, and then she dropped her face into a concerned look. "Mikula and I were worried that she was pushing herself too hard, and we felt bad that she worked so much for everyone."

Pelana blushed a bit. "Mother can get somewhat stubborn at times, especially when it comes to helping people. But you shouldn't feel bad, we were all glad to be of help."

"Good, " Alexis replied, her smile returning. "I'm glad to know that we weren't too much of a burden." She paused while Pelana blushed again. "So, I hope you didn't come out here just to see them yank the machine out?" She asked, gesturing with her head towards where the humans worked.

Pelana glanced over at the humans, and then turned her head back to the gatón. "Not especially, no," she said, and then hefted the covered basket a bit, showing off its weight. "Just getting some supplies we used up. Then I saw the crowd, came to look at what was going on, and…" She let her voice trail off after than and then shrugged.

Alexis smirked a bit. "Well, there is nothing much to see. They're just attaching chains to the machine so that they can drag it to their ship."

"I can see that," Pelana replied as she again turned her head to look over the humans' activities. "But why the logs?"

Alexis let her smirk grow into a grin. "It's an old trick with them, something that let their ancestors build gigantic monuments." She then turned to look with Pelana as the Seabees in armor began to drag the logs into line. "Hopefully, it will be just enough to make up for the lack of proper equipment."

"Well, it certainly looks interesting," Pelana said neutrally. "Though, I hope you take no offense when I say that I find it unusual that you'd be involved in such a thing."

Alexis turned to Pelana and tilted an ear down in question. "Oh? Why not?" She said, reminding herself to hold her temper in check. _Not everyone means it like that._

Pelana shrugged. "Well, the other night at the tavern, you seemed, well, too nice to be doing hard work like this."

Alexis chuckled. "Even after I dumped that oaf on his tail?" She asked with an amused tone in her voice.

Pelana managed a wide smile. "Well, that notwithstanding, you, ah, didn't quite seem like the warrior type," she said, blushing slightly at the end of the sentence.

Alexis shrugged. "To tell the truth, I wasn't. At least," hr voice dropped and she turned to look at the damaged citadel sticking above the buildings off to her right. "Not since the invasion began."

Pelana followed her view and she nodded gravely. "It seems this war has touched us all," she said, her voice trailing off. "My brothers left with those so-called 'Wobbies' you and Mikula spoke of." She sighed. "I wish I could know what happened to them, or where they are now."

Alexis tilted her head in thought for a moment. "They were with the detachment that left Tanzano?"

Pelana looked at Alexis and nodded. "Yes, over a month ago. They were marching to the west- what is it?" she asked, seeing Alexis' expression change to that of a person drifting in thought.

"What are their names?" Alexis asked Pelana. The latter frowned a bit as she replied. "Ako and Merk. Why do you ask?"

Alexis mirrored the other's frown, wondering how much she should, or even _could_ say. "Pelana, there was a battle to the west of here, where my friends set down first. That was the army that the Wobbies gathered to subjugate more towns, and they had fought several battles.

"Then the battle was joined at the town of Hercor, and my friends brought the Wobbies down. Most of the lupar fled, though we captured some." Alexis looked into the face of the lupar female. "I think those names are familiar to me, as I helped the lupar after they were released."

Pelana's eyes grew wide. "Really?" She asked excitedly, so much so that the nearby lupar seemed to wince at the tone. "Do you think it was them?"

Alexis frowned again. "I can't say. I never learned their last names. Although," she turned to look towards the humans, "I may be able to check on that later. As for now, though," she changed her tone as she saw the Seabees finish testing the chains and they began to walk towards their jeeps. "I think that I have no time left to talk." Alexis then turned to look at the lupar once again. "But I promise you, I will check on that and then get back to you, no matter what the truth is."

Pelana smiled, and she nodded as well. "You certainly are kind. No wonder Mikula likes you so."

Alexis blushed deeply at that. She also managed a smile. "Well, I'm glad to hear that I'm not imagining it, then," she said with a wink.

Pelana chuckled slightly. "To hear Mikula tell it, it does sound like a story from around a campfire.

Before Alexis could respond, her radio cackled. "Alexis, time to get goin,'" Tanaka said over the comm channel. "Get over to the jeeps."

Alexis reached up to activate her helmet radio. "Roger, I'll be right there," she said in English, and then switched back to Lupari as she looked at Pelana. "Sorry, my time's up," she said as she took a step back and unslung her rifle. "I'll try to get back to you about that information, okay?"

Pelana nodded. "Thank you. And good luck."

Alexis smiled. "Thank you." With that, she turned and walked over to the jeep that she had ridden in during the day's travels.

She arrived to see one unarmored Seabee settling into the driver's seat. The man turned and gave her a small smile of welcome. "Welcome back, miss Hurano," the man aid as Alexis came around the front end and climbed into the passenger seat. "Thank you, Rich," she replied with a smile of her own. "I take it that we're ready to go?" She asked as she sat in the passenger's seat, securing her laser rifle in a slot made for just such devices between the two front seats.

Rich nodded. "Yeah. It's gonna be a long day, though," he said as he buckled himself in. Alexis followed suit as he continued speaking. "This kind of movement ain't known for its speed."

Alexis sighed as she leaned back and looked over at the tank sitting off to the jeep's right. On it sat Tanaka, who sat on the lip of the gunner's hatch on the turret's top. While Lieutenant Peterson stood up through his own hatch, which good tank commanders had tended to do since the beginning of mobile warfare. They were both looking back where the four Seabees in armor were placing the final log on the ground.

"Well, so long as we get where we're going, right?" Alexis asked rhetorically.

Rich chuckled. "Damn straight."

The radio cackled in Alexis' helmet again, and she could see Tanaka turning to look at her and speak into her own microphone. "Alexis, we need some crowd control, so please do your thing."

Alexis smirked. "I understand," she replied over the radio, and then turned to look at Rich. "You don't mind if I stand do you?"

He gave her a wary look, but then shrugged. "I suppose not," he said, knowing the reason why as he, like all the unarmored humans, had their own helmet radios tied into a common line, and so had heard the order. "Just hold on in case I have to move all of a sudden."

Alexis nodded, and then she unbuckled her seatbelts and then stood on the seat itself, poking her upper body above the open-topped canopy. Standing erect, she took a breath and then cupped her hands over her muzzle. "Attention!" She called in Lupari, getting the natives' attention all right. "Please clear the street! Once this begins to move we may not be able to stop it in time if someone gets in the way!"

The warning worked; people backed away, and many decided that it wasn't that interesting, after all, and they left the area entirely. Everyone, of course, moved out of the direction that the Abrams faced, and soon Peterson turned in his cupola t face forward, speaking over his intercom as he did so.

With a sudden lurch, the Abrams began moving, drawing the heads of everyone in the area to it. As Alexis watched from where she stood in the jeep, the 70-ton tank slowly drew forward under Peterson's watchful eyes until the chains attached to its rear were stretched taught. Then the tank seemed to stop, and Alexis realized that the weight of the _Guillotine IIC_ was now trying to hold the tank back.

The contest would normally be one-sided, favoring the 'mech, save for the fact that the four Seabees in armor, as well as the four armored troopers, lifted the top of the 'mech's shoulders and dragged it a bit so that it would start rolling up on the first log.

Alexis couldn't help but watch in fascination as the bulky battlemech began to move up and onto the log. Slowly at first, but with a bit more speed as the Abrams pulled and the log did its job of providing a movable layer between the 'mech's back and the ground.

The gatón winced as some metal screeched as the rest of the 'mech had to be dragged off of the ground lengthwise before it could be fully rested on the other logs. Then it was soon up and off of the ground, and rolling at a slow, manageable pace along the series of logs that the Seabees had managed to lay out.

"Oscar One, it would be a good idea to watch the area for any surprises," the harsh voice of Corporal Greer came in over Alexis' radio. Embarrassed at the lapse, Alexis didn't respond, but instead blushed and turned around to glance over the area. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she sat down and grabbed her rifle from its storage area.

Next to her, Rich chuckled. "Got chewed out, eh?" He asked good-naturedly.

Alexis turned and gave him a sheepish smile. "Yeah. I forgot which way I'm supposed to be looking."

Rich nodded. "An understandable mistake... For most people," he said quietly. "But when you're in a non-secured area, you need to keep your wits about you. " He spoke quietly, and kept his voice even, clearly thinking he was just reinforcing the idea in to Alexis' head.

Alexis, however, had a slightly different view. _I let myself get distracted, and that's unacceptable_, she thought as she scanned the area, her rifle resting across her lap. _I'm not a true soldier… Yet_. Her mind added the caveat easily. It gave her a brief mental pause, but then forced herself to concentrate. _'Do the mission now, worry later,' as one of those instructors told me back at Neo Tokyo_, she remembered. Taking it to heart, she continued to watch the area around as the 'mech continued to inch along on the logs that now rolled beneath it.

* * *

Mikula walked out of the firebase's infirmary and into the bright sunshine. He paused to look up at the glorious blue sky, marveling at the complete lack of any clouds. A mid-latitude cyclone much like those that regularly swept through parts of Terra had crossed the region, causing the turbulence during the flight to Hercor and the rain that had fallen on Tanzano. Now, in its wake came the briskly cool air from higher latitudes, and Mikula found the temperature a welcome relief from the humidity of the previous week.

Looking around at the few people in the small 'square,' though, he saw that not all the humans liked it so much. Some had long sleeved uniform shirts on, identifying those who had grown up in a warmer clime. Others, however, seemed to walk through the small area with a spring in their step that told Mikula that they, too, liked the change.

_Of course, I also feel good to be out of the infirmary_, he remembered as he began to walk towards the tent that he technically shared with his brother, Alexis and van Horn still stood. _Funny, though it is_, he mused as he walked. _Pavlo's the only one who's been using it. Senmar and I went to Tanzano, Alexis came soon after, and Earl after that._ He absentmindedly rubbed his now sutured up wound at the memory of the city. _Now Alexis is still there, and Earl is up on the _Rodger Young_, so it's just Pavlo and me for now_.

_Not that I got to use it last night_, Mikula remembered. After arriving at the base and reporting in, Doctor Jennings had insisted that he stay in the infirmary overnight for observation. "Just in case," the _Young_'s doctor had proclaimed. "MediJel does wonders, but it's not invincible."

Turning down the so-called 'street' that the tent was on, Mikula mentally shrugged off the irritation that he felt. _It's not like I can blame the doctor for wanting to ensure that I'm in good health, after all. That, and Soru liked the company_.

Mikula sighed as he reached the appropriate tent and then unzipped the entrance flap open. _Poor Soru. Pavlo said that the shaman comes to visit whenever he can, but he's still lonely, as no one else can speak Gatonese._ Mikula's presence, however, had brightened up the young gatón, and Mikula had regaled him with tales of what had happened since the night of his injuries.

_At least he's healing much nicer now_, Mikula thought as he entered the empty tent and headed for his cot. Sitting down, he sighed again. _How horribly he was burned before. Now, though, the Republic's medicine is helping him to recover._ Already, fur had started to re-grow on portions of his skin that had been healed up, and the gatón could stay awake for hours now. _Although he is still in pain_, Mikula knew from seeing the look in Soru's eyes. _Still, he's getting better, and that's all we can ask for, I suppose._

Just then, a knock rang on the support pole that bisected the entrance flaps. The Republic soldiers had taken to it in lieu of a real door, and it also served as a safety check of sorts; if a pole didn't stay up under a knocking, then it wasn't put up properly. "Mikula Farkas?" The semi-familiar voice came through.

Mikula stood up and then walked to the entrance flap, pushing it aside to look at the new arrival. Squinting and blinking his eyes to readjust to the outside light, Mikula managed to make out the features of a sandy-haired young man in the uniform of the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers' infantry. "Yes?"

The young man nodded at Mikula. "Major Kujira sent me. He wants a word with you."

Mikula frowned a bit, but then nodded. "All right. Did he ask for me right now, or do I have time to change first?" He asked, gesturing to his somewhat disheveled native-made clothing.

The man grinned a bit. "He said, 'at his earliest convenience.' Of course, with an officer, that means 'right now, damnit,'" he paused to let his grin grow larger, and Mikula found his own visage grinning in return. "But that also means that you can take a bit to make yourself presentable first."

Mikula nodded. "Very well. Thank you, corporal Kumar," he said, reading the young man's name from his uniform. "I'll get to the major as soon as I change then."

Kumar nodded. "All righty then. I'll go let him know," he said. Then he nodded to Mikula again and then turned and walked down the 'street.'

Mikula watched him walk a bit, and then he turned into the tent, letting the flap drop. _Now what's going on?_ He wondered as he went about changing into a relatively clean uniform that was in his footlocker.

Several minutes later, he was walking back towards the central area of the firebase, dressed in the simple light gray duty uniform of the Mobile Infantry. Part of him felt a bit conspicuous in it now that the Vanquishers weren't populating the base with their own grays, and all he could see was army brown and green.

Nevertheless, he didn't seem to get extra attention, and soon his thoughts wandered back to Kujira's sudden and somewhat mysterious order for a meet. A sudden idea caused a knot of fear to form in his belly. _What if something's happened to the people at Tanzano? To Alexis?_ Then he willfully suppressed the thought. _Kujira is an honorable man, from what I've seen so far. He would have come himself rather than to send an orderly to tell me something of that nature_. Although he and Alexis hadn't been exactly gratuitous in public, he was sure that their affection was well known.

_But if it's not that, then what?_ The thought made him frown as he reached the square around the base's flagpole where the banner of the Republic fluttered in the strong breeze. _Well, no time left_, he thought as he approached the command shed. _I might as well go and find out what it is, exactly_.

He approached the door and pushed it open, stepping inside and then pausing to let his eyes adjust. As soon as they did, Mikula saw Major Kujira standing with another officer that the lupar didn't recognize around the holotank. The noise of his entrance had caused them to look at the door, and Kujira waved him over.

Mikula approached and then halted just under a meter away from the two officers and saluted. They both returned it, and Kujira began to speak. "Good to see you, son. How's the side?"

"It's feeling much better now, sir. Thank you for asking," Mikula replied neutrally. _More proof of the major's honor; he cares about the people under him_.

"Good to hear it," Kujira said with a nod. Then he indicated the other officer by the table with his hand. "This is Lieutenant Trent Williams, the commander of the lance of the 5th Marauders' battlemechs that are attached to our force."

Williams nodded as he looked at the lupar. "Glad to be on some solid ground, too," he said with a small smile.

Kujira smirked slightly. Then he returned his face to its normally impassive expression. "With the runway completed, the lieutenant's lance has finally landed and can now provide some support to us. His 'mechs are more mobile, and with them, we can begin to strike more actively at the Wobbies."

Mikula felt his ears twitch in mild surprise. "That certainly is good news," he said lightly. Then he tilted his head a bit and let an ear flop down in question. "Although, if I may be so bold, why would you have me come here to tell me this, sir?" He was careful to add the honorific.

Williams smirked a bit, and Kujira simply nodded his head. "Because, Williams' 'mechs are going to be out in the field for good lengths of time. They will travel good distances, and potentially, meet some people along the way."

A light seemed to dawn in Mikula's head as he realized what was being said. "You want me to go with so I can be an interpreter?" He asked with a voice of wonder.

Williams nodded. "Captain Tanaka's lance seems to have benefited with the help of your friend, and frankly, I'd like the same advantage."

"Not to mention," Kujira added, bringing Mikula's head around to look at the major. "You might also have some insight as to why a certain area or group of people might be of interest to the Wobbies, whereas we might be ignorant, having come to the party late, so to speak."

Mikula nodded slightly. "I understand. It is always better to have the lay of the land, and to be able to secure help if possible."

"That's right," Williams replied. "It will be immensely helpful to my lance's operations, and spreading the word of our benign intentions will also make it easier for us to find every Blakest on this planet."

Kujira nodded a bit. "Williams' lance will scout out potential future areas of operation as well, and possibly a place to have a much larger military reservation for when the main force arrives. I doubt that the Grenadiers and the rest of the 5th Marauders' can easily fit in the smaller base we have here at Hercor."

Mikula nodded again, agreeing with Kujira's statement. "That makes sense. But if I may continue to speak freely, why are you two explaining this to me now, when apparently few others have heard about this?"

Williams raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that other people in the camp don't know about this operation?"

Mikula shrugged. "Well, the base is still relatively quiet. Wouldn't people be preparing for the new operation instead of the normal base routine?"

Williams blinked a bit, which elicited a chuckle from Kujira. "I told you they were smart," he said as Williams turned his head to the other officer.

"So I see," the 5th Marauders MechWarrior replied, and then he looked at Mikula again. "Well then, let's cut to brass tacks. We're tellin' you this now so that we can ask if you'll volunteer?"

Now it was Mikula's turn to look surprised. "Begging your pardon, but why ask? I am a soldier, and I understand orders."

"But you're not a soldier in our army," Kujira said, bringing the lupar's head around to look at him. "If you haven't noticed, you and your brother and miss Hurano haven't really been ordered to do anything, or at least, nothing significant. You've all volunteered for whatever duty you've been assigned, even for combat.

"Of course, that is a testament to your character. But you are not soldiers in the Republic's Army, and we cannot legally order you into combat because of that." Kujira then sighed. "And frankly, I wouldn't order you even if you were in the chain of command. This kind of assignment is hard work, and very dangerous, and I don't send out people unless they damn well know they can handle it."

Mikula felt his ears go back a bit as he felt a bit of pique. "I can assure you, Major, that I can perform the simple task of riding in a machine," he said. "And I can also fight fair enough if needed. I feel comfortable in being able to do this duty." He paused a bit and took a breath to buy a moment of thought. "I thank you for asking me, though, to volunteer for such an important job. I shall be glad to help."


	35. Chapter 35

It had taken the rest of the day to drag the Tanaka's 'mech up to the _Silver Pagoda_, and then most of the evening was spent to get it lifted upright and settled into the service/repair gantry. Then the real work had begun.

Alexis grunted as she held onto an armor plate while a tech named Takashi Ito used a cutting torch to slice the warped armor composite off of the _Guillotine IIC_'s right breast. They both stood on a platform that was extended from the gantry that nearly cocooned Tanaka's 'mech in a web of scaffolding and equipment, Alexis having been again drafted into helping the techs as they feverishly worked to repair the damaged war machine.

A sudden 'shink' noise, and the plate fell free of the 'mech's chest. Alexis strained hard to keep it from flying down to the deck nine meters below, and she quickly turned to her left to place it on the same catwalk that she shared with the tech, laying it on top of two other pieces that had similarly been removed.

"You okay?" Ito asked from behind Alexis. "Ya sound tired."

Alexis stood erect and turned to face the technician, who was surprisingly short when compared to most humans. "I'm fine, Takashi, thank you," she said, managing a small smile. "I just need a moment, which I'll have while you move us to the next plate."

"Okay then," the human replied with a smile of his own. He then turned off the torch and then placed it on the grating to his right, freeing his hands so that he could work the platform controls. Even as Alexis caught her breath, the repair platform moved as the large, pneumatic arm that supported it responded to Ito's guidance.

Alexis took the moment to remove the protective goggles she had been wearing so that she could rub her tired eyes. The pair had been doing the same work for the last two and a half hours, and despite the eyewear, the torch's intense flame had made Alexis' eyes squint almost shut every time. _Not much like what you'd think a soldier's life would be like_, she mused silently. Then she opened her eyes and looked around the 'mech cubicle, seeing that Tanaka and Stein were both working hard as well as they assisted the four dedicated technicians in their tasks. _Still, it's nice to know that everyone's pitching in, and it's much better than just sitting around and waiting for something bad to happen_.

She felt the platform jerk to a stop, and Ito turned his back to her as he bent over to retrieve the torch. "Eyes," he said, using the shorthand slang warning for people to protect their eyes. Alexis quickly replaced the dark goggles that had kept her retinas from becoming too damaged before, and once they were secure, she gave a thumb up to Ito, who then pointed to the next armor plate. Then he ignited the torch and went to work.

Alexis quickly leaned over just enough to grab the edge of the battered armor plate, thanking the Gods that the techs had found a good pair of thick gloves that could fit her small hands well enough. Another few minutes, and the plate came free, and Alexis again placed it on the small area set aside for the pieces.

"That's the last piece," Ito proclaimed as he shut off the torch and removed his goggles. Alexis followed suit and then looked at the oriental-descended man. "So, what's next then?"

Ito grunted. "Next, I'll need to examine the internal skeleton," he said, and gestured to the hole that the artillery shell had created. Although now it was larger, it looked slightly better with all of the twisted, bent, and blasted armor plates sliced off. "But for now, we could both use a breather." He then turned to the controls for the platform, and he quickly had it moved back to its 'docked' position; locked into the third level of the gantry.

Ito locked the controls, and then he turned to face Alexis. "After you," he said with a grin, as the platform was part of the starboard gantry, and thus the gatón was right in the path off of the narrow lift.

Alexis smirked at him. Then she turned and walked off of the platform, and Ito soon followed. Once on the main gantry, however, the tech used the extra space to slip past Alexis and gain the lead, moving for the elevator that would take the pair down to the main deck of the mech bay. Alexis followed him to the elevator. Soon the pair was standing in front of the wounded _Guillotine IIC_, looking up as two techs and Tanaka worked on the cockpit systems.

Alexis tilted her head a bit at the thought. _'Wounded?' Since when did I start to speak about machines in that manner?_ She wondered as she followed Ito to a low-slung transport cart, both sitting down on the now-empty bed of the cart. Just as she did sit, however, Alexis realized where the word had come from. _I've heard Cassandra and the other MechWarriors speaking about their machines as if they were living things… And even the ship crewmen I've met here and on the _Rodger Young_ speak of their ships having personality._ She smirked a bit at the idea. _It seems so silly, but then, who's to say they're wrong? Doesn't my own people's religion speak about spirits that inhabit things?_

"Something funny?" Ito asked from where he sat next to the gatón. Alexis turned her head to look at him, but she found him staring up at the hole in the 70-ton 'mech's chest. "In a way," she said quietly, unsure if he was listening or not.

"In what way?" He asked, still looking at the 'mech, but now shifting his eyes along the length.

Alexis found it odd, but she dismissed it. _He _is _Cassandra's personal tech, after all. He's probably worried as much as Cassandra is_. "It's just… Interesting, the way your people talk of such complex machines as almost like they're real people."

Ito smiled at that, and he finally turned his head to look at Alexis. "Yeah, we're screwy like that," he said, and then turned to look at the 'mech again. He leaned back on the cart, putting his arms back to support his weight. "There's just somethin' about people that makes 'em want to give things a personality…" He shrugged as much as his position could allow. "But I dunno. I'm a tech, I know machines. You wanna know people, go talk to 'em."

Alexis smirked a bit. "Oh, you're a real help," she said sarcastically, though with enough tint in her voice to let Ito know she was joking. The latter simply chuckled a bit, and he continued to look up at the 'mech.

"Damn techies, always lazing about," came a voice from behind the pair, and they turned to see Commander Hernandez standing on the other side of the cart. Ito and Alexis quickly stood up and saluted him, which he returned quickly with a smirk. "So Ito, deciding to just take the rest of the day off?" He asked, still smirking.

"No sir," Ito replied. "Just taking a few minutes for a break."

Hernandez grunted. "Well, just don't let Captain Tanaka catch ya," he said with a wink. "You two take care now," he said, and then walked away.

Alexis let out a small breath. "I thought he was going to be angry."

Ito turned to her and smiled. "That's what I like about workin' on a small ship. The skipper's usually a decent chap, so long as you get your work done." He then sighed a bit and shook his head as he saw Hernandez walk along towards the gantry around the _Guillotine IIC_. "Not like a big ship. I don't think you could get me on the _Rodger Young_ even if ya doubled my pay."

Alexis looked at Ito quizzically. "Really? It doesn't seem that much different here on the _Pagoda_ than it is on the _Young_."

Ito shrugged. "Well, maybe it seems that way to you because you haven't seen as much of a ship's routine as I have," he said and then started off for the gantry. Alexis followed as he continued. "In any case, the skipper runs this ship pretty low-key. He doesn't care what goes on, so long as nothing's broken, stolen, and you get all your work done."

Alexis nodded at that. "When you put it that way, I do notice that some things are different," she replied. Then she frowned a bit. "But if it's nice that way, then how come ships like the _Rodger Young_ aren't run the same way?"

Ito turned his head and gave her a look. Then he blinked and nodded to her. "I was about to ask you something rude, but then I remembered where you're from," he said with a smile as they approached the elevator at the rear of the gantry.

Alexis twitched an ear down in puzzlement. "I don't understand. How does being from somewhere different matter?"

Ito sighed. "I remember you tellin' me about your village. A nice, small one, from what you told me."

Alexis nodded as they reached the elevator and climbed on. "Yes, only a few hundred people."

"So you pretty much knew everybody, right?" Ito asked as he pressed the button for the mid-level and the elevator began to move upwards. "Or if not everybody, you at least knew someone from their family?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes, pretty much."

"Well, there ya go," Ito said as the small carriage stopped at their destination. "Basically, if someone did something bad, or just plain stupid, it'd get around to everyone right quick," he said as he opened the small safety door to the elevator and then walked off, heading for the repair platform. Alexis trailed behind, but her ears were focused forward and so she caught every word.

"I am not sure how I see the connection," she replied as they reached the platform and Ito began to lift the pieces of armor plating off of the smaller platform and onto a small, cargo elevator – one of two on the gantry, a one to each flank Alexis quickly bent over and pitched in.

"Well, you remember Neo Tokyo, right?" He asked, as they worked, and Alexis spared him a nod. "Well, do you think that a person in that city knows everyone else, or even their family?"

Alexis paused as she laid the last armor plate onto the lift, and then she looked up at Ito. "I suppose not if there are as many people in that city as doctor van Horn said there were."

Ito nodded. "I'm sure he told you the right number. Anyway, the point is," he paused for a second to walk onto the movable platform, and Alexis followed. "The point is that people, when they're in a small group, seek to work to gain each other's respect, or at least are kept in line by the fact that people know who they are, depending on just how good that man or woman is."

Ito took a moment to activate the platform and send it moving up towards the gaping hole in the _Guillotine IIC_'s chest before going on. "In a larger group of people, however, anonymity tends to sap people's will, as people think 'why work so hard when no body knows, anyway?' Not to mention, it makes a cloak which the lower dregs of society use to get away with things that would never happen in a smaller group of people."

Alexis frowned as the platform came to a stop. "Well, I can certainly understand that from what Mikula has told me about living in his city, and from what I've seen strangers do to those they don't know," she said cautiously as Ito took out a flashlight and began to look over the internal structure of the 'mech. "But I've been told military life is very different from civilian life."

Ito nodded, though he continued to stare at the wrecked structural members. "It is, but it's not all _that_ different, else regular people couldn't adapt to it and make a career out of it," he said as he reached down to the control panel with a hand and moved the platform another decimeter closer to the 'mech's chest. "In this case, discipline is needed for larger ships, because otherwise we'd just revert back to being like normal civilians, and then nothin' would get done."

Alexis blinked a few times to think this over. "So, what you're saying, is that in a larger group of people, more discipline is needed to keep everyone working together, as opposed to them working against each other?"

Ito paused in his inspection, and then he turned his head to look at Alexis. "You nailed it right on the head there," he said, his voice almost incredulous. Then he smiled and nodded towards the gatón. "Anyway, you're correct. A small group of people don't need as much discipline 'cuz they can more easily arrive at a mutual decision. But the more people you add in, the more complicated it gets." He then turned his head back to the task of inspecting the 'mech's skeleton. "And the more complicated it gets, the easier it is for things to break down and for malicious people to slip through the cracks and exploit the system."

Alexis nodded. "I think I see. Thank you, Takashi."

He shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. I'm a tech, not a professor. I'd talk it over with that doctor friend of yours first before you settle your mind on anything."

Alexis smiled lightly. "I will. So anyway," she said and gestured to the twisted frames of the 'mech they stood before. "How does it look in there?"

Ito grunted, as he moved the flashlight's beam from spot to spot. "Well, it looks better than I thought it would. Most of the blast was absorbed and deflected by the armor, and it seems that the damage inside is confined mainly to the armor support framework, rather than to any central supports."

Alexis blinked a bit as the words rolled over her. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

Ito chuckled as he turned off the flashlight and looked at Alexis. "It means that Captain Tanaka's 'mech is goin' to be fixed in two days at the rate we're movin' at."

* * *

The next day dawned over the Hercor plains, illuminating the area transformed by the arrival of the humans. The bright light from the planet's G9V type star touched the towering bulks of the Republic's DropShips that sat around the newly finished airfield, bathing them in brilliance.

Mikula watched the misleadingly beautiful scene from the back of his family's new house in Shulana, having spent the night there on a quick pass from Major Kujira. The Major had wanted to give the lupar some time to unwind from his last mission, and also to visit with his family, since his next assignment could take him away for an even longer amount of time.

_That, and we both know that I might not come back at all_, Mikula thought, letting a morbid feeling pass over him. It was soon gone in a moment, however, and he sighed. _I can't let myself think like that. If I do, it will eat me up inside and I won't be an asset, but a liability._ He smirked ruefully. _Besides, if I were truly that worried, then I shouldn't have volunteered_.

His mother had been predictably worried over his next mission, especially in light of what had happened to him in Tanzano. _Just seeing my wound made her almost want to cry_, Mikula knew. _She's endured so much lately, thinking me, then Senmar lost, and then Pavlo and I leaving for so long, then the stress of building up a new town and then having it attacked…_ Mikula sighed, and he closed his eyes and shook his head. _It seems we are cursed to live interesting lives_.

A noise from the back of the house aroused him from his thoughts, and Mikula turned to see his mother walk out from the back door to the small building. "Hello, mother," he said to her as she walked up.

"Hello, Mikula," Tiana replied. "You're up earlier than usual. I hope you managed to get enough sleep last night?"

Mikula couldn't help but smile a bit at his mother's worry. "I did. I just like to get up earlier now."

Tiana smiled back. "Well, it's nice to see that our human friends have gotten you to learn a few good habits," she said amusedly, causing Mikula to blush a bit.

"Well, I suppose that anything is possible," he replied and grinned lopsidedly.

"Indeed," Tiana replied with a nod. "Pavlo's matured, and even Senmar seems to have lost some of his hotheadedness."

Mikula nodded back. "Well, Senmar and I had a few talks," he said sheepishly.

Tiana gave her son a look. "I'll bet you have. You were always the most vocal one, you know," she spoke and then smiled, causing Mikula to blush again. Then she turned serious. "You were also always the one to go off and do something that seemed to lack common sense, as well."

Mikula sighed. "Mother, please, I know you're worried-"

"It's not that Mikula," Tiana interrupted. Then she turned and looked out over at the DropShips sitting on or near the airfield to the north. "I'm always worried; a mother's bane." She looked at Mikula and smiled a bit to show that she was at least half-joking. Then the smile disappeared. "It's just that things have changed so much lately. Places, people, even the very things we once thought we knew." She turned back to the north and sighed. "You and Pavlo have changed the most of all. Sometimes I wonder if I'll wake up one day and find you two have forgotten me."

Mikula shook his head. "That will never happen, mother, I can assure you."

"I know, I know," Tiana replied. "It's just all this change is making me so wary. Everything new almost feels as if it's one change too many." She paused to sigh and shake her head again. "Not to mention all this fighting and death we've all seen. It makes me want to just lay down and cry."

The brittle tone of Tiana's voice told Mikula just how close to the truth this was. "Mother, please," he said haltingly, trying to find the right words. "I won't- I mean, I-" He stopped and sighed explosively. "I can't just not do this. People are counting on me to help them. Not to mention the many other people across the entire world who will be helped by the removal of the Wobbies from our planet."

Tiana tilted her head down. "Mikula, I know what a soldier's life entails. Your father spoke of it often when he was home. And his long absences said just as much when he was away." She looked up at her son, as he stood about a centimeter taller than her. "It is blood, and death, and the risk of not coming home again." Her voice faltered, and she turned her head away. "I don't want what happened to your father to happen to you. And especially, I don't want it happening to Alexis."

Mikula felt almost stricken when his mother used the gatón's name. "Don't bring her into this," he said, toning his voice down a bit. "She knows what kind of life I've led, what kind of life I lead now."

"That's not why I mentioned her," Tiana said as she turned to look at Mikula. "You didn't see her, when she thought you dead that night we arrived at Hercor. The way she seemed almost haunted, and that was before you two have gotten close." She then drew her arms up and crossed them. "Unless what you've been telling me is a lie?"

Mikula felt his ears go back in both embarrassment and anger. "You know I wouldn't lie to you, not about something that important to me!"

Tiana nodded. "Then you must know how much it would devastate her if you didn't come back… How it would devastate all of us," she said, the last part gently. "That kind of pain is almost unbearable. If I didn't have you and your brothers and sister to take care of, I… I don't know what I would have done." She said, and Mikula could see tears at the corner of her eyes. "And then this damned war started, where I first thought I'd lost you, and then Senmar, almost on the same day. I couldn't stand it anymore, Mikula, I couldn't stand sitting there, waiting for the army to take Kanu and Pavlo away as well.

"And so I left, and many others did." She paused, and then sniffed. "The Gods seem to have alternately blessed and cursed us since that day, and I can't help but thinking that now that we've been blessed again, finding you and Senmar still alive," Tiana paused and turned to wave towards the ships to the north. "And you bring such powerful, helpful friends in tow. I can't help but worry that soon the Gods will again seek to take from us, and I worry that it will be you."

Several moments passed then, with Tiana looking northwest, not really at the DropShips, but instead towards the forest. Mikula just stood there staring at his mother for several moments, before he turned his head and looked at he ground. "Mom… I know what kind of pain you speak of," he said, and then paused to catch his breath.

"When we rode off to find and stop the Kurrnaki, we had to take Alexis along. When we got to where we were going, we had a large fight and-" His voice choked up a bit. "And Alexis was hurt. Very, very badly hurt."

He took a moment to control his emotions as Tiana turned to face him. "The same weapon that wounded me that dark night, the same kind reached out and tore into her." He tightened his hands into fists and he screwed his eyes shut. "I grabbed her, held her in my arms, and felt the life begin to drain from her. If it wasn't for the timely arrival of van Horn's people, then she would surely have died that day." Emotion finally choked off his voice, and Mikula stood there quietly as he fought the pain-filled memories.

"Oh, Mikula," Tiana said gently and Mikula felt her step close, drawing him into the kind of hug that all mothers reserve for their children, no matter what their age. "I had no idea. You both mentioned that battle, but you never talked much about it."

"I know," Mikula said as he returned the embrace. "We don't speak of it much, because it's so painful." They both drew away from each other then, and Mikula opened his eyes, and he rubbed them a bit with the back of one hand. "But it happened. Both Alexis and I know what it's like, to feel the loss of someone we care about so very much…" His voice drifted off, and Mikula turned to look over towards the rising sun.

"Then you know of what I speak," Tiana said quietly. "What it's like."

Mikula bent his head down and closed his eyes. "Why did you let us become soldiers then, mother, if you knew so much about that pain?"

Tiana didn't reply, and so Mikula turned his head up and looked at his mother, only to see her with her head bent down much as his was a moment before. "I didn't really 'let' you," she said quietly. "Soldiering is in your blood. You and Kanu especially were old enough to know your father decently well, and you would have chosen his profession no matter what I said. And Pavlo and Senmar would have followed, eventually."

Mikula sighed, causing his mother to bring her head up to look at him. "Mother, that's not the whole truth, and we both know it," he said gently. "You regaled us with tales that father told you of past battles. You let us visit the Laughing Daukner and talk to the soldiers on leave who would go there, and you seemed happy when each one of us finished our training." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Why the change of heart now?"

Tiana sighed again. "It's not really…" She said quietly. "I was and still am proud of you. Proud of all of you, and all that you've done." She turned and looked at her son again. "But I'm also so weary of seeing you go out and risk your lives."

"But you know why we must do that," Mikula replied. "The pain Alexis and I felt before, seeing what we had thought to be each other's death. The pain of the attack that first night, of the blasting of Kuamket and everything since…" He paused to catch his breath. "What we've done, what we're going to do, it _must_ be done. Not for glory or wealth, but because by doing it, we can prevent that pain from being revisited again and again upon everyone else.

"Pavlo, Alexis and I all know this. So does Kanu, Senmar… And so did Father," Mikula's voice faltered a bit at the last. "We choose this life, to go out and risk our lives, to even loose them if necessary, so that others need not fear for theirs. We do it because it's right." Even as he spoke, he heard the eerie echo of van Horn's voice from within his memories. "Because others can't do what we can do, don't know what we know. It's our responsibility."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, despite the fact that Mikula could pick out the movement of vehicles in the distance. Then his mother spoke quietly. "Mikula… I hope you know that you've made me so very proud today."

Mikula blinked in surprise. "Wh-what?"

Tiana smiled at his confusion. "Don't get me wrong, I still am not happy you're leaving," she said and dropped the smile. "But now, at least, I am sure that you're doing it for the right reasons.

"I know you've matured much lately," Tiana continued, and she turned to walk a few paces further from the house. "But even then, I wanted to make sure that you still don't have those ridiculous images of glory and fame that some people in the army nurture until they end up dying on the battlefield." She sighed again "I know I should have more faith in you, but sometimes the allure of such cheap rewards is too great."

Mikula took a step towards her. "I can assure you, mother, all of those kinds of thoughts were burned out of me that night on the Tanzano plains."

Tiana turned and smiled at her son. "I'm glad to hear it," she said softly. Then she walked over and quickly hugged Mikula again. "You just do your best to come back."

"I will mother," Mikula replied as he hugged her back. "I will."

* * *

Alexis sat down on the ramp of the dropship _Silver Pagoda_ that led from the ship's 'mech bay to the ground. The evening air was cool and clean, and a slight breeze blew from the northwest to waft the smell of the river towards the landed Republic ships. Alexis took a deep breath of the scent, relishing it despite the bitter hint of dead fish that rode upon it. _It's a nice change of pace from the oil, grease, and burnt metal smells of the dropship,_ she thought tiredly. _Everyone's been working on Cassandra's mech almost nonstop since last night._

She turned her head to the left, and Alexis easily peered into the yawning opening in the side of the 1,900-ton dropship. Inside, the lights of the 'mech bay easily showed the 70-ton _Guillotine IIC_ standing within the framework of its repair gantry. The front of the 'mech was all fixed up, and it only lacked a coat of paint on top of the new armor plating that sat on the 'mech's right chest. Behind it, though, Alexis could see the movement of several people, including one in an exoskeleton.

_Replacing the Gyro already, I see,_ she thought. _They work quickly, though I wonder why they didn't ask me for help?_ Just as soon as she finished posing the question, though, a voice answered it. _Because it's a lot more technical and sensitive than the work you can do. You'd be more a hindrance than any help_.

Alexis wanted to feel bad at that, but instead, she felt a vague sense of relief. _I guess they're not the only ones who would worry about me helping with that_, she thought with a wry smile. _I can't really blame them. It's all very complicated to me, and I haven't had the education needed. And if there's one thing all this training has taught me, it is that a person can do significant harm with machinery if he or she is ignorant of its proper use._

She turned her head then and looked straight ahead, watching the northern horizon darken as twilight faded into dark night. To the north, she knew, lay several more lupar cities… And in them, the enemy. _Such terrible cost it might take to remove them_, Alexis thought sadly. _Earl spoke of 'urban warfare' enough to convince Pavlo, Mikula and I that it would be a last resort. But with all that's happened, with all the Wobbies' horrific actions… Will it be the only resort?_

The sounds of metal hinges moving interrupted Alexis' train of thought, and she turned her head to look over her shoulder and at the city gate that sat just distant enough to avoid the backlash of a fusion-powered takeoff. Sure enough, the large gates were being pulled open from the inside via chains and pulleys, and Alexis could make out the forms of city guards moving to take positions just outside of the gatehouse.

_Odd, I wonder what they're up to?_ Alexis mused silently as she stood up so that she could turn and watch the scene comfortably. She caught some movement from near the base of the _Silver Pagoda_, but she forced herself to remain calm, as she knew it to be only one of the soldiers from the 3rd Platoon under another ghillie suit. _It seems I'm not the only one whose curiosity is piqued._

Alexis' attention was again drawn to the guards as someone walked out from the small phalanx of guards near the gate. The darkness hid the exact identity of the lupar, as it did to the other two who soon joined him. Then the three turned and headed towards the dropship, albeit at a slow pace.

With that, Alexis turned and walked at a fast pace into the cavernous 'mech bay, heading for the repair gantry around Tanaka's '_Guillotine IIC_. She stopped about a meter beyond the forward most abutment of scaffolding, raised her hands to her muzzle, and then called out. "Captain!"

Tanaka looked up from where she had been supervising the installation of her 'mech's new gyro. The look on her face was sour, but Alexis didn't let it get to her, as she knew how worried the human was with the 'health' of her ride. "What is it?" Tanaka called back.

"Visitors from the city! They look official!" Alexis had to cry out then to be heard over the din of torches being lit up, and she averted her eyes, as she didn't have any welding glasses.

Although her vision was protected, Alexis could use her ears well enough to hear the clattering of Tanaka's boot-shod feet as she moved along the metal catwalk. Soon, the clattering changed, and then stopped, as Tanaka climbed down a ladder and then reached the main deck.

Alexis turned to look, wary to keep a hand in the line of sight between the welding and her eyes. She saw Tanaka approaching, the sour look still dominating her features, though the glint of curiosity shone in her eyes. "So, what do we got?"

"Looks like three lupar from the city," Alexis said, and then she paused, as she had to catch up with Tanaka as the latter walked right on past the gatón, heading for the open ramp/door. "I figure they must be decently important to merit opening the city gate," Alexis added as she caught up.

Tanaka nodded as the two walked down the ramp. "Good. Hopefully, it's a message from that council we met the other night."

"Such were my thoughts," Alexis replied as thy reached the bottom of the ramp and paused to let their eyes adjust to the lower light of the evening. "Although, I admit that I am a bit worried that they took so long."

Tanaka grunted and shrugged. "Such is the nature of a bureaucracy."

"I suppose," Alexis said dubiously. She now could squint and make out the image of the three lupar as they closed the distance.

Tanaka made an amused sound. "Didn't no one tell you 'bout committees, Alexis?"

The gatón glanced at Tanaka. "No…"

"A Committee is an organism with twenty feet, ten stomachs, and no brain," Tanaka relayed the old joke with a smile.

Alexis, however, just looked at the human quizzically. "I don't understand; the council had twelve people, not ten."

"I'll explain later," Tanaka replied as the three lupar cautiously halted about five meters from the two waiting for them. She then nudged Alexis, who shook her head to clear it of the vague imagery of Tanaka's joke, and then spoke. "Please, approach. No one will challenge you."

The three lupar hesitated a bit, but the one in the lead soon started forward, and when he wasn't annihilated, the other two followed. As they pulled closer and the light from the 'mech bay spilled over their features, Alexis easily recognized their leader as the commander of the gate from two nights ago.

The lupar, Nukarra, squinted a bit as the light made his eyes readjust. Then he blinked them clear and nodded at Alexis. "So, we meet again," he said with a hint of a smile on his muzzle.

"Indeed we do," Alexis returned neutrally. "My apologies if I seem rude, but it is getting late, and it would be quite nice of you to arrive at the point of your visit."

Nukarra blinked a bit in surprise, and one of the lupar behind him stifled a grin. "Well, aren't you the impatient one?"

Alexis blushed a bit at that. "As I said, I apologize if I offend, but time is not a commodity to spend unwisely at the moment."

Nukarra nodded at that. "I have been on campaigns before, so I can sympathize," he said gently, and Alexis felt her opinion towards the lupar climb up a bit. "So to get to the point, I have the council's decision."

Alexis nodded, but she also held up a hand towards Nukarra while she turned her head to look at Tanaka. "He has the ruling council's decision. Should we wait and have Sergeant Renard or Commander Hernandez listen as well?"

Tanaka shrugged. "It doesn't matter too much. I'm here, they trust my word, and I trust yours." She paused and smiled a bit as Alexis blushed lightly at the compliment. "And in any case, Renard will get an earful anyway," she said, lightly gesturing towards the rear of the three lupar. Alexis glanced that way, and she worked to keep a grin off of her face as she noticed that the armored trooper who had been sitting next to the _Silver Pagoda_ had crept silently to stand behind the new arrivals.

"What is it?" Nukarra asked as he saw Alexis' face change expression. The gatón, however, just shook her head a bit. "I'm sorry, I was translating for my friend and she said something vaguely amusing." _Not entirely untrue, as she did say something that led to my amusement_, she rationalized. "So, what is the council's decision?"

Nukarra reached into a bag he carried on his right hip, and he pulled out a roll of paper that Alexis recognized easily as a scroll. She also saw the man in the Marauder armor shift slightly, but he obviously recognized the parchment for what it was as well, for he did nothing but shift on his feet again, causing the ghillie suit to sway a bit in the breeze.

Then Alexis' attention was brought back to Nukarra as he began to speak. "'The Ruling Council of Tanzano, guiding light of the city, paragons of-'" He paused, and then gave Alexis a look. "Do you want to full, florid prose, or just the real message?"

Alexis favored him with a wide smile. "The real message, or the 'meat' as my friends here would call it."

Nukarra nodded a bit, and he read over the scroll a bit before lowering it. "Basically, the council has denied your use of Tanzano or any area around it for you to use, and they want you gone 'at your earliest convenience.'"

Alexis blinked hard at that, and she was silent for a few moments. Then Tanaka nudged her and spoke. "Alexis, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Alexis turned her head to look at the human. "The council denied our request. We're to leave as soon as we can."

Tanaka stood there for a moment, her face impassive. Then she nodded. "Well, we tried, Alexis. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Alexis tilted an ear down in puzzlement. "What?"

"Nevermind," Tanaka replied with a shake of her head. "Just tell 'em that that's fine. We'll be gone by this time tomorrow."

Alexis nodded slowly, and she turned back to look at Nukarra. "We understand. Please inform your superiors that we shall leave by this time tomorrow evening." The two guard lupar standing behind Nukarra relaxed visibly. _Undoubtedly because they won't have to face us in a fight_, she realized.

"Well, I cannot say I agree with the council's decision, but I thank you for not wanting to take issue with it," Nukarra said as he rolled up the scroll. "Do you wish to read this parchment so as to confirm what I've said?"

Alexis hesitated for a second. "Not to read, for I find no reason to doubt your word, but others would like to have it simply so that there is a proper record," she replied with a slight bow of her head towards the lupar.

Nukarra nodded and he held out the scroll, which Alexis took from his hands quickly. "I understand. Now, I beg your leave, for the Council expects a report from me as soon as possible."

Alexis nodded. "Of course. And please, if you can, relay our wishes of peace and prosperity to your council for us," she said with a small smile. "We shall not hold them in any great dishonor for their decision."

Nukarra nodded. "I thank you, miss," he replied, and then nodded towards Tanaka, who returned the gesture. "Have a good evening," he said, and then turned around, prompting his soldiers to follow suit.

…Only to startle in place as they laid eyes on the imposing bulk of a trooper in Marauder armor standing perfectly still behind them. Alexis watched as their ears and shoulders slumped down in sudden fright for a few seconds. Then they seemed to recover, helped along by chuckling from Tanaka and Alexis.

Nukarra turned around, and Alexis gave him a sheepish smile. "My apologies, but my friends here have a strange sense of humor," she said to him, and then changed languages and looked at Tanaka. "They're just going to head back now."

Tanaka nodded at the gatón, and then she turned her head to look at the armored trooper. "It's okay, son, let 'em go."

"Yes sir," the man replied, and he took a wide step to the back and his left, clearing a direct line path to the gate for the lupar. Nukarra watched this, and then he turned his head back and looked at Alexis. "Well played, and thank you." He said, and then turned and walked off for the gate. He strode purposefully, uncowed by the armored human, causing his two guards to quickly skitter around the infantryman so they could catch up to him.

Alexis watched them go, and then sighed as they reached the gate. "And I thought that I did well the other night…" She muttered in English for Tanaka's benefit.

The MechWarrior laid a friendly hand on Alexis' left shoulder. "You did do good," she said gently. "Sometimes, though, even our best isn't enough. You just have to accept that and move on."

Alexis looked at Tanaka and nodded. "That sounds true enough," she said quietly as Tanaka removed her hand. "So, what now?"

"Now, we go up to the bridge and report this directly to Major Kujira. Then, I'm headin' back to the 'mech bay and fixin' my ride before we leave."

* * *

Mikula felt strange as he clasped the cooling vest over his bare, furred chest. The ballistic cloth of the vest felt more unusual to him than any other human-made article he had worn thus far, and it was especially so with the weight of the coolant inside pulling down on his shoulders. _It's almost like the armor I used to wear back when I was in the Tanzano army_, he thought as the last clasp fit snugly together.

He was standing inside the 'mech bay of the USS _Ronnie Cordova_, the _Leopard_-class dropship that had carried Lieutenant Williams' lance across the stars, and now sat to the side of the new airfield. Around him were Sergeant Peter Nguyen, one of the MechWarriors of Williams' lance, his personal tech, and Lieutenant Williams himself. They were helping him to become familiar with the new equipment that he would need to use if he was to ride along in one of the Marauders' battlemechs.

"How's it feel?" Asked Nguyen's tech, and Mikula looked over at him. "Good. A little heavy, but it's seated fine now."

The man nodded. "Glad to hear it. It was a pain in the ass to adjust that for ya, so if you think there's anything wrong with it now, you'd better tell me while I still have everything ready."

Mikula frowned a bit, and he twisted a bit in several directions as he tried to find some common position of his body that could either undo the bindings on the upper part of the vest, or that would overly restrict him. "No, I dare say that it's as close to perfect as can be expected."

The tech smirked a bit. "Good. Now," he turned and looked at Williams. "If I ain't needed anymore sir?"

Williams nodded to him. "Thanks for your help, Smitty. Go take a load off."

Smitty smiled and he sketched a casual salute to Williams and Nguyen before he turned and entered the doorway in the bulkhead that Mikula stood near. The lupar and the other two humans watched him go before turning back to each other again. "Sorry 'bout Smitty," Nguyen commented after the door hatch closed. "He's a gruff one."

Mikula shrugged a bit. "I does not matter, as I take no offense," he replied. Then he bent his head down and looked over the front of the gray-colored vest, noting the small pockets sewn into the outer fabric and the loops that were there for MechWarriors to fit their biomonitor cables through. "It is a bit heavy, though."

Williams nodded as Mikula looked back up. "Yeah. Unfortunately, none of our cooling suits will fit your tail or legs, so we're stuck with the old tech the Guard gets," he said with a shrug. "Still, your friend with Tanaka seemed to not be too badly affected, and we'll be stickin' you with John in his cool-runnin' _Hellbringer II_, so it shouldn't matter too much."

Mikula nodded back. "Very well. I suppose I'm ready then."

"So I figured," Williams added with a faint smile. Then he turned his head and looked at Nguyen. "John, I'm gonna saddle up. You take care of mister Farkas here."

"Yes sir," Nguyen responded. Then he saluted Williams, who returned the gesture and then walked off through the cramped 'mech bay, heading for his own battlemech.

Nguyen watched him walk away for a bit before he turned back to Mikula and crossed his arms. "So, you got everything packed in that bag of yours?" He asked and gestured to the duffle bag lying next to Mikula's feet.

The lupar nodded again. "Yes sir. I have everything that I need."

"Good," Nguyen commented. "Well, let's get goin' then," he said, and then turned and started to walk off. Mikula quickly leaned over and grabbed his bag and the infantry helmet that he had been given back on New Honshu. He put the latter on top of his head, and the former he hefted up carefully, wary as he was of the weight. _If I'm going to be riding in one of these large things, then why do I need to take my infantry armor along?_

He banished the thought then, as Nguyen was drawing further away, and Mikula quickly moved off after the human, snaking through the various support gantries and equipment that crowded the 'mech bay of the _Cordova_. Unlike the _Silver Pagoda_ and other _Confederate_-class DropShips assigned to the National Guard, the _Ronnie Cordova_ didn't have her fighter bays removed for greater internal space. Thus, the space allocated for the four battlemechs of Williams' lance was much less than the comparatively large bay aboard the _Pagoda_.

Mikula acutely felt that size difference, as he had to be careful to squeeze his duffle and himself through the small spaces between machinery. _Humans are so much larger, so how does Nguyen move so easily?_ Mikula asked himself as he headed aft. Then his thoughts stalled as he aught up with Nguyen and stood before the human's 'mech.

The _Hellbringer II_ was the Republic's re-engineering of a Clan omnimech. Whereas the clan version sported massive amounts of pod space, but little else, the Republic had refitted the chassis to carry huge amounts of armor and equipment. Thus, the 65-ton omnimech looked like a bulkier version of its clan progenitor, but any pilot mistaking it for the thin-skinned clan 'mech would receive a terrible shock.

Mikula, of course, didn't know nor think about this. All he could do was gaze in awe at the ten-meter war machine as it stood in its own service gantry. The bay door to Mikula's left was already open. Though he couldn't see outside due to the darkness of night, but the lack of any outside illumination only served to heighten the foreboding appearance of the battlemech.

"Glad to see you appreciate a good machine," Nguyen said from Mikula's side, breaking the lupar from his reverie. Mikula turned and nodded at Nguyen. "Indeed. It's impressive, to say the least." He then turned and looked back up at the machine again. "It looks more fierce than most others I've seen."

Nguyen chuckled slightly, bringing the lupar's head down once again. "Well, the appearance was designed by the Clans to inspire fright into their opponents."

"Well, it certainly works, I think, since I'm not an enemy and even I'm intimidated," Mikula replied as he looked over the machine again. "It looks… Deadly."

Nguyen smiled broadly as Mikula looked over at the human again. "I'm glad you agree. Now," he gestured to the small gantry elevator to their right. "Let's go saddle up." With that, Nguyen walked over to the small platform, and Mikula followed right after.

The next few minutes were spent in mostly silence – or as silent as one could get with the noises of the lance's other three 'mechs starting up and techs making last minute checks. Mikula had long ago grown accustomed to the constant din in which humans tended to surround themselves, but the cacophony of a 'mech bay in full swing was starting to annoy him.

Then the elevator stopped, and the two walked out onto the catwalk that led to the back of the 'mech's cockpit. Nguyen walked out first, and he was inside the small space before Mikula could catch up. The latter paused at the entrance to the cockpit to let his eyes adjust to the far dimmer lighting inside the control area, and he was astounded at the array of controls. _It's almost like the controls to one of their ships_.

Nguyen was just sitting in his command chair, and he spared a moment from his start up routine to glance at Mikula. "The jump seat's over there," he said, gesturing to a small, slightly off-color panel set into the rear-left wall of the cockpit. Mikula saw that it had a latch at the top, and he stepped inside to work at it. Soon, he was sitting in the seat, holding his duffle bag and watching Nguyen as the human worked to attach the biosensor leads and power and coolant couplings to his Republic-issue cooling suit. Then he remembered about his duffle, and he quickly stood up and went to secure it in the cargo netting at the back of the cockpit, right next to Nguyen's own pack.

Mikula had just returned to his seat and buckled in when Nguyen turned and looked at him – somewhat uneasily as the MechWarrior had already put on his neurohelmet. "You buckled up yet?"

"I was about to, yes," Mikula replied, and he did as he said, pulling the straps together and fastening them.

"Okay then," Nguyen commented. "Could you do me a favor real quick?"

"Of course," Mikula replied with a quick nod.

"Ya see that lever to your left?" He asked, pointing with his left hand to a large and red two-pronged lever. "Pull it down and then use that latch at the bottom to lock it."

"All right," Mikula said and then he turned in his seat. He found the lever a bit harder to pull than it seemed at first, but soon he managed to get it all the way down, where it locked into place by itself with a 'click' noise. As soon as it did, a rumbling began beneath the cockpit, deep within the bowels of the 'mech.

"Thanks," Nguyen commented without looking as he typed in his passcode into the control console's keyboard.

"You're welcome," Mikula responded easily as he used the heavy-duty latch on the wall to lock the lever down. "But what did that do?"

"That's the reactor switch. By puttin' it into the 'on' position, you started the engine," Nguyen said as his holographic HUD popped into view between him and the cockpit's ferroglass screen. "So we got power now."

"I see," Mikula commented as Nguyen ran through the last startup checks. _Amazing_, he thought._ Earl told me that they use the same power as the sun inside their engines, and yet it turns on at the flick of a switch_.

Then Nguyen spoke, brining Mikula's attention back to the present. "Could you turn on your helmet radio so that the comm suite can add it into the network?"

"Certainly," Mikula replied and he quickly reached up to flick the small knob on the underside of the helmet's edge. The cackle of the radio's speaker near his right ear then intruded upon his consciousness, and then wavered as the microchips in the set and the communications gear in the _Hellbringer II_ aligned their codes automatically. The cackle soon died, and all Mikula heard from the speaker were the sounds of the 'mech lance's common frequency.

"…So this girl starts grinding' on me, and I'm all 'what the fuck?'" Came the voice of a man who he recognized as the lance's _Summoner II_ pilot.

"Cut the chatter, Fred, Harry." Williams' voice washed over the gruff laughter of the lance's fourth member. "Everybody ready to get goin' yet, or are y'all still strokin' your throttles?"

"Whiskey Four is good to go," came the voice of Harold Ferguson, the lance's _Mad Dog II_ pilot.

"Whiskey three is ready to rock," Fred Jeffries' voice came next.

Mikula saw Nguyen blink oddly, and he realized that he must've used the eye-driven communications software that he'd heard about. "This is Whiskey Two, standin' by Ell-tee."

"Glad to see y'all ain't drunk," Williams commented after everyone was done. "Stand by for clearance, then form up three hundred meters north. That's the one with the big 'N' Harry."

Laughter from Nguyen and Jeffries rolled through the frequency at the crack, and it was met by low grumbling from Ferguson. Then it was cut off as they all could hear the raucous clatter of the 'mech bay's alarms ringing through their cockpits. Mikula heard it as well, and he looked out of the _Hellbringer II_'s canopy to see yellow rotating lights flashing throughout the bay.

A moment passed in quiet anticipation before they heard a fifth voice on the unit's frequency. "Captain Delaney to Whiskey lance," came the voice of the _Cordova_'s captain. "Y'all're clear to debark. Good luck boys, and bring me back somethin' to hang over the mess hall door."

Williams chuckled as he replied. "Will do cap'n," he said, and then his voice changed back into his normal tenor. "Okay boys, let's move."

With that, Nguyen pressed the throttle on his command couch's arm forward, and the 65-ton 'mech lurched forward. Mikula reached down and gripped the edges of the jump seat in much the same way Alexis had during her first ride atop a walking tank.

It only took a few multi-meter strides for the _Hellbringer_ the march out of the side of the _Ronnie Cordova_ and then walk down the ramp to the ground below. The heavy thuds of the diamond-tread feet on the ferrocrete of the airfield reverberated up through the skeleton, which let Mikula feel every jolt as the war machine moved under Nguyen's direction. Despite the swaying movements, Mikula managed to keep watch out the forward view screen as the _Hellbringer_ turned and walked towards the rear of the _Cordova_, eventually clearing the large tail of the aerodynamic craft.

Nguyen pressed a control, and soon the HUD changed color as light-enhancement was added to the display. Mikula squinted a bit to make out the images on the holographic projection, which took some getting used to as it compressed the full 360 degree view from around the 'mech into a 180 degree arc. Ahead, he managed to make out the two images of Ferguson's _Mad Dog _and Williams' _Timber Wolf_ striding forward at a leisurely pace. Another image off to the side of the HUD showed Jeffries' _Summoner_ moving out of the _Leopard_-class dropship and making its turn to follow Nguyen's 'mech.

"Enjoying the ride so far?" Nguyen asked Mikula without turning his head, though he did mute their microphones first.

"If by enjoying, you mean that I feel ready to jump out, then yes," Mikula replied with a half-hearted joke.

Nguyen chuckled a bit. "Well, get used to it, 'cuz things are just gonna get worse from here on out."

Mikula rolled his eyes, though Nguyen couldn't see it. "Great," he muttered sarcastically.

* * *

The next day came and went, and soon Alexis found herself again sitting in the cockpit of Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ as the 70-ton mech walked away from Tanzano, along a trade road that led to the north. Night was just falling, and Tanaka had turned on the spotlight on top of her machine to scan the road ahead as she led the procession of Oni lance and the tanks of Peterson's Checker lance.

Alexis still didn't understand why the Tanzano Ruling Council had denied their use of the area, but true to their word, the Republic was leaving on their request. Tanaka had spent over an hour in conversation with Major Kujira, Lieutenants Williams and Vickers, and with Captain Ladavic. When she had emerged again from the bridge of the _Silver Pagoda_, she had called all the personnel from the various ground forces and informed them of their new plan.

"We're gonna move north," Tanaka had said. "We'll move along the plains, lettin' the navy aerojocks give us cover along the way, and that'll grab the Blakests' attention while Whiskey lance moves through the forests and begins to pick off some of the Wobbies' outlying' encampments."

_Which makes us a big target_, Alexis knew. The idea made her nervous, but she did her best to not let it get to her. _We've been targets since the Republic landed at Hercor. The attempted nuclear attack and the raid on the _Silver Pagoda_ the other day are proof of it._ Still, the idea of willingly making oneself a bigger, open target was somewhat unusual to her, having instincts that matched her camouflaged fur pattern. Her recent martial training had further drilled it into her that to be seen was not a good idea, and so the almost casual way in which the forces under Tanaka marched north seemed to her a very strange sight indeed.

_Still, it's not like we'll be totally alone,_ Alexis reminded herself. _Like Tanaka said, we'll have aerospace fighters nearby almost constantly, and the Vanquishers can ride down whenever we need help_

The thought of the Mobile Infantry platoon above gave Alexis a vague feeling of homesickness. _How odd_, she thought. _I don't think I've really felt homesick since… Well, since the caravan from Kuamket_. She frowned as this new piece of data entered her consciousness. _I guess that since then, I've been so busy… Dealing with attacks, helping the wounded, the time I thought Mikula and Earl were dead_, she paused to control her feelings at that memory. _And then all that happened around Hercor, then the trip away and fighting the Wobbies at that village… And then waking up on some strange new world… And everything else since._

"You okay Alexis?" Tanaka asked, startling the gatón a bit. "You look sad."

Alexis gave Tanaka a sheepish smile. "Not especially, I'm just… Thinking."

"'Bout what?" Tanaka asked good-naturedly.

"About many things," Alexis replied cautiously. Then she sighed. "But mostly about how strange things are for me now. All the unusual events that have led me up to this point."

Tanaka chuckled a bit. "That's life in a nutshell, ain't it?" She asked. "Some of us go through it with some big plan and all, and others just live from moment to moment… And either way, we don't quite end up where we'd expect."

Alexis nodded at the comment. "What you say has such truth in it…" She let her voice trail off. "Cassandra?"

"Yes?" Tanaka replied absentmindedly as she edged off of the road to avoid knocking over a tree that had grown at the roadside.

Alexis paused to gather some courage. "If I may ask, what sort of strange events led you to this place?"

The next few moments passed mostly silent, with only the low rumbling of the 'mech's fusion reactor and the thumps of its footfalls leaking in from outside the cockpit. If she hadn't known better, Alexis would have wondered if Tanaka had fallen asleep.

Then the human sighed. "Well… It started way back when I was a youngster just out of high school. I was only a little bit younger than you, and getting ready to attend NTU South." Tanaka smirked a bit. "Damned if I knew what the Hell I really wanted to do, but goin' to school is a must in today's world if you don't want to end up bein' a line worker."

"NTU?" Alexis asked quietly.

"Sorry, 'Neo Tokyo University,'" Tanaka explained. "The southern campus, to be precise, since the city's so big one campus can't hold every student, so they built five of 'em.

"Anyway, at the time, I was mainly interested in chemistry, so I worked for a Bachelor's in that. Oh, and since you'll probably ask, a Bachelor's is a four year degree in a general field."

Alexis blinked, though Tanaka couldn't see it as she was now concentrating on the road and her own memories. However, she could hear the confusion in the gatón's voice. "Four years? You can spend four years studying something?"

"Or more," Tanaka added casually. "There's a Master's and a Doctorate, too. Hell, Alexis, some people spend their entire lives studying one thing." She shrugged – hard to do with the neurohelmet riding on her shoulders. "The fields of science are so vast that no one person can know everything, so people pick something that suits them best and they work at it."

"Amazing…" Alexis said quietly. "But, if you were going to study chemistry, how did you end up here?"

Another moment passed before Tanaka replied. She sighed as she began. "It was into my third year at NTU when Neo Tokyo was attacked by pirates.

"It was the first, and so far, only successful landing of an enemy force onto the planet in all of history. The bastards came in at a pirate point just on the other side of Kyushu, and they accelerated in before the Navy could get their forces fully repositioned.

"Of course, that's not to say the bandits weren't whittled down some," Tanaka's voice took on a timbre of satisfaction. "Port Kure managed to snipe one of the bastards' DropShips right out of the sky with their naval particle cannons, though the other three ships managed to get by." She paused to maneuver her 'mech around a small hut that sat alongside the road. Alexis looked at it in the HUD and saw a pair of lupar standing outside and pointing at the two-legged war machine.

"Our fighters got a second one, but two of those ships managed to land near Neo Tokyo… Right in the southern portion, in fact." The captain's voice grew cold at the last. "There was an old _Union_ and a _Fury_, and aboard they had twelve 'mechs, eight light tanks and APCs, and a lot of infantry…" She paused again, though not from any obstacle along the 'mech's path. "They made a beeline for the heart of the city… Right past where NTU's Southern campus is.

"I was in class when the civil warnings sounded." Tanaka shuddered. "Those alarm klaxons they use, they're some kind of strange mojo. Make the most horrific wailing sound you ever did hear… But it got results, 'cuz everyone started hunkering down at that." She snorted then. "Well, 'cept me and Paul, who was a good friend of mine.

"We couldn't help ourselves but to sneak out of the building we were in and take a look." Tanaka shook her head. "Bad idea. Someone in one of those 'mechs walkin' by must've seen us, 'cuz one of the APCs turned and bashed through the low wall that surrounded the campus."

Alexis shuddered involuntarily s she remembered her own encounter with a similar vehicle, but Tanaka didn't notice and she continued. "The APC didn't fire, but instead it let loose a whole goddamned platoon of the worst cutthroats and horrific bandits you ever did see came runnin' out.

"They fanned out, obviously more concerned with pillaging than real military discipline." Tanaka snorted then. "If they ever had it to begin with. Anyway, five of 'em see me and Paul, and they come a runnin' for us with guns raised."

Alexis leaned forward in her seat as Tanaka paused again to sigh collect her thoughts. "The thing is, though, is that the Republic not only allows private citizens to carry firearms, but the government actually encourages it." She smirked a bit, which Alexis could see in the reflection on the inside of the captain's neurohelmet visor. "Paul had his favorite toy out in a second, one of those old forty-five caliber pistols. He drilled a pair of holes in the first to priates before they realized that he was armed.

"Unfortunately, that was the last thing he did…" Tanaka's voice became distant and brittle. "Some bitch behind that first downed pair sent a hail of fletchettes from a needler into Paul's face." She sighed again as the emotions rose. "The docs say he died quickly, painlessly, so I guess it wasn't too bad."

"Anyway," she pressed on, her voice becoming a bit more neutral as she continued to speak. "I caught some needles myself, since I was a bit too close to Paul. The damn things ripped into the side of my head, took away most of my right ear. I fell to the ground, and I guess that's what saved me from any further attacks, since I must've looked dead to the pirates.

"Then while I was on the ground, a shadow appeared from above the building. The pirates all stopped and stared open-mouthed as a National Guard soldier jetted down in his Elemental armor." Tanaka's face blossomed into a grim smile. "The guy didn't even fire, but he simply crushed the woman's head with his laser arm as he landed." She chuckled a bit then. "The last two guys pissed themselves, so I guess they hadn't heard of battle armored infantry at the time. Unfortunately for them, the assholes didn't know when to run, and so the trooper choked one to death with his battle claw while he kicked to other guy in the chest with his right foot." Tanaka made a small, amused sound. "You haven't seen someone thoroughly kicked until you see 'em kicked by a guy in battle armor. The fucker must've flown fifteen meters before his body collapsed on the ground."

Silence suddenly returned then, somewhat unexpectedly to Alexis. After a moment, she wondered if Tanaka was going to continue and was about to ask when the captain sighed again. "Anyway. Paul's death hit me hard… But I heard a lot more people had it worse." She shook her head as she talked. "Some families were killed entirely when they were sitting in traffic when one of those bastards in a 'mech stomped their car." Tanaka nearly growled the words out, which Alexis found eerily similar to how some gatón sounded when angry.

"I saw all of that, remembered Paul's valiant attempt to protect me and the others in the building, and then how the National Guard raced in and beat the living shit out of every single pirate that didn't surrender. I decided then that I didn't want anyone else to die for no other reason than some bastard pirate king got a burr up his ass. So I joined the Guard, and haven't looked back."

The sheer enormity of the tale caused Alexis to sit in quiet contemplation. It was a silence that Tanaka didn't feel like disturbing either, having dredged up the ghosts of the past. And so the pair rode on in the eerie, shaking environment that was the command center for one of the most deadly war machines ever created.

A small, almost inconsequential thought entered Alexis' mind. At first, she didn't want to entertain it, but her natural curiosity took over. "Cassandra?"

"Hmm?" Tanaka hummed non-committaly.

"You said that needle blast took away part of your right ear… But you look fine to me."

Tanaka chuckled. A genuine, if somewhat strained chuckle. "You weren't all that good yourself when you arrived on New Honshu, now were you?" She asked good-naturedly, causing Alexis to blush. "As you've seen and experienced, our medicine can do wonders."

Alexis nodded at that. "Let us hope, then, that the same kind of miracles can be done with your martial prowess."

Tanaka laughed at that. "Truer words were never spoken," she said in good spirits, her memories banished for the moment. "I wish we could have a drink to that… Ah, well, remind me to get something with a kick at the next friendly village we get to."

Alexis chuckled. "Will do, captain."


	36. Chapter 36

They had pushed on throughout the night, and then early into the next day before Tanaka decided to call camp. The thirty-one men and women of the Republic, plus a certain gatón, all worked to set up a temporary camp in a miniature valley formed by a tributary of the river that flowed past Tanzano. Soon, though, their tents were set up and the watch posted. A tank and 'mech each rotated in six hour increments, spreading the burden around. In addition, the two squads of armored infantry from the 3rd Platoon under Sergeant Renard made irregular patrols designed to sweep over terrain not previously covered before.

Despite this, and the occasional faint screech of an aerospace fighter overflight, Alexis was nervous still. _We're just sitting here, hundreds of gradragnas from any help, from the base at Hercor, and the Wobbies could launch an attack at any time_, she thought darkly as she worked to clean her laser rifle. _And that feeling of homesickness is knawing at the back of my mind… But homesick for _what_? I can't go back to Shulana, not with how I will be seen by many there._

Alexis then dropped one of the pieces she was balancing on her lap; a focusing lens. She growled a bit in frustration as she bent over on the log she was sitting on and retrieved the piece. _It got dirty again,_ she thought, and then sighed. _You've got to focus Alexis. You can't be looking down the road so much that you trip on your own feet._ She told herself the old saying from her village as she polished the lens again with the cleaning rag she was using.

Her log was one of several that had been dragged to the center of the camp to provide a sort of 'ring' around a makeshift fire pit where people could sit. There were five of the logs, all deadfall from a nearby patch of forest that the armored troopers had dragged over, though all were empty save the one Alexis sat on, and one of the ones almost directly across from her, which held one of the tank crews from Checker lance. They were all sitting down and talking to each other about some card game they had played the last time they were on New Honshu. Alexis didn't pay them much attention, as she was busy working on her rifle.

A minute later, though, she had it fully reassembled. Remembering the brief training she had gotten on New Honshu and the additional help the Vanquishers had given her, Alexis snapped the rifle to her shoulder and looked over the iron sights to make sure that they were aligned properly. They weren't of course, and so she worked on them until she had them perfectly aligned for the longer ranges that the rifle was good at. _I prefer to be like my people's archers, and hit the enemy before they can get close_, Alexis thought with a wry smile as she lay the rifle down to lean it against the log.

"You took care of that pretty good," a voice spoke behind Alexis, startling her a bit. She turned around and saw one of the 3rd platoon's troopers standing there, though he had shucked off his armor and was wearing simple olive drab shirt and pants that lacked insigne. The brown haired man smiled at Alexis' embarrassment as he walked between the log Alexis was sitting on and the next one. "You must've had some decent training, eh?"

Alexis smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yes. A few weeks at New Honshu, and then some additional work when we took the ship out here."

The man raised an eyebrow as he sat on the next log down, a good meter and a quarter from Alexis. "Really?" He asked, and then waited for her to nod again. "Well, given the way you hit that Blakest a few days ago, I thought you'd have a bit more experience than that."

Alexis frowned at the comment. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"Oh, not formally," the man said as he blushed. "My apologies. I'm Samuel O'Riley," he said as he leaned forward and extended his hand. "But people like to call me 'Shotgun Sam.'"

Alexis reached forward and shook the man's hand. "I'm Alexis Hurano, thought you probably already know that," she said with a small smile as they both retrieved their hands.

"Indeed I do," O'Riley replied with a short chuckle. "I don't think there's many in the task force who haven't heard of you or your friends."

Alexis blushed at that. "It seems that more people know about us than I've ever known in my entire life."

O'Riley smiled broadly. "Well, you're famous, in a way, since you're the only natives here that know how to speak English… And know how to use firearms," he added the last with a gesture to Alexis' laser rifle. "Speaking of which, don't you have a scope for that?"

"A what?" Alexis asked, a bit confused.

"A targeting scope. You know, like a telescope?"

"Oh, that," Alexis said as she realized what device he was talking about. "I just never trained with one, so I don't have one now, nor would I know what to do with one."

O'Riley just sat there for a moment giving Alexis a strange look. "That night we were attacked, I was the guy who told you 'good job,'" he said quietly. "I thought you had a scope then to hit that accurately. But now you're tellin' me you did that all over iron sights?"

Alexis blushed a bit, remembering the confused emotions of that night. "Yes, I did."

O'Riley stared at her for another moment, making her blush deeper. "Damn, you got some talent, I must say."

"Oh, no," Alexis protested. "It's nothing special, really. All of my people are good aim with ranged weapons."

"Are they all _that_ accurate?" O'Riley asked incredulously.

Alexis frowned slightly. "I… I really don't know, exactly." She said quietly. "I never had any martial training until I got to New Honshu, so I do not have any one of my people to compare myself to."

O'Riley smiled a bit then. "Well, if they're all crack shots like you, then maybe we should ask a few more of 'em to come and help us take care of the Wobbies," he said, and then chuckled.

"I'm sure some of them would like that," Alexis replied with a grin. Then her smile faded as she remembered the outing with her father. "Though maybe not all of them."

The trooper shrugged. "Ah, it was a joke, anyway," he said casually. "No offense to your people, but we're too busy to go trainin' them like you were."

Alexis nodded at that, a trepid smile appearing again along her muzzle. "Well, just so long as we're taking the fight to the Wobbies, then I think they won't mind."

O'Riley laughed at that. "Sounds like you learned more than just marksmanship from them space heads," he said, which made Alexis blush again. "But then, they can't all be nutcases, now can they?"

"I'd hope not," said another voice that belonged to a man who approached from the same angle as O'Riley had. "After all, Sam, we're gonna be relyin' on them if the shit hits the fan." The new blonde-haired man said as he sat down next to O'Riley. Alexis quickly noted that he was dressed the same way as O'Riley, and she surmised that he must also be a trooper from the 3rd platoon.

"Yeah, yeah," O'Riley muttered lightly. "Leave it to the space heads to sit in their ship all the time just so they can come down all dramatically and save the day."

The new man rolled his eyes. "Will you let up on that crap? It's not like the M.I. are the enemy, anyway."

O'Riley shrugged. "I know, I know, I'm just peeved they're sittin' pretty in a WarShip while we're sittin' down here as bait."

Alexis decided to speak up then. "If you think they do not do anything, then you are mistaken," she said neutrally. "They spend hours running around the grav deck, working on weights and such equipment, and then they practice firearms in a modified cargo bay."

The two troopers looked at her then, O'Riley affecting a bored look, while the other smiled slightly. "Ya see?" The newcomer asked as he turned to O'Riley and elbowed him. "At least you don't have to run around doin' that microgee crap like a hamster in a habit trail."

O'Riley grunted again as he looked at Alexis. "Great, make me look dumb why doncha?" He asked somewhat sarcastically, though he winked and smiled to show that he wasn't serious.

Alexis ventured a small smile of her own. "Well, I shall not try to take that prerogative away from you then," she said coyly, causing the new trooper to laugh and O'Riley to blush.

"Oh, you got burned, Sam," the blonde-haired man said, which caused O'Riley to turn and razz the man. "Ah, stow it Josh," O'Riley returned.

"Hey, all I'm sayin' is that the lady knows how to burn," 'Josh' said with a smile.

O'Riley grunted at that, but he kept his peace. Alexis, however, turned to the new man and nodded once. "Thank you for the compliment, I think."

Josh smiled at her. "No problem. I'm Josh, by the way," he said and held out a hand. Again, Alexis went through the ritual and introduced herself.

Josh nodded. "The famous lady herself," he said, causing Alexis to blush again for what seemed to her to be the fiftieth time. "Looks like you know your stuff too," he said, and gestured to the laser rifle.

At this, O'Riley re-entered the conversation. "I'll say she does. You remember that Wobbie with the shot hand a couple of nights ago, right?"

Joshua nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"Well, Miss Hurano here did that at night, during a storm, and with no scope."

Joshua turned and gave Alexis an appraising look. The gatón blushed and she wondered if her ears would become stuck in the position by the conversation's end. "You train as a sniper?" The man asked curiously.

Alexis frowned a bit. "I don't think so. At least, I don't know what a 'sniper' is."

Joshua blinked at that. "Really? Well, you could be one with an aim like that," he said assuredly. "Maybe we should get you a scope and see what you can do with that?"

Alexis shifted a bit on the log. "I think you may overestimate my abilities. It was dark, true, but the storm was outside the hull and the enemy was close."

"Mebbie so," O'Riley said. "But I'm willin' to bet that you'd be good enough to hit a can at a full klick."

"Maybe with a laser rifle," Joshua added. "The light ain't affected by wind. Now, a ballistic rifle, she'd probably not be able to hit it… Well," he paused a second to backtrack. "Maybe a couple of times, but not all the time."

O'Riley turned and looked at Joshua. "Oh? You wanna bet?"

Joshua looked at the other human. "How much?"

"Fifty dollars and a shift at guard duty."

Joshua grunted. "You don't fuck around, do you?"

O'Riley grinned. "Not when I know a sure bet when I see one," he said and nodded towards Alexis, who was becoming confused.

"Even so, Sarge ain't gonna let you trade guard shifts here I the field," Joshua countered. O'Riley nodded a bit and shrugged. "Okay, just the moolah then."

"Sounds good then," he said, and then looked at Alexis. "So, will you help us settle a bet?"

Alexis blinked a bit. "You mean my marksmanship? You're betting on that?"

O'Riley nodded. "We will, if you'll agree to a little bit of shooting," he said gently. Then he shrugged. "But don't feel pressured. Me an' Josh here make bets all the time, not all of them get settled."

"Yeah, you don't have to do anything," Josh added with a nod. "We're just tryin' to liven the mood 'round here, ya know?"

Alexis frowned slightly. "I don't know… I thought betting was illegal with your people?"

"Sometimes it is," a familiar voice said from off to Alexis' right. She and the two soldiers turned and looked to see Tanaka standing there with a smile on her face. "But I think we can bend the rules a bit. That is," she turned her head and gave the two troopers a sly smile. "If you two don't mind opening that bet up for everyone to have some fun?"

"No, not at all," Joshua said a bit too forcefully. "You don't mind, do ya Sam?"

"Of course not," O'Riley replied more casually. He then grinned at Tanaka. "Figure we could even make it into a pool."

"Sounds like a plan," Tanaka said. Then she turned her head to look at Alexis. "So what do you say, Alexis?"

The gatón couldn't tell whether Tanaka approved or disapproved of her participation. _What should I do?_ She wondered, and thought hard for a few moments. Finally, though, she nodded. "All right then, if it will give everyone something enjoyable to do, then I'll be glad to help."

* * *

Mikula awoke from sleep to the motions of Nguyen's _Hellbringer II_ slowly coming to a stop. He opened his eyes and looked out the cockpit ferroglass to see that the outside had become dark with the fall of night. Nguyen had the light-amplification setting for his HUD on again, and the forest they traveled in was rendered in eerie green tones that mocked the natural color of the flora.

"What's going on?" Mikula asked as the 65-ton 'mech came to a halt. In the HUD, he glimpsed icons outlining the images of the other three 'mechs in Whiskey lance as they all assumed a diamond formation that was centered in a small clearing.

"Stoppin' for the night," the MechWarrior responded. "Though from the way you were snoring, you might not need the break, eh?" He asked with mirth in his voice.

Mikula blushed a bit. "So I was tired," he said with a shrug that Nguyen heard rather than saw. "We've been going for so long. All through the night last night, all through the day, and only now do we stop," he said, trying to keep his voice from sounding tired or whiny. "Frankly, I'm surprised that you and the other pilots can go for so long without needing to stop and climb out just to stretch your legs."

Nguyen smirked at that, which let some self-assuredness leak into his voice. "Well, we get a lot of training in these things before we go on a mission like this, so we're used to it," he said as he pressed controls that locked the 'mech's limbs and torso into place.

"I'll say," Mikula replied in a gruff tone. "We've only had, what? Four breaks for self-relieving?"

Nguyen chuckled hoarsely at that as he worked to put his 'mech into standby mode. "Well, it's a little rough on the bladder, to be sure, but this way if the enemy finds us, we're not caught with our pants down… Literally." He chuckled again.

Mikula found himself grinning slightly to the human's wordplay. "Indeed. Well, what now?"

Nguyen responded as he began to unlatch his neurohelmet. "Now, we get out and set up a couple of tents for the night. We already chose who's going to be on watch, so he stays in his 'mech until the next watch cycle."

Mikula nodded, and he began to unbuckle his seatbelts as he realized that Nguyen couldn't leave the cockpit easily with the lupar sitting in the way. "Well then, we should not dawdle then."

"And we shan't."

A half hour later, Whiskey lance had set up a small encampment in the center of their 'mechs' formation. All save Jeffries, who was the assigned guard, and his _Summoner II_'s torso occasionally swiveled with a soft whirring noise whenever he felt the need to focus in on something that piqued his interest.

Mikula heard it whirr again from within his own, miniature tent. It was a design that was, originally, not even created for the military at all. Rather, it was a small one-person tent manufactured by a civilian company for hikers and hunters and others who wished to have some peace in the wilderness alone.

Many MechWarriors, however, had purchased the small kit when it came out on the market, as it fit easily into a 'mech cockpit's storage area, could be unfolded quickly and with little trouble… And most importantly, it was cheap. Thus, the military had given in and placed an official order with the company, improving its fortunes and helping MechWarriors throughout the Republic.

_Such an odd way to do things_, Mikula mused over the story as Nguyen had told it to him. _Yet, it seems effective… Extremely effective_. His mind added in the last words as he noted just how pleasant the inside of the tent was. Unlike the outside air, which was chill with autumn, the environment inside the tent was warm, but not so much that it made the air stuffy.

Such his mind wandered as he lay inside the small polymer tent, mulling over the recent events of his life. _I think of them so much_, he mused. _And yet, who can blame me? My whole world turned upside down… Whole conventions tossed aside, the old way of doing things…_ He sighed, letting the sound fill the tent. _I've changed so much as well…_Such were his thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next day dawned easily over the Tanzano plains, illuminating the Republic camp even as it was broken down and repacked into the tiny compartments that every combat vehicle had.

However, after they were done, the soldiers didn't go straight to their vehicles, but instead started to gather on the other side of a small hillock, talking and bantering back and forth as they surrounded a smaller sub group.

Being at the core of the day's event, Alexis felt jittery, especially as she knew money would be exchanging hands this day. _And they way it goes will depend on how I do_, she thought nervously. She glanced around, saw people talking, and noted that many of them appraised her openly even as they conversed with each other. Usually, this was followed by a visit to one of the temporarily anointed 'bookies' that were recording bets.

The idea of a small wager contest had grown to include the entire camp, pretty much, with only Captain Tanaka, Lieutenant Peterson, and Sergeant Renard exempting themselves from the fray. They now stood as neutral referees around Alexis as the gatón looked over the sniper rifle again to hide her anxiety.

She had to admit that it seemed a good weapon,_ though it is a bit heavy for me to use a lot_, she figured. The long barrel didn't use the regular system of measurement, she had been told, but rather used an older, almost anachronistic method. _They call it a 'fifty cal.' I wonder why?_ To her, the sleek black rifle looked less like it should be called any number, but rather, it should have a name like some of the mythical weapons she had heard about in bedtime stories her father had told to her as a cub.

The thought of her father brought Alexis' mind out and away from the small contest for a bit. _I miss him_, she realized. The she shook her head a bit. _Of course I miss him. I miss mother and Reyato and Shaya as well…_

"You okay, Alexis?" Tanaka asked softly from the side. Alexis blinked herself back to the immediate situation, and she turned her head to look at the captain. "I'm… Fine. My mind was drifting just a bit."

Tanaka nodded a bit. "If you want, we can still call this off," she said quietly, so that no one in the larger group could hear. "We're in the field, so no one can really complain."

Alexis shook her head a bit. "No, that's all right," she said with a wan smile. "I actually want to do this now." And it was true, as talk of the contest had lightened the mood in the small camp. _Besides which_, she thought as she turned and checked over the rifle again. _Hearing people talk… People are betting for my skills as much as others are betting against them_. The thought gave her a warm feeling of camaraderie. _It shows confidence in my abilities, and a trust in myself as well_.

"Well, since you want to, should we start then?" Tanaka asked, a smile growing on her face. Alexis nodded and smiled wider in reply. "Indeed."

With that, Tanaka nodded to Renard. The burly sergeant turned and bellowed to the other soldiers with a voice that only noncoms seemed to command. "Listen up boys and girls! We're gonna start now, whether you're watchin' or not, so no bitchin' if someone cheats you 'cuz you were too busy shoveling bull!"

The noises quieted down, and people started to draw closer. Tanaka turned to Alexis and nodded as the area became silent. "Okay then, Alexis, do your thing."

Alexis nodded, her smile gone with the increase in nervousness that came with being the center of attention for so many people. Quietly, she placed some cotton balls into her ears to protect them, and then turned to the rifle, laying down on the ground next to it and then working her way to a classic sniper's prone position. The heavy rifle rested on its forward grip stock on a small rock placed there countless years before by geological processes, and Alexis quickly balanced it.

There had been discussion over whether Alexis should do the shooting without any attempt to familiarize her with the new weapon, or whether she should have some target practice first. Finally, though, everyone had settled on he having three practice shots during the night to get used to the weapon's recoil, weight, and noise.

Now, the real contest would begin. Alexis took in a deep breath and then let half of it out, as one of the instructors at Neo Tokyo had told her to do with aimed shots. Quickly, she used the rifle's iron sights – the scope removed as part of the bet – to aim at one of five spent MRE cans that had been placed on a log about fourteen hundred meters away. With precision, she moved the rifle slightly and took into account the wind, and then pulled the trigger. The huge gun bucked in her arms with a profound noise, and she felt it wrench her shoulder back a bit. She was ready for it, however, and so all it did was give her some temporary discomfort.

Downrange, however, the can flew from its perch as the half-inch bullet tore through the metal at supersonic velocities. Alexis then worked the bolt and fed the next oversized round into the breech. Once this was completed, she shifted the rifle and worked to aim at the next can, which went flying in less than two seconds.

She repeated this three more times, and when she was done, Alexis felt her chest fill with pride as every can had spun up and away from its resting point. _I hit them all,_ she thought as she stood and took out the cotton from her ears.

As soon as she did, she began to worry, as she heard no sounds from the people around and behind her. Cautiously, she turned around and saw everyone staring at her. Then someone started clapping, and soon everyone joined in a round of polite applause.

Alexis blushed at that, and she was relieved when Tanaka announced the results and told everyone to settle their bets. Then the human captain placed a friendly hand on the gatón's shoulder. "That was pretty good, Alexis."

"Indeed it was," Renard added in. "I don't suppose you'd like to transfer from the M.I.?" He asked with a small grin.

Alexis felt her ears fold down as low as they could, and her tail wrapped itself around her left leg. "Thank you both," she said quietly. Then a thought entered her head. "I hope no one will be disappointed at loosing a bet."

"I doubt it," Tanaka said with a grin. "But even if they do, it'll just remind 'em to not bet against you in the future."

This elicited chuckles from everyone, which made Alexis wondered at why she had joined in. _I think it must be because I proved something… Not only to them, but also to myself. I've proven that I can be just as good as them, that I can be their equal_.

Tanaka said, something, and Alexis shook her head a bit to clear it. "I'm sorry, I was thinking. What did you say?"

Tanaka smirked at her. "I said, let's get things packed up and get that rifle back to private MacDonald so that we can get goin.'"

Alexis nodded, remembering not to salute in the field. _Knowing now what someone can do with a rifle at range, I can see the sense in the precaution_. Aloud, she spoke "Yes sir."

* * *

The sun was just setting, casting its light so that long shadows from the western woods stretched and touched a gatón village that was known by the name of Shunyo Tala. Roughly translated, it meant 'the land of good fortune,' which referred to the river and fertile fields that the small village sat next to. A sheltering cliff face to the east and the waterfall of the small river that cascaded down the rock added to the idyllic scene.

_Although of late, the name seems more and more like a cruel joke played upon us by the Gods_, thought one gatón male, barely into his majority. He was Tulo Hurar, and he was grunting with the strain of carrying a burden of bundled jolo, a native equivalent of Terran wheat, to the edge of town where a trade road passed by.

Hurar grumbled to himself as he moved past the last house and spied the gathering point for many of the village's crops. _So much of it going out_, he thought sadly. _And for what?_ His thoughts turned dark and his ears folded back against his skull, tail wagging back and forth in the angry feline manner. _All of this could feed us throughout the winter with plenty for trade, yet we have to give almost everything up now just so the invaders won't kill us_.

He was like most young men, this Hurar, and his pride chafed at the thought that the bastards took so much from his village, from _him_. The affront was all the worse because it was not merely an insult, but it was backed with raw, naked force. Hurar shuddered as he reached the gathering point and dropped his burden. _They slayed our best fighters with their strange weapons, and then demanded we serve them or die_. The memory tempered his anger with fear, and he knew that no matter how much it grated him; he could do nothing about the situation.

"Are you ill, Tulo?" A voice asked from the side. Hurar turned his head and saw a good friend of his, who was also unlimbering some of the jolo harvest to the ground. "You looked like you had a fever for a minute there."

Hurar sighed and shook his head. "No, Shar, I'm fine. I'm just still upset over," he gestured to the pile that they stood next to. "This," he said, pronouncing the word with venom. "How we have to give up that which is ours to buy a respite from death's hand. A respite made tenuous by that which we must give."

Shar chuckled darkly then, causing Hurar to give the other male a sour look. "What is so funny?"

"You were always a poet at heart, Tulo," Shar said with a wan smile as he lifted his bundle again so that it would be stacked properly. "Even when condemning something, you speak with such florid prose."

Tulo blushed a bit at the compliment, which also served as a kind of rebuke. "You think I talk to much?"

Shar sighed as he leaned back from his work. "Not so much that you talk, but rather, that you do nothing with it," he said and then looked at the other gatón. "You complain a lot, but we're in the same dire situation as you, Tulo. Yet you don't hear us using our breath for speaking when we could be working."

Hurar felt his ears again going down in embarrassment. "Well, maybe people _should_ talk more about such things. Then maybe, we could all see just how much we can really do to change them."

Shar chuckled again, this time without much mirth. "You always were a dreamer, Tulo."

"It doesn't seem to be much use being anything else."

* * *

Across the road and just within the southern treeline sat a trio of figures, one of them staring at the moderately distant village though electronic rangefinder binoculars. "They seem to be piling something up along the path that leads to the main road," the one with the specialized optics observed.

Lieutenant Williams nodded absentmindedly to Nguyen's voice. "Yeah, kinda strange. Or is it?" He directed the second question to the third member of their scout party.

Mikula shrugged a bit in response. "It is sometimes done in smaller villages that are expecting an arrival of a trading party, since they lack the same kind of storage facilities that large communities have," he said cautiously. Then he turned his head from the Lieutenant and stared across the croplands with his naked eyes. "But this seems fishy… Most of that is food, and it's an awful lot to be traded away for such a tiny village."

"You think it's tribute?" Nguyen asked as he put down the binoculars and blinked his eyes clear of the harsh, eye-straining effect of the unit's display.

Mikula nodded. "Winter is coming, and food will be in high demand. Whether the Wobbies will want it for their own stockpiles, or to use as bribes for support, it would help them immensely."

"SAR scans _did_ show some rather regularly-shaped metal 'round these parts," Nguyen added, speaking to Williams as he did so. "But I don't see any of them 'round this place. Perhaps it's not a permanent presence?"

"That's what I'm thinking," Williams admitted with a nod. "The thing is, when will the Wobbies be coming?"

Nguyen shrugged. "We could have Ladavic reroute an obsat or even one of the assault ships to do another SAR scan…" His voice trailed off then, as the three heard a new, unmistakable sound. "Or we could just listen for their vehicles," the Asiatic MechWarrior added with a grin.

Williams and Mikula couldn't help but smirk at the comment. "Indeed. Now lemme have them binoculars," the former said. Nguyen handed them over and the Lieutenant quickly brought them up and pointed hem towards the sounds of approaching vehicles.

It took another five minutes before the two Blakest vehicles wound their way around the path from the east, coming down the small, gentle ridge that reminded Williams of the mountains near where he had grown up. He pushed those thoughts aside though, as he quickly identified the two vehicles.

"Looks like we got heavy wheeled APC leadin' an IS-standard flatbed," he said and then adjusted the binoculars. "Looks like the flatbed's an SRM conversion."

"Dear God, I hope they ain't loaded with infernos," Nguyen breathed, and he shuddered at the idea of the napalm-like fluid turning his 'mech into an oven.

Williams grunted. "Just in case, we'll blast it first." He muttered quietly, the scene lying before him making his voice unconsciously drop. "I'm a bit worried about the APC. They could have some SRM troopers in there."

"Or worse, flamer troops," Nguyen added. In his voice both Williams and Mikula could read more than just the fear of fire it had held when discussing the possibility of Inferno SRMs. They felt the same worry, that the Blakests could turn on the natives and set their town ablaze just to cover their escape.

"Well, that means we'll have to be fast," Williams said as he brought the binoculars down to look out unaided. He then nodded to himself. "Let's do this."

* * *

Hurar and Shar had been joined by the other young men from the village, and by some young women as well. They stood in a line behind the tribute mound, while the village's shaman stood alone next to it as the monstrous metal beasts stuttered to a halt. Hurar shuddered when the doors in the side of the two craft opened and out came several of the tall invaders, dressed in the strange battle garb they affected. In their arms were cradled the terrifying, almost mystical weaponry that Hurar had seen take the lives of half the village's fighting men before their shaman had called a surrender all those months ago.

"Why are they being so cautious," someone grumbled behind Hurar. "Isn't it enough that they beat us and treated us like cubs?" Sounds of rumbling, guttural assent reverberated throughout the group.

"Be quite!" Hissed one of the shaman's apprentices. "Do you want them to hear and bring more ruin to us?" The words had their chosen effect, and everyone fell quiet as the humans approached the shaman standing next to the pile of food.

The man in the lead wore some additional adornment that seemed to mark him as the group's leader, or so it seemed to Hurar. He walked up to the shaman and eyed him as if the elder gatón were a disagreeable hair found in one's soup. The man then looked over the tribute, and he grunted before speaking to the shaman.

"Is that all?" He asked disdainfully. "And here I thought that you wanted to stay living for another few months."

Hurar wanted to shiver at the menace in the voice, and he was amazed as the shaman simply stood still in the path that led to the village, symbolically blocking the invader's access. "This is all we could spare. Any more, and we will starve during the winter months," the shaman said, his voice low, yet still possessing a quality that made it carry. "Even as it stands, we have so little that many will go hungry."

The Blakest officer smirked at that, and Hurar felt a sudden sense of foreboding. "Well then, let's make that a bit easier, shall we?" He asked in such a way that Hurar could tell that he meant no help at all.

This was proven when the main raised his rifle and took aim at the crowd of gatón standing behind the shaman. "So, how many should we kill to make your winter easier, hmm?" He asked in a mocking, sadistic tone.

Before the shaman could speak out, however, and before anyone could move away in fear, a new sound came from the woodlands to the south. _Thump_.

The gatón all paused, wondering what it meant. Hurar noticed, though, that the invaders all suddenly tensed up at the sound, their leader even turning white as he whirled about from the natives and called to his men in their own tongue.

The thumping noise grew louder, faster, and it seemed to come from all around. The invaders were all racing for their vehicles, and the villagers were taking the cue to run back for their own houses. The exception was Hurar, who stood in mute wonder at what could possibly scare their implacable foes so.

Then a shape burst through the trees to the south, and Hurar's eyes went wide with fear and amazement as he saw a figure, painted a black so dark that it seemed to drink up the light all around it, race forward with such speed and grace for its massive size that it made him stand in mute admiration.

The new figure promptly raised one of its hexagonal arms and pointed it at the second of the two invader craft. Two brilliant blue beams then leapt from these arms, tearing out a sound that seemed to rip the air itself apart.

It was nothing, though, as the beams poured unholy fire into the side of the second vehicle, melting away the entire slab of armor and then eating into the internal structure with the same ravenous hunger of a locust swarm in a wheat field.

Before his eyes, Hurar saw the invader's vehicle disappear in a massive conflagration of light and noise. The shockwave from the blast pushed him onto his back, and likely saved him from being impaled by some slower-traveling shrapnel from the blast, which rained down around the area.

Despite the stunning effect, Hurar pushed himself up on his elbows to see the first vehicle racing away from its dead companion, leaving three soldiers behind. The dark shape beyond loomed closer as it turned and raced for the running vehicle. Another shape appeared from the woods then, and then another, both painted the same darkest black. They, too, raced with a finesse that made them seem like Gods on the warpath.

Then with a great rumble of noise and light, another, fourth avatar of death leapt out from the woods and landed directly in the path of the fleeing transport. Even as the wheels screeched and tried to halt the APC, the war machine in front of it unleashed the hellfire of its fusion heart. Two of the same beams that had eliminated the truck now hurtled their way towards the enemy vehicle.

Fortunately for the ones inside the APC, one PPC missed, sending its horrific stream of charged particles to burn a glassed furrow along the roadside. The other tore into the front armor, but despite its mighty power, the armor absorbed and deflected the punishment by melting and shattering in layered plates, redirecting the furious energy away from the crew within.

It was the last bit of luck the hapless craft would ever receive, however, as the other two shapes that had appeared behind the first one sent their own coruscating blue, red and green beams into the armored hide of the APC. Chunks of metal flew off or slagged to the ground in such frenzy that it seemed as if a horizontal volcano had erupted from the craft, and it lurched sideways as if kicked.

Hurar stared at the ruined hulk, watching as smoke bellowed from it, the wind carrying the stench of burnt flesh to his nose. The rumbling thump of the walking death machines moved slower now, and the gatón turned to watch the first one as it approached the village.

Then he saw the three surviving invaders fleeing from the advancing shades, a look in their eyes of total fear. It was a look Hurar had seen in his family's eyes when the invaders had attacked months ago, and it was also the same look that he knew was upon his own face.

One of the fleeing soldiers erupted into flame as a beam of red light came from the middle of the leading attacker, though his scream of pain was cut mercifully short as his flesh was vaporized. Words in the invaders' foreign tongue seemed to blast from the attacking shapes, and the volume assailed Hurar's sensitive ears.

The words also visibly assailed the two soldiers, who halted in their tracks and turned to look up at the advancing war machine. One raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender that even the natives of Bowman's Planet used. The other seemed to follow suit for a second, but then spun about and ran towards the village.

The invader spied Hurar lying on the ground, and the gatón saw something spark in the man's desperate eyes. Before the attackers could move to prevent it, he reached Hurar and in a flurry of motion, yanked the stunned gatón upwards in a chokehold.

* * *

"Goddamnit!" Nguyen cursed as he saw the Blakest hold the local gatón before him as a human shield. _Gatón shield, whatever_, his thoughts flickered on the technicality for a split second.

"You won't touch me!" The Blakest trooper's words came into the cockpit via the _Hellbringer II_'s external microphones. "Get away infidels!" He wrenched the gatón higher, bringing the hapless native off of his feet. The villager reached up and pulled on the arm, not too much to pry himself loose, Nguyen could see from his face, but simply to pull himself up a bit so that his own weight didn't choke him.

"Don't do anything stupid," Williams' voice rang out over the landscape. "You either," he said, pointing one arm at the other surviving Blakest, who had begun to look towards the village. To emphasize, Williams aimed the right arm-mounted ER PPC of his _Timber Wolf A_ directly at the soldier. The other he aimed at the one with the hostage.

Suddenly, Nguyen heard the speakers in his neurohelmet click a bit as his radio interrupted the microphones' data stream. "Whiskey Two, how does your passenger feel 'bout takin' a trip down?"

Nguyen turned his head and looked over at Mikula, whom he knew listened to the same channels that the MechWarrior heard. "What're you thinkin' One?"

"I'm thinkin' that maybe this asshole won't notice someone small slipping down and getting' a bead on him with a rifle," Williams said in clipped tones.

Mikula nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

Hurar pulled on the burly man's arm with all the strength he could muster from his air-starved muscles. _I can hardly breath!_ His thoughts were almost panicky, and the only thing that helped him, oddly enough, was the invaders' fear of the creatures before them.

He could understand why, of course, after seeing what the black shapes could do to him. _Yet, why don't I fear them?_ The thought wasn't totally true; He _did_ have some fear, he knew, but it wasn't the overwhelming terror that seemed to make the invader's body tremble as he held the gatón off the ground.

The alien conversation between the man holding Hurar and the dark shapes had paused for a few moments, but now it started again. The angular, bird-legged shape in front seemed to sway a bit, almost as if it contemplated moving forward again, and the man holding Hurar moved to face it directly. He yelled something towards it, and Hurar felt the man reach down with his free hand to draw one of the smaller, yet no less deadly weapons that he had strapped to his side. Even as the weapon's deadly end was pointed against his temple, however, Hurar's attention was diverted to a small shape that seemed to slip down and away from one of the straight-legged death givers. In the illusion-creating effects of twilight, it went unnoticed by the man holding Hurar.

Then, suddenly, the man flinched and yelled in pain. He let go of Hurar, who dropped to the ground and rolled away instinctually. The gatón then turned on his side and looked up at the invader to see an arrow sticking from the rear of his left shoulder. The man turned and looked towards the village, which prompted Hurar to follow suit.

Standing next to a house was Shar, a bow in his hand that he now worked desperately to notch a new arrow. Time seemed to slow for Hurar then, as the invader brought the weapon in his uninjured hand to bear on the other villager.

* * *

Mikula slipped down the handholds on the omnimech that had been placed there for battle-armored troops to hitch a ride. Now, however, they let the lupar clamber down quickly and relatively quietly despite the ablative/flak vest and helmet that he wore over his gray M.I. uniform.

_Paranoia pays off_, he observed as he dropped to the ground near the _Hellbringer II_'s right foot and unslung his rifle. _Williams couldn't know things would've happened this way, yet he still told me to get ready for such combat anyway_, Mikula thought with some admiration for the lieutenant. Then he refocused on the present and crept forward a bit to get a clear view of the scene.

"I'm warning you for the last time, Wobbie," Williams was saying over his 'mech's loudspeakers. "Surrender now, and you'll be treated fairly. Resist, and you'll suffer." He shifted his 'mech again to keep the soldier's attention focused on the 75-ton war machine, rather than let him sweep his vision around and see Mikula.

"Not as much as this one'll suffer!" The Wobbie called back as Mikula slid along the ground, using the sparse leaves of the now-harvested plants that still stuck up. The Blakest then pulled a gun and pressed it to the side of his hostage's head. "I'll kill him!"

_Not with me here, bastard_, Mikula thought darkly as he kneeled behind a clump of leaves from a ground-hugging plant. He brought up his rifle and sighted for the Blakest's forehead. _Now just stand still…_

Suddenly, the man yelled out in pain, and his left arm dropped the gatón. The latter rolled away quickly in a manner that Mikula appreciated, and the lupar tried to re-sight his aim on the whirling Blakest.

The soldier spun about and was bringing up his weapon to bear towards the village. Mikula realized instantly that someone had landed an arrow into the Blakest, and now that someone was the Wobbie's next target.

The lupar acted first, however. The soldier, in his fear and anger, again made the mistake of not watching his back and standing still. Mikula willingly took payment for that mistake, as he aimed and fired his assault rifle, sending three rounds downrange.

The effect was immediate, as the trio of bullets slammed into the base of the Wobbie's neck, tearing through flesh and bone and severing the man's spinal cord. The lead slugs fragmented and ricocheted off of the neck bones, spreading the damage so much that the man's head was nearly severed. Red flowers of blood and gore erupted from the entry and exit wounds in the man's neck, and the momentum caused the body to flop to the side as it thudded to the ground.

Mikula spared a glance to the other Blakest soldier; seeing him quiescently kneeling with his hands on his head, the lupar dashed forward in the bent-legged fashion taught to him by the trainers on New Honshu.

He reached the gatón first, who was laying on his side still, staring wide-eyed at the bloody death of the Blakest. When the local then looked up at the approaching lupar, he flinched a bit in surprise.

Mikula crouched near the gatón and gently put a hand to the young man's shoulder. "Are you all right?" He asked in Gatonese.

Hurar took a moment to reply, so startled he was by the appearance of a lupar in such strange clothing, wielding an invader's weapon and now even speaking his own language. "I'm… I'm fine," he managed to stutter out after a moment. "Who… Who are you?"

"I'm a friend," Mikula replied quickly as he let the gatón go and turned to walk over to the dead body of the Blakest trooper. _He is most definitely dead_, the lupar mused darkly. Then he turned to look over at Williams' 'mech and triggered his radio with an upraised hand. "He's dead, the hostage is safe," he spoke in English.

"Good work," Williams responded with a release of breath. "Now, watch the guy who surrendered while we try to clear the place up a bit."

"Roger," Mikula replied and nodded his head. He clicked his radio off and then turned around to heck the scene once again.

He was startled to see many of the village's inhabitants standing nearby, right at the edge of the last house. Several of the gatón detached themselves and cautiously walked over to where their fellow still lay on the dirt path. One of those walking up was a bit older than most, and the way he carried himself identified him as a man accustomed to reverence as much as his robes showed his status. Mikula nodded to the elder gatón as he approached. "Shaman," he said friendlily in Gatonese.

This made the man start a bit, and the other gatón halted and looked at Mikula even more strangely now. The shaman, however, recovered easily and nodded to the lupar. "You know our ways?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes," he said, turning his head to look over at the prisoner who still was down on his knees in submission. Despite Williams' order, the lieutenant was keeping his weapons trained on the Blakest.

_He knows that it is important that I speak to these people_, Mikula realized, and he turned back to the shaman. "I hope that no one is hurt?"

The gatón shaman looked over at Hurar, who was standing now and brushing himself off while he watched the scene. "We seem to be fine," the shaman said as he turned back to look at Mikula again and openly appraised the lupar.

_Gods know that I look strange enough_, Mikula thought. _Dark gray armor over gray clothing and my own gray fur... I must look like a statue._

"So, what is going on here?" The shaman asked. "What are those... Things?" He gestured to the large war machines, three of which were using their handless arms to lever the wreckage of the Blakest machines towards the southeast.

"Those are war machines," Mikula said slowly, adding together the two Gatonese words carefully. "They are controlled by people who are friends… Friends to you as much as to me, though you may not know it."

The shaman frowned and looked over the scene again. His eyes lingered on the dead body off to the side, and also at the food pile just beyond. "Why do you come here?"

"To free you," Mikula said carefully. "The men who were in those vehicles," he paused and pointed to the burned wrecks that were being dragged off in a haphazard fashion, "were enemies of my friends. They are my enemies, as well, because they've attacked my home, my friends and loved ones." Though he spoke slowly and with a controlled voice, some of Mikula's emotions drifted into his words and gave them weight. "So we've come to fight them."

The shaman stood there for a second, thinking. Behind him, Mikula could see that practically the entire village was out, watching the scene, listening to the conversation. He gave them a neutral look, and some of them turned away.

"Where did you learn such Gatonese?" The shaman asked, seemingly on a tangent. Mikula, however, had talked enough with Forbasa and van Horn and others to know the real question: _Are you trustworthy?_ "I learned from Shaman Forbasa of Kuamket," Mikula spoke with respect in his voice.

The name had an effect on the shaman, who blinked his eyes in surprise. "Shaman Revalo Forbasa? The elder shaman of the forest tribes?"

Mikula nodded, recognizing the lengthy formal title. "The same."

"But… We heard Kuamket was destroyed," the shaman spoke with finality. "A trader saw the ruins with his own eyes."

"It was…" Mikula said, and then tilted his head down a bit. He closed his eyes in remembrance as he spoke. "I was there. Some fortunate few of us survived, and we moved away, to the west and north, to find refuge."

"I've never known Shaman Forbasa to have lupar friends," the village shaman spoke neutrally. Mikula, however, could 'read between the lines,' as the humans said, and he raised his head and opened his eyes to look at the shaman. "Things change," he said, and gestured to where Williams' _Timber Wolf_ still stood.

The shaman looked over the jet-black 'mech, and then turned his attention back to Mikula. "So it would seem," he said with a nod. Then he sighed. "I suppose you will be wanting the food then?" He asked, gesturing to the tribute pile, which had remained untouched.

Mikula frowned as he glanced at the food, and he shook his head. "No. That is yours, and we'll not take it," he replied. "We are not like the invaders, we do not take what is not ours."

The gatón, all of them, looked hopeful, save the shaman, whose face was an inscrutable mask. Then he finally cracked a small, almost insignificant smile. "Yes, you definitely sound like someone who Revalo would have as a friend."

Mikula blushed at that. "Thank you," he replied quietly.

"You're welcome," the shaman said. Then he nodded. "Well, we haven't been introduced. I am Shaman Oser Derono, of the village Shunyo Tala."

"And I am Mikula Farkas, formerly of Tanzano," Mikula replied with a genuine smile. He held out his right hand so naturally that he didn't realize what the strange look on the shaman's face was until he noticed where the gatón's eyes had moved.

Mikula blushed again and dropped his hand. "My apologies. It is a greeting my friends have, and I appear to have picked it up." _How much like them I've become_, he realized.

"That is, quite all right," Derono replied. "Speaking of your friends, do they wish to come down from those… Machines? We would welcome them for their help."

Mikula grinned sheepishly. "I am sorry, but we have little enough time as it is," he said and gestured to where the massive 'mechs had manhandled the vehicle wreckage. "After we hide our involvement here, we must move on and continue our campaign against the invaders." A thought then struck Mikula, and he gestured with his head towards the smaller pieces of metal wreckage. "In fact, you might wish to have your villagers clean up the area. It is for your protection, as the invaders might come down hard if they know that some of their own died here."

Derono gave Mikula a nearly poisonous look. "You mean that the invaders may come back?"

Mikula frowned "Perhaps… Or perhaps not," he said, and then shrugged. "We will be doing our best to attack them, and hopefully, this will distract them enough that they'll ignore you. However," he paused and thought of a way to translate a certain maxim. "'Any battle plan does not survive contact with the enemy.'"

Derono's look shifted into one of contemplation. "I do not know battle so much as others would, but those words have the ring of truth to them," he said and twitched his tail about in mild irritation. "So, what happens if they come back?"

"You run," Mikula said without hesitation. "It may not be prideful, but a wise man once said, 'honor is a thin cloak against the chill of the grave.'"

This made Derono twitch an ear in surprise. "Again, you speak words with much truth in them."

Mikula smiled wanly. "I am but a simple student who knows what to read," he said. Then the smile disappeared. "In any case, you might want to have someone up on that ridge and watch the east." He pointed as he spoke, indicating the finger of land that the trade road winded up. "Watch for vehicles, especially those that carry the sword and star emblem of our mutual enemy."

"I will consider it," Derono replied, though his words were neutral his tone belied his like for the plan. "So, you will be leaving soon, yes?"

Mikula glanced back at the movement of the 'mechs and the wreckage. He then nodded at the shaman. "Yes. Though we may wait a bit longer while we consider what to do with that one," he gestured casually to the captured Blakest at the last.

Derono's tail twitched in agitation. "You should kill him."

Mikula sighed. "Perhaps… But my friends are not that way with their prisoners. I think we will wait a bit for someone to come get him from our main camp to the south."

"Wait… You have more of your friends elsewhere?" Derono asked as if the idea didn't occur to him.

Mikula grinned lopsidedly. "Many more, and many, many more to come, as well," he said assuredly. "They are but an advanced force, come here to taunt the enemy before the hammer falls."

"That sounds like a momentous day," a voice came from behind Derono. He and Mikula turned their glances and spied the gatón who had been held hostage by the Blakest soldier.

"Indeed it shall," Mikula agreed with a nod. "The skies will fill with light from their ships, and the air itself will rumble with their forces."

The natives all gave him strange looks, and Mikula blushed a bit at his waxing lyrical. _I think I've been around Earl too much_. "In any case, you can identify my friends thus," he said and reached into a pocket underneath his armor. Mikula then withdrew one of the small tokens that Colonel Sakamoto had had made back on New Honshu for just such an occasion. "This is the standard which will be displayed by their forces. And you can have this so that they may know that you are friends." He then held it out towards Derono.

The shaman looked at the medallion in Mikula's hand, and he slowly took it and held it up to catch the last, waning light of the sun. It was a medallion made of bronze, and upon one side was the diving eagle insignia of the USAF. Derono then flipped it over and saw that the other side was engraved with words in both Gatonese script and Lupari lettering that said thus:

"Our sacred promise

To defend the innocent

And to bring Freedom"

Derono read the words several times before he lowered the metal disc and looked over Mikula again. "Grand words. Do they mean it?"

Mikula nodded. "I've seen their homes, and what they've done for some people already," he said quietly. "Those words are no idle boast nor empty promise. They've saved the lives of my family, and of the woman I love," he paused at the last, not intending to go so far, and his emotions outran his mouth. Mikula then shook his head a bit to clear it, and he went on. "In any case, you may trust them so long as they bear that insignia and repeat those words."

Derono nodded sagely. "I shall remember."

Mikula smiled. "Good. And now, I have a duty to perform," he said and then turned to look at the prisoner. "It is easier to watch a person from the ground than from the control area of one of those machines."

Derono nodded again. "Then let us all attend to our duties."


	37. Chapter 37

Day was just breaking over the land, the light of the sun washing a basin between two mountain chains with a warm glow that helped to drive off the chill of an autumn's night. Along the mountains that loomed to the west, faint fingers of fog rose as frost at higher elevations was instantly sublimated by the native sun of Bowman's Planet, and for the moment, they were the only clouds in the sky.

_It's pretty enough to be a painting commissioned from a gatón artist,_ thought Kaeno Acryu, a lupar militiaman for the town of Kaytor. _Well, except for you know what_. He added the mental caveat as he turned around at his guard position and glanced behind him towards the town.

It looked like any lupar town, situated along a river as most towns and cities were in this part of the continent. The buildings generally rose to about two stories, though many were single-story constructions, the exceptions proving to be the town temple and the objects of Acryu's attention this day. Standing just taller than the natives' buildings were six bipedal war machines painted in the favored white scheme of the Word of Blake Militia.

Acryu, of course, didn't know the names of the machines, or the proper name of the invaders or even that they naturally preferred white. All he knew was that they had kept his town under an iron hand for months now, their great metal monstrosities only leaving occasionally for raids to gather supplies from nearby lupar and gatón villages that didn't merit a permanent presence.

_Always, though, they leave others behind_, Acryu remembered as he turned back to stare out and to the south of the small watchtower that had served his town for generations. _Always, they stay here, taking our food, killing any who resist…_ He shook his head. _I shouldn't be dwelling on this; it will just make me more resentful and cause me nothing but grief_. He sighed and looked out over the southern approaches again, seeing clear out to the horizon as the Tanzano Plains narrowed into the Keyaro Basin. A forest, though, blocked off some of the view, spilling as it did over the western mountains as if it were a green flood frozen in time. Already, some men were walking out to that forest to cut up some wood to replenish their households' stockpiles. _As well they should_, the guard thought. _It feels like it's going to be a cold winter this year_.

Noise from below caused Acryu to turn and look at the wooden floor of the tower's watch area. A trapdoor in the middle of the floor opened up slowly, and another lupar poked his head up through the opening, and he looked around until he saw Acryu standing with his sword drawn and pointed at the newcomer's head.

Acryu sighed in relief as he recognized the other lupar. "Hurg, don't scare me like that," he said as he re-sheathed his short sword. "You know you're supposed to give the signal before climbing up the ladder."

The one called Hurg shrugged a bit as he climbed into the small watch area. "I'm sorry, Kaeno, I just felt like I should come and take a look around."

Acryu frowned a bit. "Don't tell me you have another one of your 'feelings' again?"

Hurg peered out over the southern fields. "Yes, Kaeno, as much as you're annoyed by them, you can't deny that they've been right."

"Only because you have them so often," Kaeno countered. "You have a 'feeling' every day. As far as I can remember, you've only been right twice." The first guard smirked. "That's not exactly a definitive record."

Hurg's ears went back a bit in embarrassment. "Okay, so I'm not always right, but still… This time feels different. Almost like the time the Invaders came…"

Acryu involuntarily shuddered a bit at the tone and content of Hurg's voice. "Don't talk like that. The last thing we need is for you to tempt fate."

"I don't think fate needs any tempting to bring new problems upon us," Hurg countered as he looked towards the forest. "And besides… I feel like we're being watched."

Acryu snorted. "Of course we are," he said and angrily gestured towards the area of the town that the Blakests had taken over. "They keep a solid eye on us all the time."

"No, not them, I'm used to that feeling," Hurg countered and turned to look at Acryu. "This is different… Like someone's walking over my grave."

Acryu frowned. "Don't be bringing up any of that. You know it's bad luck."

Hurg shrugged. "Well, it feels strange… A lot stranger than usual."

Acryu shook his head. _I'd better change the subject before we spend all day on this_, he thought, remembering similar circumstances in happier times. "I think you just wanted to sit and loaf off talking of strange feelings instead of watching the river," he said to Hurg with a small smile.

Hurg razzed his friend and comrade. "Mock me all you want, but I'll swear that something's about to happen."

"Something is _always_ about to happen," Acryu replied with a smirk. "Otherwise, we'd be dead."

"Now look who's bringing up bad luck?" Hurg asked, causing Acryu to blush. The former simply smiled at his friend's discomfort. "In any case, Kaeno, I guess you're right; I should get back to watching the river," he said with a final look around. "Still… What with all those lights and noise last week…"

Acryu suppressed another shudder. "The invaders said it was our gods, angry at us for working against them."

Hurg snorted. "Don't tell me you believe them about _our_ gods?"

"No, of course not," Acryu replied quickly. "It's just… It was so strange…" He felt his hackles rise at the memory. "Perhaps you're not so wrong with that feeling of yours after all, Hurg."

The other lupar let out an amused noise. "_Now_ you're listening to me?" He asked with a smirk. "Perhaps you need to see the doctor?"

Acryu gave his friend a rude gesture. "Just go watch the river, and I'll make sure none of your ghosts come up from the plains."

* * *

Nearly two kilometers away, sitting on the side of a forested hill and camouflaged under ghillie suits, lay two troopers from the 3rd Infantry Platoon (Armored), 5th Marauder Regiment (Desert Thunder), 7th Division (The Left Hand of Doom). Each were from Gamma squad, their Ranger configuration chosen as the best for the mission at hand.

_Not like there's much to do on this one_, Private Fredericks thought grumpily. _More sitting on my ass instead of goin' out and killin' some bastards_. He fought to stifle a sigh at his train of thought. _Come on, Bobby; just keep your eyes on the prize_.

In this case, the 'prize' was Kaytor, sitting to the north and east of the foothill that the two armored troopers were using to observe the Blakest detachment. Alongside Fredericks was the squad's sniper, Private First Class Linda MacDonald, and she had, typically, her sniper rifle mounted in the Marauder suit's light weapons hard point, taking the place of the Heavy Gyrojet Gun that usually occupied the mount in the Ranger configuration. At the moment, this deadly weapon was aimed straight towards the southern watchtower.

"Well, they're chewin' the fat, so I don't think they saw anything," MacDonald spoke quietly over the low-power AM comms that the Republic used for stealthy close-range voice communications. Her words let Fredericks relax a bit, as they had both worried that the new guard had hurried to the tower for some relay of orders. _The fact that they're relaxed and talkin' things over means that they're not too jumpy_, Fredericks thought. _Good. So long as they won't alert the Wobbies, we don't have to worry about them._

"Well, the new guy's leavin' the south tower," MacDonald commented without emotion in her voice. It was a voice that many a trooper recognized as the cold, detached tenor of the Sniper. _The Voice that can take away lives_, Fredericks mused in a moment of poetic thought. "So, they still lookin' like they're not expectin' us?" He asked aloud to clear his mind.

"Doubtful," MacDonald replied. "Still… With all that's happened, they'd be damned idiots if they weren't prepared somehow." She shifted her right arm a bit, which was, for her, an expression of extreme discomfort over the situation. "I don't like this, it's too inviting."

Fredericks nodded inside his helmet for a second before he remembered that MacDonald couldn't see it. _Suit radios make it feel like we've got nuttin' between us but air_, he thought sheepishly as he cleared his throat. "I agree. The _Young_'s bombardment alone should be making them crazy. Hell, it only impacted eleven klicks south of here."

MacDonald suppressed a shudder at the scene of the ridge that the Republic corvette had attacked from orbit. Tanaka's force had passed the smashed and broken rise of land the day before, and the sight of where the terrible force was unleashed upon was enough to give any sane man or woman pause. "Yeah… So you want to call this in while I keep the place under watch?"

"Yeah," Fredericks said as he slowly began to move, slipping away from the position. "I'll be right back." MacDonald didn't reply, save to shift her aim a bit so that her rifle moved to look over a different area. Fredericks took that as his cue, and he slipped away as quietly as any man could move while encased in a ton of ferro-fibrous armor and myomer.

Nevertheless, he did move quietly, and soon was on the other side of the hill's crest. There he was shielded from any Blakest eavesdroppers, and he quickly set up a satcom link. "This is Red Dog One Six to Romeo Base, come in Romeo."

To the credit of Republic efficiency, Fredericks soon heard a response. "Red Dog One Six, this is Romeo Base. Authenticate."

"Authentication Red Delta," he said, using the new coded term. "Reciprocate please."

"Authentication Black Rain," the female voice said, and Fredericks released a small breath as she continued. "What have you got?"

"Sending images on sub-channel three," Fredericks replied as he triggered the data dump that would zip-squeal the relevant portions of his mission recorder's log. "Target location appears to be unawares, but situation seems too ideal. No major patrols seen, and opfor seems to be in a stand-down mode. We have not been spotted, as far as we can tell." He cut off his terse words then as he finished his brief report.

Fredericks then took a look around his area. _Can't be too careful_, the thought, beaten into his head by training and fighting against Clan Star Adder told him to be wary of his surroundings. He didn't see anything suspicious, though he continued to survey the area as he thought.

_Captain Tanaka and the rest of our little band are over the next ridge line, so we're not too far away from help_, he remembered, trying to calm nerves worked up over the revealing nature of his broadcast. _Revealing to anyone with a good radio ear and who has a decent line of sight_, Fredericks thought darkly. _I could be dead before I could even call for help…_

A sudden burst of static and a new voice came over the comm, bringing the private's thoughts from their deepening paranoia. "Red Dog One Six, this is Oni One," Tanaka's voice came in over the frequency, and Fredericks figured that she had to be in her 'mech so early in the morning to be able to reply so quickly. "I got your report. Now I need to ask you: How does it feel?"

Fredericks frowned, as he was not used to superior officers asking him what the feel of the situation was. "Oni One, I can't say for certain what it is, but something 'bout the place gives me the crawls… Hell, I feel naked just talkin' to ya right now," he said half-jokingly. But only half, he knew. _What is it 'bout this place that bugs me?_

"I copy that, One Six," Tanaka responded after a few moments. "We'll think of somethin.' Right now, break contact and move back to rally point beta. Red Dog Two and I want to talk to ya 'bout this in person."

Fredericks nodded unconsciously. "Roger that, Oni One. Red Dog One Six out."

* * *

Mikula awoke from another nap, and again he found himself staring into the HUD of a 'mech's cockpit. He blinked his eyes clear and stifled a yawn while he tried to figure out what had changed to make him wake up. Then he felt the 'mech's footfalls come faster and faster, and he realized that Nguyen was pushing the _Hellbringer II_ up to its maximum speed.

A chill swept over the lupar as he looked out and into the dimly lit forest. Unlike the night before, beams of sunlight pressed through the canopy, providing a peaceful, almost serene appearance. Unfortunately, however, the scene lose some of its luster from the cockpit of a 65-ton bipedal war machine hurtling itself forward at better than eighty kilometers per hour.

"Is something wrong?" Mikula asked from his jump seat, though his voice sounded a bit shaken, given the fact that his whole body was.

"Whiskey Three ran into a Wobbie patrol," Nguyen replied in clipped tones. "He's jamming them, but they won't stay that way forever." He paused in his speech to concentrate at maneuvering his 'mech around a particularly large old-growth tree. "Fortunately, we're in good position to ambush 'em. So hang on and don't move."

"I don't plan to," Mikula said quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the trembling footfalls and rumbling engine of the _Hellbringer II_.

The next few moments seemed to take forever to Mikula, stretched out as they were by the prospect of mortal danger, yet without any of the busying tasks one would normally do at such a time to prepare. _Anticipation is worse than actual combat_, he remembered the idiom from his training in the Tanzano army. _And The Republican trainers agreed with the sentiment. So that's why I feel like I want to gnaw my arm off_, he tried to joke mentally.

Through the canopy, Mikula noticed that the light seemed brighter up ahead. Then with an apparent burst of light, they were through the tree line and into open terrain.

Mikula blinked his eyes several times to let them readjust from the darkness of the forest. Thanks to the polarizing glass and HUD filters, though, he could quickly look out and see that Nguyen was bringing the 'mech to a slow stop along another road. Unlike many others that Mikula had seen before, this one was barely a trail that cut through the forest and up the slope of one of the foothills the lance had been moving through since leaving Shunyo Tala. Nothing was in sight as of yet, save trees and a bend in the road some distance down the slope.

Nguyen squinted his eyes as he surveyed the area. "Whiskey Two is in position. Holding eight hundred meters upslope." He then tilted his head as he heard a reply to his radio transmission.

Mikula was reminded of his own helmet radio that he had turned off to save battery power, and now he reached up and turned it on to hear what was happening. He heard it synchronize with the _Hellbringer II_'s comm suite just in time to catch the tail end of another transmission.

"_-Ucky little bastards. I didn't see 'em 'til they ran like a mech marten from a magma wolf._" Mikula easily recognized the voice of Whiskey Three, Fred Jeffries. "_They ran upslope, left behind a trailer too_."

"_Cut the chatter, Three_," Williams' voice cut through the channel then. "_Two, watch for native infantry. I saw a couple of them sittin' on top of the tank._"

Mikula felt his guts tighten. _Calm down, they're probably not anyone you know… Probably…_ He then had an idea, and he cleared his throat. "Whiskey One, Firefly One. If I may add something?"

_"If you make it march, boy. Thirty seconds until you have contact."_

Mikula nodded automatically, despite the lack of visual communication. "It's possible that the natives may be coerced like the army that attacked Hercor. I'd like to be able to ask for their surrender first."

The radio was silent for a bit before Williams spoke again. _"What do you think, Whiskey Two?_"

Nguyen sighed briefly. "I agree, One. We oughta give even the Blakests a chance to surrender."

_"Well, it's your asses on the line, so do what you think you need to do_," Williams replied quickly. "_Twenty seconds. The rest of the lance'll be right behind the bogeys, so watch your fire. Whiskey One out."_

Nguyen didn't reply to that, and instead he killed his comm. "So, you think they'll surrender?" He asked his passenger.

"I honestly don't know," Mikula said truthfully and with a hint of sadness. "But I don't want them killed out of hand."

"Nor do I," Nguyen replied quietly. "Now get ready to talk. They're just around the bend."

* * *

The lupar soldier gripped on for dear life as the strange metal wagon he rode on bucked underneath him. The soldier, known as Heyver Tagurk, didn't know what had prompted the sudden and haphazard flight. _Frankly, I don't _want_ to know,_ he managed to think as the craft's tires spun out a bit as they bit into the dirt for traction. _Anything that can scare _these_ people I don't want to see!_

The craft - known in human circles as a 'Chevalier' light tank - lurched again as it bumped over a tree that had fallen in the road. Up ahead, the path twisted again to the right, where it would lead up the small mountain where the drivers hoped to loose their pursuers. Tagurk gripped harder on the small handholds that he and three other lupar soldiers from the city of Renku had used to ride on the invaders' machine for the last two weeks as the latter went along, exacting tribute from smaller villages and towns along the west side of the Great Terna Mountains. Now, however, these same handholds were being used by the four lupar to keep from being flung off as the light tank rumbled along at over ninety-seven kilometers per hour.

_I never thought anything could go this fast before!_ Tagurk marveled. What_ could have scared them so? They didn't even try to save the hitched wagon full of tribute!_ The trailer that had been attached to the Chevalier had broken away at the first hard turn they had taken at full speed, and the single human who was visible from the tank's turret at the time had only glanced back once to make sure that the noise wasn't from whatever was chasing them.

Then the tank slowed a bit, and Tagurk heard some of the invaders' language, which he had bothered to learn some of, coming from the open hatch in the turret. He didn't understand all of it, but he gathered that something was still upsetting them, despite the fact that they hadn't seen whatever had spooked them in the last few minutes. _They speak of something keeping them from communicating… But they seem to talk fine. Perhaps they mean that strange talking box of theirs?_

The tank took the hard turn in the road and then came to a screeching halt as its driver slammed on the breaks. Tagurk stared in open-mouthed awe at the metal giant that stood before them. He had, of course, seen the invaders' own versions, but this one was painted in a black that bespoke of death incarnate, a black broken only by small insignia that were indistinct at this distance, and were the only color on the giant. Also unlike the invaders' own, this one was angular, more machine-like. _And yet, look at the way its arms track us_, Tagurk thought as he noted how the hexagonal arms had fluidly moved with the tank before it had stopped. _Almost as if a man was wearing a suit of armor._

Silence reigned over the outside scene for a moment, and the tank below Tagurk remained still, its inhabitants arguing about whether to run one way or the other. Or so the lupar guessed from what little he understood. Then a voice cleared its throat, and Tagurk was surprised to hear it come from the metal giant standing before them.

"Attention," it said first in the invaders' tongue, which Tagurk understood. Then, much to his surprise, the word was echoed in Lupari by a different voice. _What is going on?_

"You cannot escape. You cannot defeat us in battle," the strange voices spoke on. "We are not a merciless people, even after what you've done." Tagurk frowned at that, wondering what it was that _he_ had done to annoy this new giant, but he voices went on and he didn't dwell on it. "So we are giving you this chance to surrender, now, which we guarantee shall spare your lives."

The voice speaking Lupari then added in something extra. "To you lupar, you will not be harmed if you jump off the craft and head into the woods. Our problem is with the invaders, not you. We promise that you will not be harmed so long as you do not attempt to attack us."

Tagurk froze for a few moments to think about it. _These invaders hold our city hostage; can we really desert them without affecting our families?_ "Chaytu, what do you think?" Tagurk decided to ask his friend in the small native squad, turning his head to look at Chaytu as he did so.

"I think I'm getting the Hell off of this thing," a lupar riding on the back of the craft said as he jumped down and ran into the woods. The other two lupar followed likewise, and after a split second of hesitation, so did Tagurk.

In seconds, he joined his comrades a few meters into the forest off to the tank's left side, and their position on the slope let them see the scene below well enough. Tagurk still stared at the now-obscured giant as it took a step forward. "Surrender, now!" The strange voice said again, much louder this time. Tagurk sensed that, somehow, the departure of the lupar from the vehicle had removed some barrier that now let the metal giant become more threatening in its manner. He saw it hunch down slightly, as if bracing for an attack, _which that craft can provide_. Tagurk had seen it destroy a house to prove a point, and now he wondered if the invaders would try to fight.

A moment passed, and then the metal giant took another step forward. "I will not ask again!" The voice said, and as if to punctuate the words, muted thumping came from down the path. Fro their vantage point, the native soldiers could see down the way they had come, and Tagurk was astounded to see more of the angular war machines moving up the path.

"By the Gods, what is going on?" Asked a lupar named Fegey of no one in particular. Tagurk heard fear in the lupar's voice, and he had to admit that he felt the same way. _What _is _going on? Who are these people? Certainly, they're not with the Invaders…_

"Look!" Chaytu quietly exclaimed and pointed to the Chevalier. The four lupar watched as first one, then the other invader climbed out of the craft slowly and then raise their hands.

"They… They surrendered," Tagurk spoke quietly. _The people who made our army look like cubs, and they surrender!_

"Heyver," Chaytu said quietly, bringing his friend's head around to see the other lupar looking at him. "You're the oldest here, what do you think we should do?"

Tagurk frowned and his ears went down a bit in confusion. "Do? Do about what?"

"Should we run now, and head back to Renku? Or should we wait until they leave?" Fegey asked, indicating the scene below.

"I say we should leave now," the fourth lupar, Reyn, added in. "There's no telling what kind of people these are. They could be worse than the invaders."

Tagurk turned his head and looked back down on the scene below. The two invaders now kneeled in the road in front of their tank, hands folded on top of their heads in a position that even a lupar could recognize as a symbol of submission. The three new metal giants now approached them and circled around them and the tank, while the one that had stood in the way moved forward at an almost leisurely pace.

"No," he said quietly. "No, I don't think these new people are like the invaders…" Tagurk then stood and began to walk towards the road below.

"What are you doing?" Chaytu hissed and then grabbed Tagurk's left arm to keep him from moving. "Don't you remember what happened when the invaders came in their giants? How they flattened buildings?"

"I do," Tagurk replied flatly. "And I also see that these new people are not doing the same to the invaders." He then gestured down below, causing the others to look at the two invaders, who kneeled in the road still. Around them, the metal giants had stopped moving, save one, which by far was the most strange as it had backward canted legs that resembled a bird's. Then all four watched quietly as hatches opened on the backs of the stopped giants' heads, and out from them came three figures, one from each giant.

"Is that…?" Fegey started quietly. "Is that a lupar coming from the one in the road?" They all looked, and indeed, saw a small, gray figure climb down along the back of the 'mech.

* * *

Mikula grunted slightly as he dropped the last half-meter to the ground to avoid getting too close to the ankle joint on the _Hellbringer II_. After he was down, though, he quickly brought up his assault rifle to bear on the two Wobbies kneeling in front of the Chevalier. To either flank of them came Jeffries and Ferguson, both wielding their personal sidearms. All three soldiers converged on the pair of Blakests, who mainly stared at Mikula, surprised, apparently, that any native would be given such a weapon.

_Let the bastards be confused_, Mikula thought, stifling a grin. He moved and covered the two with his gun while Ferguson and Jeffries each brought out the small plastic ties that the Republic used for the quick detainment of a person in the field. After a few terse commands, the Blakests were lying down in the road, their arms tied behind their backs, and their ankles secured similarly. The whole scene took barely two minutes, which Mikula felt some pride at. _We did it so quickly that I doubt those two even had the time to think about trying something_.

"_Firefly One, this is Whiskey One_," Williams voice came over the helmet radio. "_Can you handle those two without Whiskey Three and Four?_"

Mikula glanced towards the Lieutenant's _Timber Wolf_ and gave it a quick nod before he returned his attention to the captured Blakests. "Yes sir," he said, triggering his helmet mike. "I doubt that these two will want to be doing anything stupid anytime soon," he added the last in a loud enough voice to ensure that the Wobbies heard it.

"_Glad to hear it, boy_," Williams replied. "_I already called the transport. The Seabees are gonna send one of their Karnovs to haul the tank away, and they'll have some troopers from the Grenadiers to escort these dumbasses to their internment. Now send those two slackers back to their 'mechs if you would be so kind._"

Mikula nodded absentmindedly. "Sounds like a plan," he said casually. Then he glanced at Jeffries and Ferguson. "The lieutenant wants you guys back into your 'mechs."

Jeffries looked at Mikula then. "You'll be okay by yourself?"

Mikula nodded again. "Yeah, these guys don't want any trouble." He said, and then made sure to click the selector switch to burst mode to illustrate the point.

Ferguson chuckled at the noise. "Sounds like you got it under control then." He then holstered his nasty-looking Sternsacht Heavy Pistol and turned around and headed for his 'mech, an action mimicked by Jeffries, who nodded to Mikula as he did so.

Mikula let out a small, quiet sigh. _Now, we just wait_, he thought as he lowered his gun a bit, holding it alongside his hip, which at this range still afforded him a decent aim at the captured Blakests. There he stood while the Republic MechWarriors went back to their 'mechs, and in only a few minutes, Williams, Jeffries and Ferguson were moving off through the forest to make sure that the area was clear of patrols, leaving only Nguyen and Mikula standing over the captured Wobbies.

* * *

Tagurk inched through the forest, his friend Chaytu right behind him. _Though it's only him_, Tagurk thought disgustedly. _Fegey and Reyn are hiding back where we were until they see us not killed on sight._ Although he was a bit angered over their willingness to simply hang back and let him take all the risks, Tagurk couldn't really blame them. _Not with all the strangeness going on lately…_

His thoughts stopped drifting as he reached the last tree standing between him and the road. It was a wide, old tree, and so Tagurk used its girth to hide from the newcomers even as he slowly inched around to tree to get a look at the scene.

The strange new lupar who had climbed down from the metal giant had apparently been trusted to watch the invaders, the other two people with him – who were also the same species as the invaders, as Tagurk had seen – had gone back to their own giants and now those had walked off into the woods. Tagurk couldn't help but understand the purpose. _To keep a watch around the area while they wait… Though what are they waiting _for

"Heyver?" Chaytu's hushed voice came from behind the tree. "What do you see?"

"They're just standing there," Tagurk replied in a whisper. "That new lupar is just standing near the invaders, watching them, and the last giant is simply standing still." He then paused while the stranger lupar raised a hand to the side of his head. _Odd, that's just like how the invaders act when they're listening to one of those devices they were in their helmets to talk-_

Too late, the idea that he might have been found popped into Tagurk's head even as the new lupar turned slowly, bringing his weapon up to point in his general direction. "Come out with your hands up," he called in a voice that was both commanding and yet somehow non-threatening. "I know you're out there."

_He sounds tired_, Tagurk thought, realizing what made the strange lupar's voice sound unintimidating. _It's like he's seen this before._

"Heyver, what's going on?" Chaytu asked in an urgent whisper. "How did they see us? Should we run?" He sounded more and more panicked with each word. Yet, Tagurk didn't feel the same way. His curiosity overrode most of his fear, and he thought hard on what he was going to do. Then, with a gulp, he made his decision and started to walk slowly forward.

"Heyver!" Chaytu hissed from behind the tree, but Tagurk was already too far away to grab, and so the second Renku native simply took up Tagurk's old position and watched in rapt attention as Tagurk walked forward slowly, his hands raised.

Mikula saw one of the lupar soldiers walk out from the trees, his hands raised a bit in the universal gesture of surrender. When he saw that the former tank rider had nothing more than a short sword and a dagger, Mikula let out a breath and lowered his gun, though he kept it again at his hip so that he could re-aim it quickly. "Well, who do we have here?" He asked loud enough to be heard by the other lupar.

The local soldier stopped and lowered his arms at that. "My name is Heyver Tagurk. I was riding on that… Thing." He gestured towards the Chevalier slowly. "I… Just wanted to find out what is going on."

Mikula managed a bit of a grin. "Well, isn't it obvious? We don't like these people." He gestured to the Blakests at the last.

"I can see that…" Tagurk said haltingly. "But- What I mean is-" He paused and let out a frustrated sigh. "Why? Where did you and your comrades come from? Why do you hate the invaders?"

"Isn't that obvious as well?" Mikula asked back, his grin disappearing. "Or are you so ingratiated with them that you don't feel their heel?" His voice took on a dangerous timbre then, and his gun arm tensed a bit.

Tagurk blanched a bit at Mikula's tone, but his ears went back in anger. "Ingratiated? With those bastards?" He growled back. "I'd sooner slice off my own tail than to willingly serve them."

Mikula twitched an ear down. "So I take it that they've been as heavy-handed with your town as with mine?"

"City, actually," Tagurk added in. "Renku, to the north of here."

Mikula nodded. "I've heard of it. Your city is supposed to be home to one of the oldest temples."

Tagurk snorted. "Fat lot of good it does us. The invaders took it over and use it to garrison their troops. Curse their furless hides." He spat on the ground after the last comment.

Mikula tilted his head a bit as he reappraised the other lupar. _That emotion certainly seems genuine… Pity I can't really feel it myself_. His family hadn't exactly been in line with the mainstream religion, and so he didn't have quite the same outrage. _Still, it angers me when the Republic doesn't even believe in our Gods, and yet they don't even think of touching a temple, but the Blakests destroy everything they touch_. He then cleared his throat. "So, I take it that you're not adverse to seeing these invaders like this?" He asked, gesturing to the facedown Blakests, who shifted a bit.

"Not at all," Tagurk said, and then turned his head and sneered at one of the humans who had managed to raise his head up and glare at the two natives. "You see, Initiate?" He asked of the Wobbie, using the human title, which surprised Mikula a bit. "How does it feel to be on the other side?"

Mikula smirked and looked at the Wobbie. "Ah, so this one knows Lupari?"

"Filthy dogs," the Blakest snarled at the two natives in a manner that reminded Mikula of a particular army trainer in Tanzano. "You have damned yourselves because of this!" Although he spoke in English, Mikula saw Tagurk flinch a bit.

"Mikula," Nguyen's voice came form his 'mech. "Could you tell that twisted spawn of an Amaris to go suck a lemon?"

Mikula chuckled as he Blakest fumed, his face turning beet red before he turned away. With that, Mikula returned his attention to Tagurk. "So, are your friends going to come down, or did they want to walk to the nearest town?"

Tagurk blinked a bit in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that when some friends of ours come to take these back to someplace where they can be kept," he paused to gesture to the two Wobbies. "They can also give you a ride to a safe place where you can wait out the war. A place that the invaders cannot touch."

Tagurk frowned a bit. "Can there ever be such a place? The invaders seem to be everywhere, and I've yet to see anything that has stood up to them."

Mikula nodded his head towards Nguyen's 'mech. "You just saw us stand up to them."

"Yes, but you had numbers and good position. The invaders have more of their metal giants than I see here." Mikula chuckled a bit at that, and Tagurk looked puzzled. "What is so funny?"

"I said we had more friends coming, didn't I?" Mikula asked back. "Don't you think we've more forces than just a small patrol?"

Tagurk blinked. "I… I guess I didn't think," he said, and then blushed. "So, you could take us someplace safe?" He waited for Mikula to nod before going on. "But what about our families? Our city, which lies still under the invaders' grip?"

Mikula sighed. "I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do, at least, not at the moment." He shook his head, and then looked over at the Wobbies. "Right now, those invaders do outnumber us… But our weapons and armor are better. We can old them, we're attacking them… But for the moment, we cannot be everywhere at once." He shrugged.

"For now, you said," Tagurk said and took a step forward. "But more of your friends are coming?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes. Not too long from now, and we'll have enough force to make these Wobbies regret coming here." He turned to look at the captured Blakests then, making sure that at least the one who understood some Lupari could hear. "And when that day comes, then we'll see to helping your city."

* * *

Alexis walked forward through the fading light of twilight, carefully picking her way through the paths in the woods that the lumberjacks from Kaytor used to get into the forest. Although she wasn't trying to be stealthy, her padded feet and the loose, native-woven clothing she wore tended to deaden any noise she was making. The result of which made the falling night seem even more oppressive.

_Calm down, Alexis_, she thought to herself as she picked her way over discarded branches and piles of rough wood chips. _There's nothing in the night that can hurt you. The night is your friend; it covers you from prying eyes in case things should go wrong_. She sighed then, trying to get the tension to leave her muscles. _Although if the plan fails, I don't think that darkness will be much of any help_.

Her reservations weren't founded only in paranoia, as the plan called for her to take some big risks, risks so large that Tanaka initially turned down the plan proposed by Lieutenant Peterson until Alexis talked her into it.

_Though now I do believe I'm regretting it_, she mused darkly as she moved down the gentle slope and finally began to approach the edge of the forest. _'I'll be fine' I said. 'If anything happens I can run away,' I said._ She suppressed a snort at her own willingness to be put in such a situation. _Sometimes I wonder if I don't have a death wish?_

She shook her head to clear it. _Come on, you know you aren't some self-cursing person. You know that this plan will give good intelligence and help us free the town with less death._ Alexis took in a deep breath as she went over the plan again in her head.

_First, I get into town. Find a good spot, and then report in after some reconnaissance. Then wait until the others come_. At this, she reached around and patted the crude backpack that she wore. It and the clothes she wore were all flown in via Ferret scout VTOL from Shulana earlier in the day, and they formed her disguise. _Hopefully, that and the story we thought up will let me get into town_.

Alexis then passed the last tree, and she was in the open grassland that lay between the forest and the edges of the town's farms. She forced herself not to pause, as that might giver herself away as something other than a lost gatón. Instead, she continued forward at a pace that she judged would be adequate for someone who was tired from walking a long distance.

The light from the sun had faded well now, and the entire area was lit only by the dim refractions of light from the upper atmosphere, in what the humans termed 'Nautical Twilight;' the period of some light before total darkness. Ahead of Alexis, the town showed many dim lights from lanterns or outside cooking fires, though a portion to the northeast was light up much more. Several buildings had a white light coming from their windows, and there were several long bars of illumination near those buildings.

_That light is too harsh to be from fire_, Alexis knew. _Close to the 'mechs, too. Can the Blakests be that obvious?_ She found it rather suspicious that the Blakests were making themselves such an easy target. _Almost as if they want to be attacked…_ The same idea had, of course, been mentioned in the planning session that Tanaka had had earlier in the day, and every Republic officer had agreed; the situation was too inviting.

_That's why I'm going in_, Alexis reminded herself. Although not an officer, she had been privy to the meeting due to her unique perspective, being a native and all. The military officers were naturally suspicious of Blakest tricks, especially when non-combatants were so near. Thus, while the Republic forces would move into position along the foothills, they wouldn't come too close until information could be gathered.

Alexis mused over all of this as she walked, wondering again why she had volunteered so easily, even pushed for herself to take on such risk. _I suppose it's just my nature to go and help people. And I _am_ helping my friends and these strangers in the town by risking my life this way… Though, may Sheyana help me in the times ahead_.

* * *

Acryu walked along the path, heading for his family's home after finishing up his daylong stint in the guard tower. _Gods, this job is so tiring_, he mentally grumbled as he passed the first houses along the southern edge of town. _I know I don't do as much as the farmers, but at least _they_ work in teams and can take breaks._

He sighed as he rounded a corner of the narrow, dirt street and saw his house down the row. _Ah, well, time for dinner and rest now_. He smiled a bit as he started down the street, his mouth beginning to drool a bit in anticipation of the evening meal. _I only a small snack in the tower today, and I'm famished._

"Kaeno!" A familiar voice came from behind him, and Acryu halted and cringed at his name being called. _By Grakia, not more of his crap!_ Grudgingly, Acryu turned around and saw Eiger Tangee, the new, invader-appointed commander of the town's militia. _Slimy bastard, always fluffing the invaders' tails… Well, they don't have tails, but he still obeys them like a trained danier_.

"Glad I caught you," Tangee said as he strode up to Acryu, an arrogant tone in his voice. "I've word from our leaders that there is someone approaching the town from the forest, so I want you to go out there with Hurg and Pago and bring the person in."

Acryu frowned, and he felt his ears lay back in anger over the way Tangee spoke. _'Our leaders,' bah! Invaders is what they are, no matter how long they claim to be our masters_. Aloud, though, he said "But I only just now got off of duty in the southern watchtower… Commander." He added in the last word after a pause just long enough to show his distaste without being completely disrespectful.

Tangee narrowed his eyes a bit at the pause, but he simply continued on. "Be that as it may, we need to keep the guards on duty where they are at. You and the others are free for other assignments, and so I want you to go."

Acryu continued frowning at Tangee. _You want me to go because you know I and my friends would like to beat you upside the head_, he thought, but he nodded his head anyway. "Very well, commander. Where shall I join the others?"

Tangee gestured back the way they had both come. "The stranger approaches from the forest, so the other guards are waiting by the south end of the main street. Join them, go get the stranger, and bring him to the jail. I will await you all there."

Acryu nodded, and without any other words, he moved off, walking past Tangee and walked quickly down the street. Then Tangee's voice followed him. "And one more thing, Kaeno…" Acryu halted in his tracks, but he didn't turn around as Tangee continued with only a tiny pause. "Take your time, for I will be eating dinner." With that, Acryu heard Tangee turn and walk away.

_That arrogant son of a zugert!_ Acryu had easily heard the taunting tone in Tangee's voice. _He knows damn well how hungry I am, and he rubs it in._ Acryu started off then, walking rapidly to work off the anger that Tangee's comments had raised in him.

After a few minutes, he reached the place where the houses ended, and there Hurg and Pago were waiting, just as Tangee had said. The former waved at his friend as Acryu walked up. "I see the tail-fluffer caught up to you too, eh?" He asked in a sardonic tone.

Acryu couldn't help but smirk a bit at his friend's wry humor. "Indeed. Well, let's go get whoever was stupid enough to come back this late and take him in." With that, the trio set off and walked along the path that would lead them to the forest if they went far enough.

* * *

Alexis saw the approaching lupar by the way they let themselves become silhouetted by the town's few open-air lanterns. _Sloppy_, she thought. _But I suppose when your worst enemy is behind you, you don't think about not showing yourself to others._

She continued on, a bit slower now so that she would encounter the guards some distance still from the town. _And I know they're guards_, she thought, nervously flexing her clawed fingers. _They may have silhouetted themselves, but they're walking in formation. Not to mention, their body posture indicates that they're too confident of themselves to be just a group of friends walking into the night for some mischievous deed._

Alexis made herself continue on and not hide alongside the path in some of the outermost crop fields she was now passing. _Stick to the plan. I'm lost, a poor little lost gatón who doesn't know where she's at because of a storm_. She hoped that the guards wouldn't ask too much about where she was from, since no one on her side knew too much about the area. _Tanzano always concentrated to the west and east, so Mikula and his brothers don't know anything specific about the area, save that the lupar and gatón here aren't as hostile to each other_. She hoped that the rumor would be true enough so that the guards wouldn't try to do anything untoward to her. _Because then I'll kick their asses, which means that I blow my cover and have to get the Hell out of here._

She sighed and tried to mentally prepare herself for her performance. _Remember, you have to seem like you're tired and lost and frightened… Though the last part shouldn't be too hard_. Alexis continued forward, until she and the approaching guards reached a point where she figured a distracted person like her would finally stop and notice the men. 'Who's there?" She called out gently in Gatonese.

The three guards froze, crouching down a bit. _Apparently my language surprised them_, she thought as she heard indistinct whispers passing between the three. _They must have not been expecting a gatón_.

After a moment, the guard to the right side of the path (as she saw it) stood and cleared his throat. "Identify yourself," he called out in Lupari.

Alexis wondered for a moment if she should feign total ignorance of the language. Then she shook her head slightly. _No, stick to the plan; you know Lupari, only not much of it_. With that, she thought quickly for a way to make her voice a bit more accented in the tongue. "Who you? Lupar?"

The guards, she noticed, looked at each other in apparent surprise. Then the one in the center spoke up. "Yes, we're lupar. Come closer."

Alexis thought for a second, trying to get into the mind of someone who was lost. Then she walked forward slowly, pulling the cowl of the small traveling cloak she wore up to cover her head, leaving only her face to be seen. _Here goes nothing_, she thought, borrowing the humans' phrase.

* * *

Acryu drew his sword as the figure came near. In the light coming from the stars above and from the town behind him, he saw the diminutive figure approach slowly, eventually halting about two meters away.

"It's a gatón," Hurg breathed beside him. "What's he doing out here?"

"That's a she, Hurg," Acryu said, noticing the curves underneath newcomer's baggy clothing.

"Really?" Hurg asked, and he peered at the gatón with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, now." He paused to take a breath. "Come closer yet. We won't harm you."

The figure seemed to shift a bit, as if considering her options, but then she soon walked forward until she was just out of arm's reach. "Please, I am lost," she said in halting Lupari. "No food."

Acryu frowned a bit, wondering just what the Hell he was going to do about this. "Are you hurt? Where are you from?"

"I no hurt. From Danadom I come," Alexis said, trying to mix her phrasing up just enough so that she wouldn't be too bad or too good. _Not like they would know where Danadom is, anyway_, she hoped. "Please, need help."

Acryu shifted uncomfortably. _What the Hell am I supposed to _do He wondered as he raised himself to an upright position and sheathed his sword.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Pago asked from his left. "She could be one of those assassins you hear about in fireside tales."

Hurg laughed at that, and Acryu snorted. "You need to stop listening to those, Pago," the latter said. "I mean, she's only a woman, it's not like she has that much strength."

Pago looked unsure, but he sheathed his sword as well. "I suppose you're right…"

"In any case," Acryu said, trying to get them back on track. "We need to take her to the jail. That's what the tail-fluffer said, so I'd like to get this done and eat some dinner."

"I go where?" Alexis asked, trying to keep her anger at the sexist comments out of her voice and mannerisms. _'Just a woman?' I'd like to show you… But not now…_

"You come with us," Acryu said, pointing to the gatón to emphasize. "To town. You will not be harmed," he said, pointing to the town. The gatón nodded, and she haltingly started forward, moving carefully past the three guards and down the path.

They walked that way, gatón in front of the lupar, all the way to town. At the outskirts, Acryu called for her to halt, and he took the lead and he led the others to the jail. Along the way, people who had come out after their dinners to enjoy the cooler air outside stared or asked questions. Acryu ignored them, though his fellow militiamen would answer one or two.

'_Yes, she's lost.' 'No, we don't know where she's from.' Bah, people need to stop being so impatient_. Acryu was annoyed more and more, mainly because he still was hungry, and also because how foolish he felt, being one of three guards to escort a single, lost gatón. _As if she could be any threat to a lupar._

Finally, though, they reached the jail. It was an older building in the town, placed near the center. Only a single story, and made out of stone rather than wood to keep prisoners from escaping by burning the building down, it was a squat and ugly structure. The blank front was only broken by a door and a single open window covered with a blanket for privacy.

Acryu walked up to the door and pushed it open without knocking. Inside, the jail was one big open room, divided only by the supporting beams for the roof and by one large holding area along the back formed by iron bars set into the floor and ceiling. In the holding area, Acryu saw five lupar, only one of whom truly deserved to be in there. _The others just complained about the invaders._

"That was quick," Tangee said from the side, and Acryu turned to see the other lupar sitting behind a desk, a decent meal of a stew and bread sitting half eaten. Acryu felt his stomach rumble at the sight of the food, but he ignored it as the gatón walked in behind him, followed by both Hurg and Pago.

"Well, what do we have here?" Tangee asked as he put down a spoon and wiped is muzzle off on his left sleeve.

Acryu frowned a bit, but he ignored the other's poor manners. "The person our… 'Leaders'" - he spoke the last word with a hint of sarcasm - "sent us to get was this gatón. She knows a little Lupari, and from what she's said so far, she got lost some time ago and only stumbled across our town."

Tangee stood and looked Alexis over. "Hmm, well, I suppose we can't be much threatened by her," he said. "Take her to the temple, see if the priests will take in a stray for the night while I go ask our leaders just what they want to do with her."

Alexis suppressed a shudder at the idea of the Wobbies deciding what to do with her. _Though I dislike the look of this lupar almost as much_, she thought, noting how the man's eyes seemed to linger over certain areas. _A lecherous sort, I'd imagine. I'll have to be careful._


	38. Chapter 38

Demi-Precentor VI Wintaka sipped at his morning tea as he read the latest reports that had come down from the Militia's Headquarters. _What little we get anymore_, he mentally grumbled as he set his teacup down, next to a plate that held the remains of his breakfast. _Damned infidels and their accursed predilection towards aerospace craft. Why can't they be like all the other fools and concentrate on armies?_

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Wintaka realized the truth of the matter. _Because they know that the first step towards victory is to deny your enemy freedom of movement._ He slapped the report from HQ down and stood. _Just like they're doing to us now!_

Although angered by his train of thought, Wintaka was cautious enough to remember not to stand up all the way, as he was in an appropriated native house. _As if I need more reminders of our dire straits_, he thought as he turned from the table he had sat at and headed for the door. Stepping through it, he passed from the house's combination kitchen/dining room and out into the sunlight of the dawn.

Wintaka took a moment to stretch his muscles, most especially those cramped by bending over in the small house, or from sitting in too-small chairs. _Damned aliens_, he thought as he tilted his head from side to side to work out the kinks in his neck. _They're the reason our enemies have tracked us this far. Studying them, I'm sure, instead of teaching them civilization, was one of the infidels' weak-minded fools._

He growled a bit, not unlike some lupar. _Well, best to concentrate on today's work_, Wintaka thought as he turned to look over the six 'mechs of his Level II that had been assigned to the outpost at the native town. _I should be commanding a Level III, even a Level IV by now, instead of a Level II of 'mechs and another of infantry_. His bitterness only fed the growing anger he felt in his gut.

Wintaka sighed roughly to clear his mind again, and he turned and started off for the house next to the one he had taken for himself and two other of his MechWarriors. In there was the communications consoles they had been assigned to keep in touch with command, and Wintaka was anxious to see if any new report might have come in recently to counter the one he had just read.

_'Intel regrets to inform you that we have lost contact with the enemy forces moving up from the south. Furthermore, these same forces may be in possession of our atomic, biological, and chemical arms that were secreted away in' blah blah BLAH._ Wintaka mentally dismissed the rest of the report as he walked inside the rear of the next house. _Two lances of clan tech-equipped mechs and tanks, and we can't find them? What else are those worthless natives we have working for us good for if they can't keep track of a walking building?_

Inside, the communications house was pretty much like that of the one Tanaka had just left. The kitchen of this one, though, held a portable fusion generator and the appropriate cables of which that led into the fore room and out the back to the other houses and tents of the Blakest outpost.

Wintaka took a moment to pause by the generator and run a hand along its rounded top. _At least we've managed to keep some articles of our glorious heritage. This generator was built in the time of the Star League, and by rights it should be powering a station on Dieron, or Addicks, or somewhere else than a planet full of aliens and infidels._

Grunting his displeasure at the thought, Wintaka walked into the next room. There, a field communications suit remarkably similar to the one used by Major Tanaka's forces sat, manned by a raven-haired woman dressed in the utility fatigues of a technician.

The lady turned her head and saluted the Demi as he entered. "Precentor," she said by way of greeting, preferring the Blakest shortening of the rank, rather than the 'demi' that their ComStar brethren preferred. "Is there a message you would like sent?"

"No," Wintaka replied with a shake of his head. "I was just wondering if any new reports had come in."

The tech shook her head in reply. "Negative, sir. Nothing since that report from last night."

Wintaka grunted. "Very well. You will notify me the very instant you receive any new reports. Is that understood?"

The tech nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good," he said, and then turned and walked out of the room, and then out of the house entirely. Once outside, he paused to readjust his belt and gun holster, checking to make sure that the laser pistol he carried still had its charge. _Not likely that it would change_, he thought. _Still, sometimes these things go bad. And when the infidels attack us – as I know they will – I want to be fully ready_.

A sudden commotion brought Wintaka's head around to the left, where a pair of his infantry escorted a trio of natives. _Strange, that one in the middle isn't one of the dogs. It's one of those cat-things from the south_. They were heading for him, and one of the guards signaled Wintaka with a hand to confirm this.

After a couple of minutes, the small group reached him, and the human guard in the lead saluted Wintaka in the traditional Blakest manner. "Precentor, the local militia commander seems to want to speak with you."

"Is that so?" Wintaka asked nonchalantly. Then he turned to the lupar in the lead and cleared his throat as he brought up the natives' language. "What is this about?" He asked haltingly.

"My apologies, great one," Tangee began with a flourish. "But this is the stranger you asked us to bring in last night." He gestured to Alexis at the last. "I brought her here to see what you wanted to do with her."

Wintaka narrowed his eyes a bit as he recalled the previous night. _Ah, yes, that anomalous infrared reading we thought might've been a spy_. "And so? What would we do with her?"

Tangee blinked. "I… I do not know. You asked us to bring in whoever was coming close to the town, and I've done so."

Behind him, the other lupar guard rolled his eyes carefully, much to Wintaka's wry amusement. _Stupid creatures, but they have their moments, I admit_. He then dropped the amusement from his mind. "Well, is this thing a threat?" He asked slowly.

"Not that I can tell, your greatness," Tangee said, his tone becoming unsure. "She knows some Lupari, and she's mentioned that she's lost. We haven't found any blades on her person, so there's nothing to fear."

Wintaka snorted. "'Nothing to fear,'" he said mockingly. "Have you checked that pack she's carrying?" He asked and pointed to Alexis' pack.

Tangee looked at the pack, and he frowned. "Well, not really, other than to see what's inside-"

"Then you haven't determined her to be a threat, have you?" Wintaka asked rhetorically. _Not that I really think she's a threat, but I like to make this butt-kisser squirm_.

Tangee's ears went back a bit. "Well, we did open it, but all that's inside is-"

"Why don't we look for ourselves?" Wintaka said quickly, cutting off the lupar. He then turned to the infantryman standing closest to Alexis. "Take the bag from the bitch and open it."

The man nodded and reached out, grabbing a hold of the bag and yanking it from where it rode loosely on the gatón's right shoulder, startling the natives with his speed. He quickly brought it up and yanked back the flap.

He then promptly slammed it back down again. "Blake's Blood! That smells like ass!"

Tangee cleared his throat, apparently guessing what the guard had said. "As I was about to say, it's filled with fraga root, which smells quite bad."

Wintaka caught a whiff of the roots, and he scrunched his nose up. "What do you use it for?" He asked Tangee in the natives' language.

Tangee shrugged. "It is used to make a red dye for clothing. When prepared, the dye itself doesn't smell, though the roots themselves are particularly offensive."

Wintaka frowned, still smelling as he did the roots. He turned his head towards the guard holding the bag and nodded. The infantryman then gently half-tossed the bag to the ground by the gatón's feet. Though not particularly caring about the goods inside, the man didn't want them spilling out should the bag break.

Just then the commtech came out the back door to the appropriated house. "Precentor, sir I-" She paused as her eyes took in the scene and Wintaka turned to look at here. "Am I interrupting something sir?"

"Nothing important," Wintaka replied. "You have a new report?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes sir. Adept Ramirez reports that his Level II has finished moving to their standby position. He asks if there is any specific orders for him at this time."

Wintaka grunted. "Yes. Tell him to sit down, shut up, and don't clutter the few secure channels we have left with his useless prattle!"

"Yes sir," the tech replied calmly before turning and walking back into the house. Wintaka then turned back to the natives, and he again switched to his rudimentary knowledge of their language. "So, what should we do with this?" He asked rhetorically.

"Well, great one," Tangee began cautiously. "If you do not want to question her, I may be able to find some use for her." He glanced over at the gatón then, eyeing her subtly.

Not subtly enough to Wintaka's eyes, though. "Is that so? Perhaps I just don't like the look of it and I'll shoot it now." With that, he drew his laser pistol and sited it on the gatón's brow in split second.

The natives gasped, and Wintaka suppressed a savage grin. _Good, let them fear me_, he thought as he slowly re-holstered his pistol. "Remember, Tangee. Remember not to be presumptuous, or I can take away something you desire."

"Y-yes, greatness," Tangee stuttered, apparently still a bit flustered from the pistol even pointing in his general direction. "I will remember."

"Good," Wintaka said. Then he waved his hand dismissively. "You may leave now. And take that worthless bitch with you."

"Yes, great leader."

* * *

Alexis felt her pulse slowly return to normal as she was led away from the Wobbies' portion of the town. Her heart rate was up partly from having a laser pistol pointed at her head, but also partly because of the way the Blakest had so casually insulted her repeatedly.

_Arrogant zugert_, she thought derisively. _Still, that arrogance will be his undoing_. She fought to suppress a smile at the tidbit she had overheard. _Another six tanks or 'mechs,_ she thought, remembering what the Blakest Level II unit meant. _No wonder they want this place to be inviting. Twelve war machines could be enough to overwhelm eight, even with the Republic's advanced technology._

_Still, that can't be all they have planned_, Alexis thought as the lupar named Tangee led her and the other guard around the last corner before the jail. _Even if that other Level II is all 'mechs, they would still need something else to ensure a good victory._

Alexis shifted her bag a bit. _Thank the Gods that he didn't check inside_, she thought. _And not just because the smell would have driven me crazy_. Inside her bag was her disassembled laser rifle, a scope she had borrowed for it, a bowie-style knife, and a radio. _If they had seen those, that man would surely have shot me dead._

So deep in thought she was, that Alexis didn't realize they had passed the jail instead of going into it. It took the guard behind her speaking up to make her aware of it. "Commander, why are we not taking the prisoner to the jail?"

"She's only a gatón, and a female at that, Hurg," Tangee said as he continued to lead them further along the street. He glanced about before continuing, which seemed unnecessary to Alexis as the area was mostly devoid of lupar, since most had already gone to their tasks. "She won't be any real problem. Besides, she could be… Useful."

"I'm sure," the guard, Hurg, said behind Alexis in a tone that told her that he knew very well what Tangee meant. _As do I_, she thought, feeling a mix of fear and anger in her mind. _I was right last night; he's a lecherous bastard_. Again, she managed to barely suppress a smile. _The fool doesn't know what I know, though_.

They continued along the street until they came to a nice, two-story house just on the other side of the town square. Tangee walked right up to the door and pushed it open with such surety that Alexis realized that it was his house. _Or at least it is now_, she thought after glancing back at Hurg, whose face betrayed certain disgust with the whole scene. She decided to play up her assumed persona. "What happen? Why here?" She asked in halting Lupari.

Tangee turned back from within the threshold. "You'll be staying here for a while," he said, eyes wandering again. He then turned and walked to the side of the door, disappearing from sight for the moment.

The guard behind her muttered something that Alexis hadn't heard before, though from the tone, she guessed it was an obscenity. Then he pushed her gently between her shoulders, just to the left of her pack. "Come on then, miss. It's best you get this over with."

_He sounds sad,_ Alexis thought as she allowed herself to be guided from behind into the foyer. To her left, she say Tangee working to light a lantern, which seemed odd to Alexis to be doing during the day, until she realized that the house was pretty large. _There are undoubtedly rooms that do not have any windows to let in light._

"That will be all, Hurg," Tangee said as he turned around with the now-lit lantern. "I'm sure she won't give me any trouble. Now will you?" He directed the question at Alexis.

"No trouble," She replied, again in her deliberately accented Lupari. _Not until we're alone, anyway…_ A plan was already forming in her head, and she was actually hoping for the other lupar to leave.

Hurg gave Alexis a quick glance before he leaned in and whispered to Tangee. "You shouldn't be doing this. She's just a lost woman."

"And I'll remind you just who is in charge here," Tangee replied hotly, though also in a whisper. "Now leave."

Although their voices were pitched low, Alexis understood them well enough. _Most likely they think I don't know enough Lupari to comprehend a whisper_, she realized. _It would be best to not disturb that assumption._

Hurg, she noticed, seemed to be struggling with himself. _Good, they're not all bastards,_ she thought as the lupar spun on his heel and walked out of the house with a huff and some muted grumbling.

Tangee sighed as he went to the door and closed it. "Do not mind him, miss," he said gently as the heavy wood door cut off the light from the outside. "He does not know his place. Something I am sure that you ought to know better about."

Alexis decided that it was time to play up the confused aspect of her assumed persona. "Place? Where?"

Tangee chuckled slightly. "Well, how about right through there?" He asked, gesturing through the doorway opposite of the main entrance. It was one of two, with another doorway on the right leading down a short hall, though the one Tangee indicated led to a decently-sized parlor.

Alexis walked to the edge of the entrance, and she grabbed the doorframe in a slightly frightened manner that she hoped would be consistent with her performance so far. She studied the room, and found it to be well enough lit from a window on the left side of the room, though the light wasn't too strong as it was mainly reflected off of the adjoining house. She also noted the heavy drapes that hung to one side of the window, and she fought to control a laugh at that and the long couch along the far wall. _Oh Gods, so this is what he has planned!_

"Please, go and sit," Tangee said, this time with a bit more strength in his words to make it seem more like an order than an invitation. Alexis glanced back at him to fit in with the part she played, and then she turned back and walked into the room. Tangee followed as she passed another, somewhat shorter couch sitting against the outer wall, next to the window.

"Perhaps you'd like me to take that bag for you, eh?" Tangee asked as he grabbed the sack slung over Alexis' shoulder. She responded by gripping it tighter and turning around to look at him with wide eyes. "No! Mine!"

Tangee pulled his hand back and held it palm outward. "Okay, okay, it's yours," he said. _Those roots must be valuable from wherever she's from_. "You can keep it. Why don't you go sit?" He asked gently again, indicating the long couch to the back of the room.

Alexis backed away from him a step before turning around to head for the couch. While doing so, however, she managed to reach surreptitiously into the bag to withdraw a certain item while Tangee went to the window and drew the drapes across it, cutting off the light.

"There," he said while he straightened out the heavy cloth. "Maybe now we can have some privacy to chat."

"Yes," came a voice from behind him that lacked the halting nature or fearful tenor from before. Tangee felt a chill at the word, and he turned around to see Alexis brandishing a wicked-looking knife, a predatory smirk on her face. "Let's chat."

* * *

Acryu walked along the streets of Kaytor at a pace fueled by his anger. _It's bad enough that the bastard kowtows to the invaders, but this goes too far, taking advantage of someone who's lost and alone!_

He passed through the town square in a huff, ignoring a called greeting from a family friend. Acryu instead went on, and headed for the house of the former militia commander and maegister. _Someone who was ten times the man Tangee is before the invaders cut him down_, Acryu remembered. The thought only helped to stoke the fires of his anger, and he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he came to Tangee's door and slammed on it with his left hand. "Eiger! Come out now!"

A few moments passed without acknowledgement, and Acryu banged on the door again. "Open up Eiger!" _Before I break the damn door down! Commander or not, I've had it with your behavior!_

Finally, he heard some movement, and the door swung open slowly to reveal Tangee standing there, his face a study of consternation. _Good,_ Acryu thought. _Let him worry_. "About time. We need to talk, Eiger."

Tangee twitched an ear a bit. "Uh, can't it wait, Kaeno?" He asked with a gulp. "I'm, ah, rather busy at the moment."

Acryu frowned and his ears went back. "That's exactly why I need to talk to you, right now." He reached down and grabbed his sword's hilt. "I will not be persuaded otherwise."

Tangee gulped again, and he fidgeted. "Please, Kaeno… You really do not have to worry about the young lady," he said slowly. "She is quite untouched, and will remain that way."

Acryu snorted. "And I am to take your word for it, tail-fluffer?" He asked sneeringly, finally eliciting an angry reaction from Tangee as the latter narrowed his eyes. "You should be ashamed, trying to take advantage of some poor, lost woman."

Tangee took in a breath to calm himself. "Acryu, do not be stupid. You know what might happen if the invaders find out that you've killed me, their preferred liaison."

Tangee's words caught Acryu off-guard. _He hasn't called them 'invaders' in months._ "Eiger, what's going on?" He asked, suddenly feeling suspicious.

"Nothing," Tangee said a bit too quickly. "It's just that I am a bit… Tired, yes, that's it." He managed a small smile. "I don't think I had enough sleep last night. So I'm going to go and sleep… Upstairs, in my bed."

Acryu twitched an ear and stood there for a minute before he finally sighed and shrugged. "Fine, I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said, and began to turn away. Then, moving fast, he turned back and reached out to slam his left fist into the side of Tangee's muzzle, sending the other lupar to fall to the floor off to the right.

What appeared after he fell, however, startled Acryu enough that he froze as his mind tried to reconcile it. Standing behind where Tangee had stood was the gatón woman, and instead of looking frightened, she brandished a knife and had a visage of grim determination.

Before Acryu could react, she reached out with her free hand and grabbed the front of Acryu's thick shirt, yanking back on it and using her whole body as a lever to amplify the force of her pull. In seconds, Acryu found himself falling forward, and he reached out with both of his arms instinctually to break his fall.

Alexis, having already fallen on her back, moved just slightly quicker. As Acryu fell forward, he also fell on top of her, and when his arms went out to break his fall, he opened up his middle. Alexis used this opening to drive both of her feet into his midsection, stunning his solar plexus and shifting his momentum to her left.

After only about one and a half seconds or so, Acryu fell on his side behind and next to Tangee, falling over his legs and keeping the other lupar from getting up in the process. The stunning of his diaphragm caused Acryu to stay there instead of trying to get up while he tried to gulp in air.

Alexis, meanwhile, was already moving. Rolling to her right, she used that momentum to help her stand into a crouch, and she turned around to take stock of the situation. Acryu was still gulping air, and so she discounted him for the moment, while Tangee was beginning to pull his legs clear of Acryu's.

_Not going to happen_, she though as she stepped over and delivered a quick chop to his neck. The blow, although not anywhere near the fatal level of strength, nevertheless stunned Tangee, and he again fell down to the floor, half sprawling into the side hall with a grunt.

Alexis took the moment she knew she had to move to the outer door and lean out. With a quick look, she was relieved to find that no one else was in the street at the moment, and she pulled the door closed before turning to look over the two lupar at her feet. _What do I do now?_ She thought as she undid the knot holding Acryu's sword scabbard to his belt, and she yanked the bladed weapon away and left it to clatter to the floor behind her.

Acryu, for his part, finally managed to get some air into him as his muscles recovered a bit. "What… Is… This?" He huffed out.

Alexis let out a quick, frustrated sigh. "You just couldn't leave, could you?" She asked in near-flawless Lupari, the use of which seemed to surprise the newcomer as much as his easy takedown.

"I… Thought you were in trouble," Acryu managed to get out as his breath returned to normal. _Who _is _this woman?_

Alexis shrugged, and she waved the knife in her hand a bit. "I wasn't, really, though I appreciate your care," she replied casually. Yet, within that casualness was also sincerity, and Acryu picked up on it. "You're welcome, I think."

Alexis smirked a bit. "Thank you. Now," she paused and reached over to yank Tangee by the tail, as he was trying to get up on all fours. The hard pull not only surprised him, but also brought him off balance, and he fell again. "I hope you didn't think that our little conversation is over, _commander_," she said, loading the last word with sarcasm.

Acryu frowned and looked between Alexis and Tangee. "Just what is going on here?" He asked as he pulled himself to sit upright.

Alexis, however, soon had the knife pointed back towards him. "What's going on is that your friend here is obviously ingratiated with the invaders, and I wish to find out just how much he knows about them."

Acryu snorted. "Friend? He's an asshole and a tail-fluffer," he said and glared at Tangee. "And towards what he knows, I'm willing to bet that his head is as vacant as his morality."

Alexis smirked again. "That may be so, but I have friends who want to know exactly what the invaders are up to here, and even a little bit of information is worth a lot." She then turned and walked over to where Tangee was still laying down, and she put a foot on his neck to pin him. _This is becoming a bad habit with me._

Acryu stared warily at the gatón. "Exactly why would your friends want to know about the invaders that they couldn't learn from hearing about them?" His tone dripped with suspicion.

"Namely, how many people they have here, and if there are any more nearby," Alexis replied. "I already have a good idea, thanks to this slug bringing me to the invaders' camp earlier," she paused to dig her toe claws into Tangee's neck as he stirred a bit. "I know they have twelve machines waiting. What I don't know is what other surprises they have waiting here."

Acryu let his ears drop down in puzzlement. "I don't understand… Why do their numbers count? It's not like anyone can defeat them, no matter what their number." A sudden chuckle from the gatón made Acryu blush. "What's so funny?" He demanded.

"The invaders are far from undefeatable," Alexis returned with a grin. "We've driven them from Tanzano and from a couple of towns to the west, killed many."

Acryu blinked in surprise. "You lie!"

Alexis felt her fur bristling up. "I do not."

"Prove it."

Alexis gave him an incredulous look. "How can I prove it when we're here and the towns are elsewhere?"

Acryu blushed again. "True…" He said, and his voice trailed off as he tried to figure out what to do or say next.

Alexis, though, decided for him. "Look, it's obvious you don't like this slug here," she said and gestured to Tangee. "Am I to take it that you hate the invaders as well?"

Acryu blushed deeply again. "Of course! They take our food and kill anyone who complains!"

Alexis nodded sagely. "Then we could be allies," she said, and then lowered her knife. "Unless, of course, you have something against gatón?" She asked, tilting an ear down in question.

Acryu blinked, apparently surprised again at the turn in the conversation. "I… No, I don't have any problems with your people," he replied hesitantly. "Do you have any with mine?"

Alexis smiled then. Not the smirk of someone being contradictory or superior, but the genuine smile of open friendliness. "I think that you would be surprised at how I do feel towards some lupar," she said with an amused tone.

"I think that I might have already reached my limit of surprises for the day," Acryu said as he stood up slowly, always wary of Alexis' knife. When she didn't reach out to slash him, though, he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. _What _is _it about this woman? She wields only a knife and that alone scares me into tensing for an attack instead of striking out myself._

Alexis briefly chuckled again. "Perhaps you have. Unfortunately, however," she said, her voice changing tone to become more serious. "Today may be a day for many surprises."

Acryu sighed. "Well, if we're to be allies of a sort, perhaps I could know your name?"

Alexis smiled a bit. "Alexis Hurano."

"Kaeno Acryu," the lupar replied with a slight smile of his own. _How can she be so fearsome one moment and disarming the next?_ "I must admit that you are not exactly the lady we came across last night."

"An act," She said with a shrug. "I needed to get here, and we figured that this was the best way."

"'We?'" Acryu asked.

"As in, my friends and I," Alexis added. "They're waiting for information, and when they get it, they'll figure out a way to attack the Invaders… Hopefully, without hurting anyone else in the process."

Acryu's ears twitched at that. "What do you mean by that?"

Alexis shifted her shoulders a bit. "Well, my friends and the invaders… Their kind of warfare is very, very destructive." She paused and bit her lower lip. "We will try to avoid hurting anyone, but sometimes, things can get out of our control and people may get hurt."

Acryu frowned, just staring at Alexis for a minute. "Perhaps we should speak more on your friends before we decide on anything else."

"That sounds like a wise idea," Alexis agreed.

* * *

"Specialist van Horn, report to the bridge immediately," the speakers blared throughout the United Systems' Ship _Rodger Young_. "Specialist van Horn, report to the bridge on captain's orders."

Dr. Earl van Horn sighed at the page. _Just when I was about to get off duty_, he thought grumpily as he rubbed his hands. He was standing in the repair and service bay for the Vanquishers' battle armor, having spent almost eight hours working on several suits that had developed minor, but potentially critical problems. Thus, he had been assigned to help the techs and the service-qualified troopers work on the suits, since he didn't have many other shipboard duties.

"Sounds like you gotta go, doc," Jennifer Marks commented from her seat at a diagnostic table, and she looked up from where she was working on a shoulder coupling to an Elemental suit.

"Yeah, lucky me," van Horn commented sarcastically. He then walked towards the main entrance to the room, though any semblance of gravity came only from the magnetic 'slippers' he wore. "Because, you know, it's in a captain's nature to invite M.I. troopers forward for crumpets and tea."

Marks laughed at the comment. "Well, it shouldn't be too bad," she replied as van Horn went to the microgravity sink and began to use it to clean his hands. "After all, you haven't blown up anything. At least not while I've been here."

Van Horn managed a brief chuckle as he drew the sink's plastic membrane over the entrance with his hands inside. "I haven't blown up anything since we left the planet. Which I'll admit, is makin' me antsy a bit."

Marks shook her head in mock rapprochement, though van Horn could see her grin. "You and everyone else," she said, and then sighed. "Hell, at least the aerojocks get to fly cover in the atmosphere. We just sit here nursin' our suits."

Van Horn shrugged, though he was careful not to disturb the plastic as he triggered the soap and water pedals with his feet. "Well, it beats havin' a bad suit when we _do_ go ground side."

Marks sighed. "True, true," she said almost sadly a she leaned back from the table and turned fully to look at van Horn. "So what do you think has cap'n Ladavic up in a twist?"

"I don't' know, but I bet I'm going to find out," van Horn said as he finished washing his hands and then triggered the drying function of the sink. "Somehow, though, that doesn't make me feel any better."

* * *

Several minutes later, van Horn was standing before the bridge door. He hesitated to open it, mainly due to the fact that he hadn't taken the time to change out of the service coveralls and undershirt he had been wearing while working in the service bay. Briefly, he wondered whether he should have taken the time out to change first, but he finally decided to just get the summoning over with, and he pressed the general access code into the door controls.

The doors to the bridge slid open noiselessly, and van Horn stepped through to find the holotank active and spinning out a series of vectors. Captain Ladavic and Lieutenant Vickers were both standing next to the tank, and they were studying it and talking between themselves quietly. The opening of the compartment's doors, however, brought both their heads around, and their attention focused on van Horn.

"Doctor, Lieutenant, in my ready room," Ladavic ordered with a strong, though neutral voice. "Mr. Tudyk, you have the conn."

"Aye aye, sir, I have the conn," the lieutenant sitting at the ops station commented, and he stood and walked to the holotank area. Ladavic led Vickers and van Horn to the door to her ready room, and the three filed inside. The door closed behind van Horn, who was last, cutting off the muted sounds of the bridge's operations as it did so.

After entering the room, Ladavic went around her desk and sat down. "You two may be seated," she said after a second to get comfortable. Vickers and van Horn quickly took one of the two seats sitting in front of Ladavic's desk, though van Horn was hesitant given his clothing. However, Vickers had nudged him to move, and so the anthropologist sat quickly.

"Now, this is an informal kind of gathering," Ladavic began. "So I want you two to speak freely."

Vickers cleared his throat. "About what, cap'n?"

Ladavic shrugged, but didn't say anything. Instead, she flipped up the cover that had been flush with the surface of her desk, revealing a standard computer keyboard. She pressed a few commands in and soon the lights dimmed and a holographic projection seemed to come out of nowhere to hover over the desktop. Van Horn, however, soon looked up and saw that the projectors were a ceiling-mounted design.

The actual projection, however, caught his attention, as it was the seal of the Republic. "We received this transmission via HPG about an hour ago," Ladavic explained briefly, and then she pressed another command into her keyboard.

The seal faded out to be replaced with the diving eagle insignia of the USAF, which then was quickly replaced by the image of an admiral that van Horn recognized from news and documentary holovids. _I don't believe it._

He began to speak. "Captain Ladavic, this is Fleet Admiral Daniel O'Neil of the General Staff. I am sorry to distract you during a crucial operation, but I am afraid that I have bad news.

"Despite previous intelligence and simulations, Clan Snow Raven has launched a raid-in-force into the Mojave system. This force includes several WarShips as well as an ample amount of DropShips, Fighters, and a currently-unknown amount of ground forces." The image of O'Neil paused to gather a nonexistent breath, and then he went on. "As of this date, August Twenty-First, Three-Thousand Seventy-One, the United Systems' Armed Forces have mobilized for possible invasion under General Order Three, Article Five.

"Unfortunately, this means that all extra transport capacity is being redirected towards the affected area. The remaining forces of the Neo Tokyo Grenadiers and of the 5th Marauders will not be joining you anytime soon.

"Until we can ascertain the Ravens' intent – whether they want to try to do what the Star Adders failed to do, or are just bein' typical clan assholes – we cannot release any further transport to you at this time. Furthermore, the transport jumpships that helped to move your forces into the Bowman's system will be recalled through normal channel in the MSC."

Again, the imaged admiral paused to take a breath that had been recorded by the faithful electronic equipment that he had used. "The news isn't all bad, Captain. Although we are recalling the transports, all front-line units currently in the Bowman's system shall remain on-station, per Rear Admiral Fitzpatrick's orders. The detachment of engineers you have will also not be recalled.

"This may seem like a kick in the pants, Captain, but don't worry. The Republic hasn't forgotten its commitment to the people of Bowman's Planet. We just need a bit more time," the facsimile O'Neil said with a wan smile. "From what I hear, you don't need too much help, and even now are pushing back the Wobbies, so you shouldn't run into too much trouble.

"Finally, captain, I do assure you that if this raid is just that, a raid, then I'll personally kick loose a full division if I can." O'Neil then smirked. "Hell, even the President's got his eye on your situation, so don't drop the ball and we'll be along shortly." With that, the image faded into the insignia of the USAF again, and then froze as the message playback ended.

Van Horn just stared at the golden insignia, his mind racing over the implications. _Dear God, why the Hell do you hate us so?_

Vickers cleared his throat briefly to end the awkward silence, and then he spoke. "Captain, I'll admit that I'm not the smartest fish in the barrel, so could you enlighten me as to what is in the Mojave system?"

Ladavic shrugged at that. "Nothing much. The planets Arizona and Navajo, and that's about it. Arizona's the only inhabitable rock there, and even then it's marginal. Navajo's a gas giant, but its moons have water ice, so they're bein' used as reservoirs to feed the terraforming process on Arizona." She paused to take a breath. "Other than that, there's nothin' too interestin' about the place. Arizona's got some decent mineral deposits, but nothing that the Ravens won't have in the Outworlds Alliance."

"So it's probably a raid," Vickers said almost meditatively. "Most likely, they want to see what kind of force beat back the Adders a few years back."

"Sounds like it," Ladavic added with a nod.

"This puts us in a real pickle then, doesn't it?" Vickers continued. "I mean, we only designed this preliminary invasion to go ahead with a few months supplies, and we're through the first month already. Without transport, we're up shit's creek without a paddle."

Ladavic nodded, and a small smile crept on her face. "That may be so, lieutenant, but please give me and Admiral Fitzpatrick some credit."

Vickers frowned and knotted his eyebrows. "Sir?"

Ladavic again answered by bringing up another transmission in its paused state. "Admiral O'Neil's message came through via Port Kure. Fitzpatrick piggybacked his own message along with the official dispatch." Silently, she entered in the commands for the message to play, and the image of the Republic's seal faded straight into the image of Fitzpatrick.

"Captain, by now you've watched Admiral O'Neil's message, so I'll get straight to the point. I got a similar one from him detailin' the Star Adder raid. Now, I know you, Mary, and I'm pretty sure we're both thinkin' that those pretentious techno-barbarians are just out to pound their chests with this showboating.

"Unfortunately, the General Staff can't take that view, and neither can the President. So for now, official support for Last Call is on hold." He paused to grin then. "However, that doesn't mean that all support is off."

Fitzpatrick's image paused again and shifted to the side as the virtual display split. The new image that cropped up showed a small manifest of JumpShips and DropShips assigned to Operation Last Call. "Now Captain, I'm sure that if you look closely, you can see what I mean."

Van Horn looked over the display, but he couldn't figure out what Fitzpatrick was talking about. Then several ships were highlighted, including a ship that even van Horn recognized. _The_ Moore Haven_? That's the _Invader_-class JumpShip that helped carry the first wave here._

"As you can see, the _Moore Haven_ is an independent trader, and at the moment, her contract to the Military Starlift Command became null and void with the declaration of a level three mobilization. I know this because I know the _Haven_'s owner/commander, and he's one salty SOB if you ever met one. I'm sure you two would get along famously if you ever get a chance to meet." Fitzpatrick smiled at that comment. "And since I know him, I've sent another HPG to him askin' if he wanted another contract, this one from Sector Command; me." The image smiled again. "He'll be contactin' you soon, I reckon, and he'll be headin' back here to pick up some more ships. Ships that're under my sector command, and not MSC's.

"So that's about it, Mary. We'll try and get stuff to your boys on the ground, but you tell 'em to hold onto their horses. Y'all're doin' good things there, from the reports you've been sendin,' and I don't intend for ya to break that winnin' streak anytime soon. But y'all need to play defense for a bit 'til we can get things movin' again.

"'Til next time, captain. Good luck, and God Bless." With that, Fitzpatrick's image faded out, and Ladavic killed the holoprojectors. As the lights in the room came back up to normal, van Horn and the others blinked their eyes to readjust, which caused another few moments of silence.

Finally, though, Ladavic cleared her throat. "So, lieutenant, doctor, you two are the closest people I have to experts on the situation below. I need your thoughts, opinions and ideas on these developments."

"We don't hold back," Vickers said immediately. When van Horn and Ladavic gave him questioning looks, he grinned a bit. "That is, we don't hole up and sit still on defense only. That's not only a recipe for defeat, but it'll also be a signal to the Blakests that we're in a tough spot, and they might try something crazy in an attempt to give themselves a more tenable position."

"Not only that," van Horn started before he could keep himself from talking. "But the wider we range, the more our actions enter the mass consciousness of the natives. Continuing the raiding will show to the people that we mean what we say." He paused to take a quick breath. "Plus, there's also the added benefit of the simple fact that we're savin' these people from Wobbie domination. That's gotta be worth somethin' in the ol' karma bank." He finished with a small grin.

Ladavic and Vickers both grinned at the last comment. "Well, I'm glad you two agree," Ladavic said. "Because Major Kujira sent me a request for the Vanquishers to participate in a raid to be conducted by Captain Tanaka on a Blakest-controlled town to the north of the native city of Tanzano. I was initially trepid in going along with it, given my lack of ground experience, but if you two feel like this is the way to go, then we'll do it."

Vickers and van Horn shared a quick look. "What operation is this?" The former asked. Soon, the found out.

* * *

Mikula yawed widely, exposing his long set of teeth within his muzzle. After he finished, he looked around the small mini-camp that the lance had set up, and he blushed when he saw the three others around the campfire staring at him. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Yeah, sure," Jeffries said. "Just remember, I taste bad."

Everyone chuckled at that, save Mikula, who continued to blush. "You don't have to worry about me," he said.

"Yeah, it's the Wobbies who got to worry 'bout Mikula here," Nguyen commented, eliciting a round of smiles. "Nice the way you handled that guy," he said, referring to earlier when one of the Blakest prisoners tried to escape while being loaded into a Karnov.

Mikula smiled sheepishly, and he felt like his ears would stick in the embarrassed position. "Well, it wasn't hard, since he was bound and all."

"Only his hands," Jeffries objected. "He got a good distance away, and I thought I was going to have to shoot him 'til you shout out like a bullet."

Mikula shrugged at that. "All I did was race out and catch him by slipping to all fours instead of normal. It's nothing special."

"Well, maybe not for you," Nguyen said. "But we can't really do that ourselves."

"Yeah, so it was damn cool when you did it," Jeffries added. Then he looked to the fourth person around the fire. "Ain't that right, ell-tee?"

Williams nodded. "Pretty much," he admitted. "At least, he kept us from having to waste that Wobbies' ass, so you gotta wonder whether that's a plus or minus."

Another short burst of chuckles came from everyone, and Mikula joined in this time. _Ahh, it's good to be amongst soldiers in the field again_, he thought as he returned his attention to his meal. Sitting balanced on his lap was the tray of an MRE, and though the food wasn't the best, Mikula had found it to be much better than the complaints he had often heard.

_Of course, with their richness of food available at their home worlds, or even in their ships, it's no wonder they see this as a step down_. Mikula stifled a sigh at the thought as he began to work at his meal again. _Not that I blame them. Hell, I've only been eating like them for the past few weeks, and already this MRE tastes less like a good meal and more like old food_. He bit into a piece of rehydrated meat and considered even the idea of leftovers. _'Left over.' To make so much food that your language has words for an excess amount of a prepared meal that no one can finish._ He shook his head in wonderment. _No matter how long I've been with them, humans still amaze me._

Nguyen said something directed at Mikula, and the lupar had to blink his way back to reality. "I'm sorry, sergeant, I didn't get that last part."

Nguyen smirked a bit. "I asked, 'are you okay?' You seemed like you had bitten into something that didn't agree with ya."

"Oh, no," Mikula again grinned sheepishly. "I was just thinking, and I guess my attention wandered."

"Well, that'll happen," Nguyen replied with a small smile. "Just don't let it happen too often, or we'll have to let you go."

Mikula frowned at the comment. "Let me go where? Why would you stop me?" He asked, and then he noticed the wide grins on the humans' faces. "You're joking, right?"

"Yeah," Nguyen said sheepishly. "Sorry, thought you'd get it. 'Letting someone go' is a euphemism for firing them from their job."

"Oh," Mikula said, dragging the monosyllabic word out. Then he smiled a bit. "I see what you mean. It is a bit funny," he allowed.

"Well, no one ever accused John there of bein' a comedian," Williams added in. "Still, he does have his moments, which are the only reason he's still on this lance." He said mirthfully.

"Oh?" Nguyen asked as he turned his head to look at Williams. "And I suppose that I can shoot an elemental off of your timby's nose from two hundred meters doesn't count?"

Jeffries laughed at that, and Williams blushed a bit. "Well, I'll admit that you have some skill in the marksmanship area that may account for your continued employment."

"That and I'll beat your ass in a game of UT any day of the week, and twice on Sundays," Nguyen shot back.

"'Head shot!'" Jeffries half-shouted, and the three humans laughed briefly. Mikula even joined in, having seen and even played the game they spoke of. _A rather violent game, for such nice people_, he mused. _Still, even I'll admit to enjoying myself with it._

A sudden voice came over the small mini-camp. "Lieutenant? There's a call for you on the satcomm," Ferguson said over his _Mad Dog II_'s external speakers.

Williams grunted as he stood up. "All right, I'll be in my 'mech in a minute," he called to Ferguson and then looked back at the other three around the fire. "My apologies, gentlemen, but I must depart," he said and then bowed a bit. From the way he and the other MechWarriors smiled, though, Mikula could tell that it was done in jest rather than any serious attempt at honoring someone else. _How odd._

Williams then turned and walked over to his _Timber Wolf_, not bothering to discard the standard issue coveralls that he and the other humans wore over their cooling suits. Once there, he climbed up the ladder to the bird-like 'mech's forward-jutting cockpit and then disappeared from sight.

"I wonder what's up?" Jeffries asked of no one in particular.

"Ahh, probably paperwork," Nguyen said as he picked out a small clump of reconstituted potatoes. "An army may travel on its stomach, but it can't think without converting a forest into paper."

Jeffries chuckled at that, but Mikula frowned in a bit of confusion. "Excuse me, sergeant," he said to Nguyen. "But what do you mean, 'an army travels on its stomach?'"

"Huh?" Nguyen seemed genuinely surprised for a moment. Then he remembered who was talking. "Oh, right. Well, there was an old, old military commander called Napoleon Bonaparte. Pretty smart guy, nearly conquered an entire continent." Nguyen added in the last comment so off-handedly that Mikula held up a hand for him to halt. "Wait a minute. You said he almost conquered an entire continent?"

"Yeah, about twelve hundred years ago." Nguyen replied with a nod. "Back when we were still using sailing ships and gunpowder and horse cavalry. Anyway, the point is that he recognized that an army is not effective unless it's properly fed. So he coined the phrase 'an army travels on its stomach.'"

"Ahh," Mikula said and nodded, understanding at last. "I see what you mean. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it."

Jeffries joined in with a chuckle. "Most things usually do. Hell, everyone who's ever been quoted only figured out a new way of sayin' what everyone else already knew."

Nguyen chuckled a bit. "Ain't it the truth."

All of a sudden, Williams' voice rang out over the area. "Everyone, drop what you're doing and break camp. Everyone mount up ASAP."

"Something' wrong skipper?" Nguyen called out even as he stood to carry out the orders.

"Nothin' wrong, just that we've got an appointment across the mountains, and we need to haul ass."


	39. Chapter 39

In the night, two figures moved slowly along the dark streets of Kaytor, inching along towards the better-lit area that the Word of Blake had taken for themselves. Reaching a corner of a house just beyond the lit area, the figures paused, and the smaller one in the lead held up its hand.

Alexis peered around the corner carefully, her ears canted forward to catch the slightest sound from the enemy positions. She heard plenty, of course, but none of it seemed to be anything but the normal background noise of any human habitation, and so she concentrated next on what she saw.

Ahead, down an alley between two houses, was a third one that had the unmistakable white light that fluorescent bulbs produced coming out of its windows. Alexis recognized it as the house that the Blakest leader had gone into after he had threatened her with a gun. Talks with Tangee and Acryu had confirmed it as his place of residence that he shared with two of his warriors.

"That's the place," the man behind her spoke quietly, and Alexis glanced back to see Acryu standing there, looking at the Blakests' housing area from above her.

"I would hope so," Alexis whispered back. "Otherwise we're wasting our time."

"I think we're wasting our time, anyway," he countered. "I've told you everything I can about these invaders, and so has Tangee. It's not like you can learn anything more from seeing their houses."

Alexis stifled a sigh, and she shook her head a bit. "You're not much of a soldier, are you?" She asked in a low growl. Then, before he could answer, she turned and headed back the way they had come.

Stunned, Acryu took a moment to recover his mental balance before he started off after the mysterious – to him – gatón. He followed along as she led the way back to the temple where they had started at this night. _She memorized the path on her first time, and in the dark_, the lupar reflected as he turned down the main road through town and headed after Alexis. _This is a formidable woman indeed._

A few minutes later, they reached the temple and paused to survey the area. Acryu, knowing the town like the back of his hand, only paid the quick search part of his attention. _What does she mean, I'm 'not much of a soldier?'_ He thought, a bit of anger creeping up his crawl. But only a bit, as he remembered just what this gatón had done to him and Tangee earlier in the day. _Played us like fools and then rendered us defenseless…_

Before he could continue this train of though, Acryu heard Alexis move from her hiding spot next to the temple steps, and he saw her walk up to the main doors. Taking this as his cue, Acryu got up from his spot near a shop front and walked up to join the gatón. _At least she respects our temples_, he thought as he pushed the doors open. _She remembers that gatón can't go into our temples without being escorted._

Alexis, meanwhile, simply thought over the old superstition. _The humans have a word for this: "Archaic."_ She rolled the word around in her head as she followed Acryu inside the town's amply sized temple. _Even the word itself is supposed to be older than English itself. It certainly feels that way, at least._

Inside, the temple had the typical wide-open space where services were held, and at the far end was a simple altar. _To Grakia,_ Alexis remembered from reading the inscriptions on it earlier in the day. _How odd that we have the same gods, but we worship different ones_.

She then put these thoughts aside as Acryu took the lead, and Alexis moved off after him. Reaching a door set into the back wall, Acryu opened it and the pair entered the back room to the temple.

The room was almost as large as the meeting room in front, though it was a fair bit more cluttered. Two large tables stood in the middle of the room, while two racks of shelves cluttered the walls towards the back door. Between the two was a circular stairway made out of wood that led to the second story. On the tables were various bottles of different sizes, several full of lantern oil, and several being filled now by several lupar whom Acryu had trusted with the plan. _Crazy as it is_, the lupar guard thought. _Imagine, wasting good glass bottles like this. It's a good thing her friends promised restitution._

The plan had been thought up quickly during a secure radio chat that had been set up in the late afternoon. Alexis, using a laser communicator, had managed to link up with an armored soldier acting as a relay, and she had spoken with Captains Tanaka and Ladavic. Also included was Acryu, and though Alexis had to translate for him, he had been sufficiently impressed with the radio that he had agreed to the plan, even when it had called for action on his part.

_Now, however, I begin to have doubts_. Acryu walked over to one of the tables, reaching the few small water flasks being used for the upcoming attack. These were finished with already, since Alexis didn't want to leave until they were properly taken care of. _She acts as if they held more than just ground powder made from various medicines._ He looked up then, seeing the strange gatón walking up to instruct one of the lupar guards about how to better douse the rags they were using to stop the oil bottles. _Still, this Alexis did show that the powder burns… I suppose that should buy her some benefit of the doubt._

Feeling Acryu's eyes upon her, Alexis looked up at him and gave him a small, almost smirk-like smile. Then she turned back to the man she was standing next to. "There, that's better, Grewly," she said as he stuffed the rag in so that it fanned out a bit. "Just like that, so that the fire will have a larger base when it burns."

The lupar looked up at her with an odd mix of suspicion and trust. _Suspicion because they don't know me_, Alexis thought as she nodded to Grewly and then walked off to join Acryu by the stairs. _Trust because I bring them a plan to drive the invaders out, and that's worth more to them than even their pride._

Reaching the stairs, Alexis put her thoughts on hold and looked back over the tables where the other five lupar were working diligently. "We will be ready on time," she said quietly, almost to herself.

"That's good to hear," Acryu replied just as quietly They both knew, of course, that the others could hear them, but by pitching their voices low, they indicated a desire for privacy. _I doubt they'll give us that privilege in this case_, Alexis thought. _But I won't hold it against them._ "I'm going up to the top balcony to set my rifle up," she said to Acryu and then began up the stairs.

Acryu watched her go, frowning a bit at the mystery she was. _Fierce, yet gentle. Clearly intelligent, and yet I've heard her swear like any soldier I've met._ He sighed and shook his head before turning back to look over the preparations one last time.

* * *

Alexis reached the landing to the second floor, and she found herself in the common sleeping room that the three priests used. The room itself actually held six beds, and had space for more to sleep on the floor, but these were usually reserved for travelers, it being a custom of the village to offer temporary lodging in their temple for such wanderers.

One bed, however, held no traveler, but rather, the former commander of the guards. Tangee was laying face down, his arms and legs bound behind his back and his jaw tied shut for good measure. His head, at the moment, was turned towards the stairs, and as soon as Alexis popped into view, she had seen Tangee's eyes widen in a display of fear.

_No wonder the Wobbies tamed him so_, Alexis thought as she walked towards where Tangee lay down, one of the temple's priests sitting on the cot next to his in quiet meditation. _It's one thing to be afraid, but it's another to let that fear govern you. Fear drives the Blakests, and hate gives them direction._

As soon as she walked up, the priest, eyes still closed, spoke. "I hope your plan goes well, child," he said quietly.

Alexis started slightly, but then she smiled. "It does indeed, Yetaru," she replied friendlily. _He reminds me so much of the shaman Forbasa. The same quiet assuredness, the same open mind and nature_.

The lupar priest opened his eyes and nodded towards Alexis. "This is good to hear. Isn't it, Eiger?" He asked then of Tangee. The latter, simply moved a bit, but whether it was to agree or disagree, Alexis couldn't tell. _Probably neither_, she thought. _More likely that he doesn't want my attention back on him_.

"You'll have to excuse Eiger," Yetaru spoke to Alexis with a small smile. "He's been so busy lately, helping the invaders, that he really needs his rest."

Alexis chuckled. _Oh my, I do like this lupar_. She nodded to the priest. "Well, soon enough he won't have to worry about such things," she said with just a hint of malice in her voice. It had the desired effect, as Tangee twitched a bit. Alexis had to fight back a quick laugh at his expense. _I shouldn't be enjoying this_, she said as she walked towards the part of the room that sat over the front of the temple, nodding to Yetaru as she passed. _I should not be enjoying this, but that bastard has it coming_, she thought as she headed for the next set of stairs that would lead to the small balcony atop the temple.

It took only a few moments to ascend to the top, third story platform that was the trait of most lupar temples. Alexis knew that it had something to do with seasonal rites, but she ignored the thought now, instead focusing on the equipment she had left before the quick reconnaissance. Lying half assembled was her laser rifle with its borrowed scope, and the radio she had used to contact the Republic forces.

Seeing the second item, Alexis lifted her head up and looked to the west. The forest leading down from the mountains seemed calm and peaceful, hardly a temporary refuge for war machines that would soon come crashing out to meet their foes in combat. The light from the stars and the planet's moon bathed the trees in a soft glow that was a stark contrast to the harsh illumination of the Blakests' encampment on the north side of the village.

_That light will affect my sighting_, Alexis thought as she sat down and began to assemble her rifle. _That generator of theirs will have to be the first thing to be attacked_ She mulled over the details of the plan as she put the human weapon together.

She soon finished, and then Alexis turned and laid down into the sniper's classic prone position, and she sighted in on the path between the Blakest commander's house and the largest 'mech standing just beyond the town; a 70-ton, quad-legged _White Flame_. She didn't know it was the commander's personal ride, but she was willing to gamble on it. _I kill the demi-precentor and it will sow confusion in their ranks_. She didn't know whether she could, or not, but she was determined to try.

A noise came from behind her, and Alexis turned around quickly to see Acryu climbing the last few steps to the top balcony. As she recognized the lupar, Alexis put her drawn knife back in her ankle sheath and turned to look through the rifle's scope again. "I take it that everyone is ready as they can be?" She asked without looking back.

Acryu frowned at the lying gatón. _She presumes much, speaking like that_, he mentally grumbled, but then forced the thoughts back. "Pretty much. Everything is prepared and we've begun to gather more volunteers from the town… Quietly, of course."

"Good," Alexis commented as she sighted the rifle on the head of a Blakest infantryman just beyond the standing 'mechs. "I know you are all competent, so I won't have to repeat what I've told you already," she said matter-of-factly.

Acryu twitched his ears down. _Just when I start to get an emotional consistency about her, she goes and changes tracks_. He then sighed. _Now's not the time, Kaeno._ "No, you need not. We will be ready at the appointed time."

Alexis nodded. "Good." _As I hope I will be_, she thought, giving thought to the butterflies in her stomach. _This is the first time I'll ever be in a real leadership position,_ she realized. _Oh Gods, how come this never entered my head before?_ The sudden idea of people depending on her made Alexis feel like a ball of ice materialized in her stomach.

_Calm down_, she forced her mind to settle with the thought. _It's too late to second-guess now, Alexis. Be like those strange ads on the holovision and "just do it."_ She took in a deep breath and let it out to further calm herself.

"Are you okay?" Acryu's voice made Alexis startle a bit, and she could feel the fur on her back and tail rising up with her reaction. She turned around then and grinned sheepishly at the lupar. "I'm fine," she said quietly. "I was just… Thinking over the plan." The she tilted her head a bit. "Did you have any more questions?" She asked politely.

Acryu shook his head. "No. I'll come notify you before we leave."

Alexis nodded. "Thank you," she said and turned back to her rifle.

* * *

High overhead, the members of Vickers' Vanquishers were finishing their suiting up procedures. Van Horn, especially, was helping Castellano work out the kinks in a new shoulder cuff they had to replace after the Tanzano raid.

"You're sure that's fine?" Van Horn asked again.

"I'm damn sure it's fine, doc," Castellano replied testily. "Just the same way it's worked the last ten times you asked."

"All right, all right!" Van Horn said and threw his arms up. "'Scuse me for makin' sure you won't wrench that arm again."

Castellano razzed the good doctor before turning around and reaching for one of the gun racks in the prep room. Unlike the Tanzano raid, he selected a simple yet potent assault rifle and a magnum pistol.

Van Horn, remembering his own weapons, turned around in the small space between racks and went for his own load out. He had again picked a Heavy Gyrojet Gun as his main weapon, and he carried the usual pistol as a sidearm.

Thinking about his weaponry made van Horn look up and around the room with his as-yet un-helmeted head. _Good, everyone's pickin' ballistics. No lasers to start fires and whatnot_. He was, naturally, worried about such things, given the proximity of the Blakests to a native town. _It's bad enough that they'll be usin' Molotovs and IEDs, but we don't need to add to that chaos any more than necessary._

The room was just large enough to hold a squad of armored troops in addition to the weaponry. This was all that was needed, of course, since the M.I. platoon only had one scout squad that needed such light weaponry for their load out. _Everyone else needs to use the maintenance bay to switch their big-ass weapons_.

"Are you apes done yet?" The call came in from the next room, the drop room. Van Horn recognized it easily as that of Lieutenant Vickers. Impelled by this burst of language, Earl quickened the pace at which he stowed his gear.

"Almost sir!" The squad's leader, Corporal Connors, replied. "Jus' a few seconds!"

Van Horn didn't hear any reply from the Lieutenant, but he finished quickly nonetheless. Several minutes later, the remaining members of the platoon were gathered in rows between the capsules they would use this night.

Vickers, standing before the group in his _Kage II-C_ armor, holding his helmet, gave them a nod. "Now, y'all know the plan, so I won't bore you with another rehash. Instead, I want to remind you on a few things.

"One: The Blakests are the enemy, not the natives. Make sure your target really deserves to die.

"Two: I want you to pay extra attention to collateral damage tonight. Now I know none of you would think to intentionally, or even accidentally flatten a few buildings, but in the heat of battle, things can get nasty, so I want y'all to go down there remembering to try and kill the bad guys, not the buildings.

"And finally, I don't want to see any heroic bullshit. This is a cakewalk, a simple ambush we're turnin' around on the Blakests. I don't want any of you takin' stupid risks. You get me?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The platoon replied as a whole. Vickers smiled faintly at that and he nodded again. "Good. Everyone, mount up, and remember, the only good landing is one you walk away from, and I expect to see all of you makin' good landings."

* * *

Alexis checked the time display on her radio for the second time in a minute, and as before, she felt a twinge of fear that somehow the clock had broken.

_Settle down, Alexis_, she told herself as she shifted a bit in her position. _Everything's fine… After all, you aren't dead yet, now are you?_ She tried to make the thought in jest, but all it did was reinforce the idea that she just might die this night, _and a lot more people as well_. Her thoughts turned then, as they had done many times in the past hour, to the lupar who she knew were even now moving to their ready positions.

_They listened to me so easily_, she thought, remembering the small demi-briefing she had given the natives of Kaytor. Most especially imprinted on her memory was the hope and trust she had seen in their eyes _Have the Blakests been so bad? So terrible that they are willing to listen to me, to even trust me so implicitly even though I am a stranger? _

_Or is it something else?_ Alexis shifted her weight at the thought. _I know those looks, I've seen them before, on the faces of my friends and family after Earl first came to us after Kuamket. And if I had a mirror, I'm sure I would have seen it on my own face_. Alexis took a breath to steady her emotions. _We tend to trust those who seem to know what they're doing when we ourselves have no idea on what to do. It was a desire for leadership that made us follow the lead of Forbasa, Mrs. Farkas, and Earl, and now I must be a leader of sorts for these lupar._ The idea made her stomach flip-flop again. _But I'm no leader! I'm just one person, who's never…_ Her thoughts stopped short at that, and she looked upon her recent life in a different angle.

_I've never what? I've gone and fought people, taken my share of risks and learned from my mistakes. I've seen men and women like Earl, Cassandra, Lieutenant Vickers, and Captain Ladavic lead others. They've even deferred to me at times, when they needed my advice… Just as I've listened to Acryu, learned from him about Kaytor and what kind of advice he offered. I've even taken to being aggressive…_ She realized, then, that all of her recent experiences had brought her to this place, and given her the necessary experience. _Am I… Meant to be here? Are we really guided by some higher power? Is that power watching over me now?_

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by shouts of alarm coming from the Blakest camp, and lights began to turn on. Alexis quieted her mind with one final thought. _Whatever happens, whoever is watching, let it be known that I will do my best. And may God watch over me._

_

* * *

_

Demi-Precentor Wintaka lurched upright in bed as alarms blared out over the Militia's encampment. He took a moment for his consciousness to snap into focus, but as soon as it did, he reached out to the small table where he kept his few personal items, and he snatched up a radio. "This is Precentor Wintaka, report!" He snapped into the microphone/speaker as soon as the radio's light blinked on.

"Sir, we're picking up contacts in the western forest," the nighttime commtech replied hastily, his voice controlled despite the fear Wintaka could hear in it. "We count at least four enemy units, all heavy weight class."

"Blake's Blood!" Wintaka cursed without triggering the radio. Then "All right, scramble everyone, and call in Ramirez and his unit, and put a message to GHQ: 'The Fish is on the hook.'"

"Yes sir!" The commtech replied, and then the line cut out as he went about fulfilling his orders. Wintaka didn't notice, busy as he was springing out of the undersized native bed – augmented with a chair – and he quickly began to dress in his battle garb.

Moments later, he was striding out of his appropriated house, the third in line as his two housemates hadn't taken the time to radio in anywhere before rushing out to get to their machines.

Moving into the harsh illumination of the exterior camp, he cursed and bellowed. "GODDAMNIT! Someone turn off these lights before the infidels home in on them!" Several men rushed to carry out his order then, and Wintaka ran for his _White Flame_.

He was halfway to the 70-ton 'mech when the lights did go out. But he then paused as he heard screaming coming from the direction of the power/communications house, and he turned around to see a fire burning inside.

Then, as he watched, more fires flew through the night, and wherever they touched, a sound of broken glass and the spread of flames could be sensed.

"What the Hell?" _Those are Molotov cocktails! But they're coming from the village! Those dogs can't possibly know what_- His thoughts froze as a sudden realization hit him. Then they stopped forever as something far more energetic than a thought seared a hole into his skull.

* * *

Alexis blinked a bit to get the after image of the laser beam out of her vision quicker, but only after she had watched the body of the Blakest commander fall to the ground in a heap. _I wish I had Private MacDonald's rifle_, she again thought as she swiveled the laser rifle in her arms around to look for another MechWarrior. _The 'mechs are the biggest worry. Take out their pilots, and they're only a slab of metal_. With this goal in mind, she looked up and down the lines of the nearby battlemechs, but she felt a bit of despair as she saw four of them beginning to move already.

_Damnit, I waited too long to take out the commander_, she though angrily. Then she noticed the fifth 'mech, a 40-ton _Initiate_, hadn't moved. Sighting the rifle's scope over the 'mech, Alexis soon saw why, as she noticed the Blakest MechWarrior scrambling up the ladder hanging from the front of the war machine.

Almost without conscious thought, Alexis flicked the zoom on the electronic scope and sighted over the back of the Blakest's head. Then, just as he was a bout to enter the safety of his cockpit, she fired. The beam of coherent light erupted from her laser rifle and its photons bored into the enemy MechWarrior's skull, converting bone and gray matter into a semi-plasmatic mass as the energy from the quanta packets transferred the balance of their energy.

All of this happened in an eye blink, and Alexis soon saw the body fall back, its grip no longer controlled. It didn't fall all the way, however, as a leg got caught in the rope ladder the man had been climbing up, and so it hung upside down from the _Initiate_'s head, looking like some macabre drool from the metal giant.

Alexis ignored it, and she tried to look for someone else to kill. Instead, however, she ducked as a laser bolt flew just a few inches above her head, and she heard bullets whiz past and ricochet off of the stone walls of the temple.

"Shit!" She cursed automatically, uncaring as to the propriety of the word as she scrambled back from her sniping perch. Below and from the enemy camp, she heard shouts calling for a missile launcher to bear on the temple.

Alexis grabbed her rifle and radio at that, and she quickly turned and half-crawled to the stairs leading down from the top platform. She then madly raced down the steps as more bullets smacked into the walls.

A sudden 'boom' came from the Blakest position as she reached the landing to the second floor, and Alexis threw herself down and covered her head in response. When the building didn't collapse, she looked up to see the town of Kaytor beginning to awaken, as lanterns were lit within people's houses.

_What was that, if not a missile?_ Alexis asked herself as she stood. Then when another boom echoed out, she couldn't help but grin a bit. _The IEDs, they're using them._ Then her smile died as she heard lupar screams coming from the same direction.

"Fuuuuck," she used the English word, used it knowingly for the foulness she needed to express as she ran into the building. Once inside, she paused to see the old priest, Yetaru, standing over Tangee, who was still in the same position as before.

"We must leave immediately!" Alexis called to the elder lupar as she began to run for the stairway to the ground floor. "The Wobbies intend to destroy this structure!"

"Wait!" Yetaru's urgent response caused Alexis to halt halfway through the room, and she spun quickly to see the old lupar trying to unbind Tangee's legs. "We cannot leave him here. It would be unworthy."

Alexis just growled, but she darted to the priest's side, and she drew her knife, which caused the old lupar to back away a step. It was enough so that Alexis slashed the knife down, and she cut the ropes holding Tangee's legs together without touching the old man's hands or Tangee's skin.

Tangee moved a bit, and Yetaru and Alexis grabbed his shoulders and helped him to stand, though the gatón then immediately used her left hand to grab his shirt, and she pulled his head down to her level. "You do anything but what I tell you, and you're dead. Do you understand?" She snarled.

Tangee, his mouth still tied, just widened his eyes and nodded. "Good," Alexis said and she let go of the lupar before turning to Yetaru. "Help him if he needs it, but I need to stay alert for all of our sakes." She said as she re-sheathed her knife.

Yetaru nodded sagely, and he and Tangee moved off after Alexis as she again dashed for the stairs down. Taking the steps two at a time, she reached the floor far ahead of the two lupar, and the gatón raced for the rear entrance.

Alexis flung the heavy wood door open as the Yetaru and Tangee reached the floor behind her. Glancing back, she waved them forward. "Come on, move it!" She called and slipped out, her rifle raised and pointed in the general direction as the Wobbie camp, though the direct line of sight was blocked at ground level due to houses.

Yetaru and Tangee soon followed, and she waved towards the south with her left hand. "That direction, away from the enemy. I'll protect the rear."

Yetaru just nodded, and he quickly moved off, his left arm almost dragging Tangee as the latter seemed to be over stimulated by the situation. Alexis just turned back to face towards the light of burning fires, checking to make sure that no one could see them.

Then she heard the unmistakable 'crack-whoosh' of a missile launch, and she turned and ran for the two fleeing lupar. She kneeled and pounced halfway to them, her arms stretched out to knock them off their feet just as the man-portable SRM hit the temple and filled the night with fire.

* * *

Acryu groaned as he dragged the limp form of his friend, Hurg, away from where debris from an explosion had slammed into the lupar's head. He was not having a particularly good time of it, as his arm ached from where a laser beam had grazed his bicep. Fortunately, the blistering photons had also cauterized his wound, and so he didn't have to deal with blood loss.

_As much good as it does for me now_, Acryu thought angrily as he pulled Hurg around a corner, shielding them both from the direct sight of the Wobbies as the latter started to fire blindly into the town. Acryu had heard several of his men yell in pain as they were injured, _or worse, killed_. He knew, though, that he could do nothing for them at the moment. _Sometimes, you just can't do anything more than take care of yourself and those next to you._

With that thought, he kneeled down and checked Hurg's head, and he was a bit relieved to find that the gash in his friend's scalp wasn't too deep. _It just knocked him out. Still, that will hurt like Hell when he wakes up._

A sudden noise filled the air, and Acryu looked up to see a light racing from the Invaders' camp, angling for the top of the temple. As he watched in horror, the missile impacted the small tower and detonated, creating a fireball that blasted the upper half of the building.

Instinctually, he crouched over Hurg and covered his head with his hands. Bits of stone and mortar rained down nearby, and he could hear screams of panic coming from all around now as townspeople woke up to find themselves in a waking nightmare.

Then he heard the noise of footfalls coming from the enemy positions, and the lupar grabbed his temporarily discarded short sword and looked up to see a pair of the invaders rounding the corner. They came to a surprised halt as they spotted the two lupar at the end of the street. Then, seeing Hurg unconscious and Acryu with only his sword, they smiled and raised their weapons.

Acryu gulped and he held his sword out in front of him in a vain gesture of defense. _I don't want it to end this way!_ His mind screamed.

Then an enormous 'crack' noise was heard, and a breeze seemed to swish through the alley as one of the invaders' heads exploded violently. The other jerked his rifle up from its targeting point on Acryu, and he fired a short burst from the automatic weapon.

Another 'crack' noise, and the other invader's chest exploded in a red flower of gore, and his body collapsed alongside that of his fellow. Acryu, suddenly very afraid, turned slowly around to see what had killed the invaders.

He received the shock of his life as he saw a tall, imposing figure stride from the alley across the street, in its arms a massive weapon that seemed all the more imposing when one realized the true bulk of the approaching person. Blinking his eyes a bit, Acryu saw the figure to be clad in armor from head to toe. _Armor painted the black of death,_ he thought, _how utterly appropriate_.

The figure strode beside the two lupar, and its head looked down on them. Acryu, though, felt no sense of malice from this person, and so he just stood there in a half-crouch, staring up at the imposing figure. "Hello?" He said cautiously.

The figure nodded to Acryu. "Hello," it said haltingly in badly accented Lupari. "Friend," it said, and then moved down the alley towards the fallen invaders. As he watched, Acryu saw the figure crouch and begin to move almost slinkily; a comparison that fit into the person's voice, which he could have sworn sounded female.

Then he heard another set of feet behind him, and Acryu turned to see another armored figure, seemingly indistinguishable from the first, walk up. This one, though, carried a different, if still massive, weapon, and he kneeled down next to Acryu and Hurg. "Are you two okay? Do you need help?" This one asked in much better Lupari.

Acryu blinked and just stared into the round faceplate of the figure. "I, uh," he simply muttered for a second. Then he shook his head to clear it. "My friend, he was hit in the head by a flying stone."

The man – for that is what he sounded like to Acryu – put his weapon around and on his back, securing it in some fashion that the lupar couldn't guess at. Then he reached down and felt along Hurg's head with a gentleness that belied the fact that his hands were encased in armor.

"He'll be fine for now," the man said. "His skull wasn't cracked, and that gash isn't too large, so he'll live. Though you should have him checked over by a doctor in case he has a concussion."

Acryu blinked again. "A what?"

The man sighed audibly through his helmet. "Just get him to a safe place and we'll have our own doctor check over him later. Now get going." With that, he stood and again took up his weapon.

Acryu nodded and he began to drag Hurg a bit before the figure raised his arm to halt. "Wait a minute. A question, please."

The lupar tilted an ear down quizzically. "Yes?"

"Where is Alexis Hurano?"

Acryu stared wide-eyed at the figure for a moment before he turned and pointed towards the ruined hulk of the temple. "She was there earlier. But I do not know if she was there when it was destroyed," he added in the last part hastily, hoping to avoid any angry backlash.

The man said something sharp that Acryu didn't recognize, and he was clearly upset. But when he spoke in Lupari again his voice was still gentle. "Thank you. Take care of your friend."

* * *

Van Horn watched the lupar drag his friend away from the rising conflagration, and a part of him felt guilt in that he didn't use his enhanced strength to help the poor native. _Alas, I have a job to do_, he thought as he moved down the alley that Stuger had cleared a few moments ago. He felt a bit of anger, too, in that he couldn't go find out what had happened to Alexis right away. _Again, I'm forced to put my friends on the back burner_…

Rounding the corner, he found Stuger kneeling at the corner of another house across a narrow dirt street, and after checking both directions, van Horn sprinted across and joined the sharpshooting private. "How's it look," he asked as he turned to watch her back.

"The natives did a good job," she said quietly over the radio. "Fires are burnin' in the captured houses, and the Wobbies're runnin' around all stupefied." The sudden muted thump of a 'mech's footfall then caused her to shrug. "Of course, you can't expect miracles all the time."

"I guess not," van Horn replied dryly as he triggered his active probe. The scanning normally would have alerted the Blakests, but by now, the approaching 'mechs from Tanaka's force had their complete attention. "Only four 'mechs moving?" He asked incredulously. _Alexis must've really done a damn good job_.

"Seems the kitty has claws, eh?" Stuger replied with a throaty chuckle. "Remind me to buy her a beer."

"You'll have to get in line," van Horn replied as he looked around with his eyes and the electronic sensor suite. "In any case, all I see are natives runnin' away. I guess those dumbasses you iced must've just been followin' whoever ran."

"Seems to be the case," Stuger allowed. "Anyway, I can handle things here. Why don't you check out that ruined building for survivors?"

Van Horn turned his helmeted head to look at Stuger. "If you think that I can't be of help-"

"Oh shove the act, doc," Stuger replied testily. Then she went on more calmly "I heard what you asked that guy back there, and what he said." She paused to face her own helmet at van Horn. "Go make sure she's all right."

Van Horn nodded, not trusting to his voice at the moment, and he turned and ran down the dirt street, avoiding the few natives that had only just begun to flee their houses.

* * *

Alexis raised her throbbing head, and she tried to remember what she had done to make it feel so pained. Then the sounds of fire and yells entered her consciousness, and she shook her head clear. Looking around, she saw people running away from the conflagration.

Then as she stood up, a pair of lupar ran from one group and came up. "What's going on?" One of them, an adolescent male, asked hurriedly. "Why is priest Yetaru on the ground?"

At that, Alexis blushed as she remembered the two lupar still lying on the ground. She kneeled then, ignoring the two newcomers and shaking the shoulders of the old priest. "Yetaru?" she asked softly.

Much to her relief, the old man stirred and soon propped himself up. "What? What happened?"

"A missile hit the temple," Alexis said, glancing back to take a look at the ruined husk. "We're lucky to be alive. Are you hurt?"

"Only my pride," he replied as she stood up. "What about Tangee?"

Alexis turned and checked the other lupar, and she found that he was wide-awake. The only reason he hadn't stirred was the fact that he was still bound by hand and mouth. With a grunt, Alexis grabbed his bindings and began to pull him up, soon to be joined in by the two young newcomer lupar.

"Cat got his tongue, eh?" A familiar voice intruded on Alexis' consciousness, and the small huddle of natives turned to see a frightening figure dressed in black armor; frightening, that is, to everyone save Alexis. The gatón smiled and waved at him. "Earl!"

"Hello Alexis," van Horn said as he walked up and nodded to the other natives with the gatón, his movements halting when his vision swept over the bound lupar. He then spoke - in Lupari for their convenience. "I see you're up to trouble again."

Alexis shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle," she replied innocently. "I take it the plan went well from your end?"

Van Horn nodded. "Yes, perfect low-angle drop. But now's not the time," he added as he glanced towards where the unmistakable sounds of organized combat started to roll in from the fields. "Get these people to safety, and the Vanquishers and I will keep the Wobbies from followin' y'all."

"Yes sir," she said and then yanked hard on Tangee's arm. "Come on, everyone, to safety." With that, she moved off, and the locals followed in her wake. Behind her, she heard van Horn turn about and race towards the sounds of combat followed by the noise of the other lupar racing after her.

"Who was that?" One of the adolescents asked as he helped the priest along.

"A good friend," Alexis replied easily. "Now, save your breath, boys, because once we get these two out of town, I want you to help me come back and look for others who can't make it."

She heard one of the youths huff extra loud behind her. "Who are you to order us so, wench?"

"Geyver!" Yetaru snapped at the other. "You will show her respect and listen to what she has to say, or else you will dishonor yourself and your family."

Although she was focusing in on maneuvering around houses as they went, Alexis could have sworn she heard the youth behind her gulp. "Yes, Yetaru."

* * *

Van Horn ran the last few meters to the edge of what had been termed the 'hot zone,' and he kneeled to peek around the corner of a burning house. Laid out before him was the Blakest encampment, or what was left of it. Molotov cocktails and improvised munitions had shattered and burned tents and equipment crates, and two of the enemy's 'mechs stood frozen in position even as van Horn noted the other four exchanging fire with Tanaka's advancing forces to the north. He soon saw why as he noted one body hanging still from the lip of the _Initiate_'s cockpit, and he saw at least one more lying on the ground near the _White Flame_.

_Damn_, he thought. _Remind me to never piss Alexis off_, he thought as he began to note the few remaining Blakests. They ran about, gathering up what they could in firearms from the few burning houses, and then they ran out to huddle behind the imposing bulk of the two immobile battlemechs, gathering to await the outcome of the battle just beginning.

_Speaking of which_, he turned his attention to the north again, and his HUD displayed the icons for both friend and identified foe. Eight blue icons, four triangles and four squares, advanced in a conservative line abreast, which let both lances concentrate their firepower one each of the four red triangles that denoted the Blakest 'mechs. As he watched, van Horn saw one of the red triangles – representing a _Blue Flame_ by its identifying alphanumeric – winked out as visually, streams of energy, missiles, and gauss rifle shells slammed into the 45-ton 'mech, taking it down in a single salvo.

Another two icons appeared in his HUD, and van Horn recognized them as one belonging to a pair of troopers from Delta Squad. Their elemental suits clattered on the ground behind him and they came to a stop at a gesture from van Horn. "Doc, whaddya got for us?" Came the voice of one of the troopers over the radio.

"Two groups of Wobbies, huddlin' behind those 'mechs," he said and pointed, using his eyes to mark the 'mechs' locations and then sending the data to the troopers behind him. "Those'll be our main concern."

"Got it," the lead trooper replied. Then he signaled to his fellow, and soon the pair moved off in such a stealthy manner that it almost seemed to mock the weight of their armor. Van Horn didn't pay them much attention, save to note where they headed, so he wouldn't worry if something moved from their general direction.

"Vanquisher one to Sierra Squad," Vickers' voice came in over the squad's frequency, causing van Horn's radio to automatically switch it to the primary channel. "Everyone had a look-see?"

Van Horn was one of the confirming chorus, and Vickers grunted a satisfied noise. "Good. Now, Corporal Connors, take your squad to the northeast and establish a picket line. I'll send Foxtrot Squad out to cover you. Your mission is to watch for that other Level II that Intel said was nearby, and delay 'em if they come too soon."

"Yes sir!" Connors' voice rang out in reply. Then he started giving orders. "Stuger, van Horn, move through the village and keep an eye out for anything we missed. Everyone else, rendezvous with me east of the town."

"Yes sir," the response came in from the six people left to the squad, van Horn among them. He then backed away from his vantage point and then, using the house as cover, he moved back into the town.

* * *

Captain Tanaka felt her _Guillotine IIC_ shake as a hail of depleted-uranium slugs impacted its left chest, chewing up nearly a quarter-ton of armor. Angered, she slammed onto her jump jet pedals, sending her 70-ton 'mech soaring over the battlefield, and out of the sights of the enemy _Blackjack_ that had sighted on her.

_Damn omni, too_, she thought, identifying the 50-ton omnimech version of the original design. _Dual Class-5 Ultra autocannons, medium lasers, and a shitload of armor on a package that can match me for speed._ Even as she thought this, the Blakest MechWarrior proved it an accurate assessment, as he too leapt his war machine into the air on superheated jets.

_Smart boy_, she thought as she concentrated on landing her own battlemech. _But not smart enough_. This thought was spurred in that the Blakest MechWarrior had moved his 'mech a bit too close, apparently trying to bring his lasers into play. He didn't quite make it, and Tanaka eagerly apprised the enemy of his situation, laying into him as she did with her Large Pulse Lasers, which sent megajoules of light energy into the left arm of the enemy omnimech.

The effect was horrendous for the opposing 'mech, as the clan-design lasers melted all the armor off of the arm, and then began to pour their energy into the internal structure and components beneath. A fountain of gray-green fluid spurted from the 'mech as one of its double heat sinks was ruptured. More light energy ripped directly into the shoulder mount, and soon the rest of the arm joined the 'mech equivalent of blood.

Unbalanced by the loss of a limb, the Blakest MechWarrior ignored trying to fire his weapons, instead concentrating only on keeping his 'mech from falling. This proved futile, however, as a pair of Abrams from Checker lance sent Gauss Rifle slugs to slam into the 'mech's torso. Both impacted the right side and their impact, though perhaps survivable by a heavier 'mech, simply tore the whole half of the torso away. Golden fire spewed from the side of the _Blackjack_ as its XL engine shielding was demolished, revealing the fusion heart to the outside air. With a thunderclap of rapid air-expansion caused by the heat of its engine dying, the _Blackjack_ fell face first into the ground, and it didn't get back up.

_Two down_, Tanaka thought as she turned her _Guillotine IIC_ around to face the remaining enemy forces. _Two more left to go._ She moved her 'mech forward at a walk to keep it cool as she watched the rest of her lance pour laser, autocannon and missile fire into the heavier of the two remaining enemy 'mechs, a new-model _Griffin_. The 55-ton 'mech was a redesign of an older, popular 'mech, and as it mounted the latest technology, it was the most dangerous foe at the moment.

_Not for long_, Tanaka thought belligerently as she spitted the reeling 'mech under her crosshairs. Taking a split second to sight in better, she added her own ER PPC and Large Pulse Lasers to the mix of fire raining on the beleaguered 'mech.

The PPC slammed its azure beam into the already-weakened right arm, and it totally consumed the remaining armor and internal structure, shearing off the limb. One Pulse Laser went off into the night, reaching out to convert some topsoil into charred ash, but the other melted armor off of the _Griffin_'s as-yet untouched left leg, doing no major damage, but helping to unbalance the enemy.

It proved just enough, and the Blakest MechWarrior lost his battle with gravity. Even as his 'mech fell, though, he managed to unleash a barrage of missiles and medium lasers at Myers' _Corvus_. The Republic MechWarrior, however, simply weathered the storm, and she concentrated on targeting the last enemy standing, which was another 40-ton _Initiate_ that had survived until now by merely being the least dangerous enemy.

IT wasn't to last, however, as Myers unleashed the awesome fury of her Ultra Autocannon and Medium Pulse Lasers. Depleted-uranium shells ripped a huge gash in the Blakest 'mech's torso armor along its middle and left side, though none of them seemed to breach the armor. The stuttering pulse lasers sent streams of molten metal running off of the 'mech's right arm, stripping it bare but leaving the internal components intact.

The _Initiate_ pilot wrestled his 'mech back into stability from all the hits he had taken, and then had his revenge. He triggered Almost his full weapons compliment, sending his small and medium lasers and short-range missiles out at the Republic 'mech.

Tanaka felt a sick lurch in her stomach as she watched the lasers slag armor off of the _Corvus_' right arm and torso, the only consolation being that the hastily aimed SRMS flew wide.

_Fucker's gonna die!_ Tanaka mentally raged as she aimed her PPC carefully, and then unleashed its power, sending a chaotic particle stream to rip a hole straight into the torso of the enemy _Initiate_, where Myers' shots had weakened the armor. Consuming the last of the armor, the charged particles then began to eat away at the internal structure. Then a brief gout of flame came from the ruined hole after the PPC finished, which let Tanaka know that the _Initiate_'s engine had suffered damage to its shielding.

She didn't have time to contemplate this, though, as the new-design _Griffin_ propped itself up and unleashed its missiles again, this time sending the flight towards Tanaka's _Guillotine_. Reacting with instinct and training, Tanaka hunched her 'mech down to provide a smaller targeting profile and to lower its center of gravity.

The trick both worked and failed. It failed in that, despite the lower profile, the enemy 'mech's Artemis IV fire-control system managed to keep the long-range missiles on track, and a full dozen slammed into the front and arms of Tanaka's 'mech. The maneuver worked, however, as Tanaka barely felt her war machine move under the impacts, and she began to think about a counter attack.

It was not necessary, however, as a Gauss Rifle slug from Stein's _Grizzly_ reached out and handily decapitated the _Griffin_, crushing the entire head and killing the pilot inside as the projectile turned the cockpit inside out.

Tanaka watched as the now-headless _Griffin_ slammed to the ground, and then turned to check on the _Initiate_. She needn't have bothered, however, as the Abrams tanks from Checker lance had combined their firepower to tear into the hapless 'mech. Switching her scanners to a higher setting, Tanaka still couldn't recognize the twisted metal hulk that was the _Initiate_'s remains.

"Status everyone," the captain called over the ad-hoc force's common frequency.

"This is Checker One," Peterson was the first to report. "My tanks lost some armor, but we're still green."

"This is Red Dog Two," Sergeant Renard chimed in next. "You didn't leave us anything, so we're moving in to see if anyone feels like spending time in Hotel Tortuga," he spoke with an undercurrent of mirth as he used the army's nickname for a ship's brig.

"Oni Two here," Stein called in. "Down a few shots of ammo, have a few scrapes, but I'm a a-ok."

"Three here, cap'n," Myers came online next, following procedure. "I think I'm a bit worse for wear. Lost nearly half my armor all over this tin can. Other than that, I'm good to go."

"Oni Four reporting," Carmike added in. "Those hosers ignored me, and 'cept for some missile shots bein' used up, I'm ready to kick ass."

Tanaka nodded, more to keep her mind grounded in reality than to be any real reply. "Okay, boys and girls, this is how it's gonna be. Checker One, hold the west side of the river, deploy as you see fit. Red Dog Two, ignore prisoners for now; it's not like the bastards can blend into the local population. Instead, I want you on the east riverbank north of the town, watch for any Wobbie infantry that wants to play Inferno games." She paused to catch her breath, and as well to suppress a shudder. "Oni Lance, form up on me. We're goin' to watch the northern approaches for that mysterious Level II we've heard about."

* * *

The next hour passed fairly quickly. The remaining Blakest infantry and base personnel had attempted to hide in the village, only to be slammed by the Vanquishers who had closed that door. After a brief, one-sided firefight, the last of the Blakests surrendered. Foxtrot squad had been detailed to watch them and the two surviving MechWarriors from the enemy force, penning them up in a small bend in the river.

Van Horn mulled over these facts as he lay in a copse of trees east of the lupar town. _A decent raid in force… So where's that other Level II so we can blast it to Hell?_ He had the typical nervousness of a soldier on the front lines, waiting for something to happen so that it would just be over with. _Fat lot of good it'll do me, though, bein' right n the enemy's path. I might as well paint a bull's eye on my head._ They knew the enemy Level II had to come from the northeast, that being the only direction in which cover would let them get to within three kilometers of Kaytor. _So where are they?_

Sitting, and bored as he was despite the earlier combat, van Horn's mind began to wander. He remembered the dead bodies of the Blakest MechWarriors, and he felt a sense of loss. Not for the Blakests of course, but for what they represented.

_Alexis… She was such a nice person, and now we've gone and turned her into a killing machine_. The thought came unbidden from his mind, and van Horn gave a disgusted mental shake. _Stop that! She's still the nice, caring person she always was._

_Yeah, she cares about nailing a shot between someone's eyes_, another mental voice answered.

_Stop it. That's unworthy of her and you know it_. Van Horn continued to argue with himself mentally as he again checked his surroundings with another ten-second scan from his suit's active probe. _She's not a machine, certainly._

_Damn straight,_ a prideful voice answered then. _Ain't no machine that can be that damn good with a night vision-destroying laser rifle_.

_Still, I can't help but feel like we've taken something from her… From all of the natives of Bowman's planet_. He sighed then, partially in relief, as his probe again saw nothing unusual. _We've taken away their innocence, robbed from them the feeling that they know their world._

Again, the sarcastic voice came in. _Don't give me that shit. You know as well as anyone – Hell, probably better than anyone – these peoples' common history. The Gatón and Lupar are about as innocent as a group of Hitler Youth… Though a good deal more civilized with their morals. Fucking Nazis. Anyway, you know damn well that these people have had their own wars, their own lawlessness and pillaging and death and all that crap. All we've done is just shown them what happens when you go down the road without checking the map._

His mental debate was interrupted by a radio call from Connors. "Doc, we got a small change in plans. The Boss and Captain Tanaka want you to fall back."

Van Horn shook his head to erase the last vestiges of his internal dissent. "They say any reason why for, corporal?" He asked as he stood and walked out from the trees.

"Not to me, they didn't," Connors replied tiredly. "Though from their voices, I think the shit's about to hit the fan."

Van Horn turned and jetted back for the town as he replied. "When is it not about to hit the fan?"

"Point taken."

* * *

Alexis kneeled down next to Hurg, cleaning his wound as she talked to him. "You will probably not have too much to worry about," she said as she finished wiping an alcohol-soaked cotton ball over the wound. Although Hurg wanted to flinch, Alexis held his muzzle in a tight grip with her left hand while her right did all the work. Then after she removed the cotton ball, she released the lupar and he leaned back a bit. "Although I do want you to rest a bit, just to make sure."

Hurg grunted. "There is work to be done, and if I do not have this 'concussion' thing you spoke of," he had to speak the English word slowly, "then I need to help." With that, he began to get up from where he had been resting against a small barn.

Alexis sighed as she leaned back to give Hurg space to stand. "If you wish, but I would ask you to come and see me or one of my friends if you feel dizzy or faint."

Hurg nodded. "I will," he replied and then began to walk off. He paused then, and he glanced back at Alexis. "Thank you."

Alexis shrugged and gave him a small smile. "You're welcome."

The lupar nodded, and then he left. Alexis sighed then, feeling a bit of pressure eased now that the last of the wounded had been taken care of. _At least, the ones I can help with_, she added in mentally as she packed up the medikit she was using. Glancing about the small farm the Republic forces had temporarily appropriated – making it clear to the natives that it _was_ temporary – for triage, Alexis saw the other medics working on the tougher cases.

Off by the house, Castellano and a trained medic/soldier from one of the Abrams tank crews were working to treat a leg broken by falling debris, while a medic/trooper from the 3rd Armored Platoon's detachment worked about halfway between Alexis and the other two humans, treating a bullet wound inflicted on one of the town's volunteers for the attack.

There were others there, as well. The two squads from the Desert Thunder were standing in silent sentry over the area, though only Sergeant Renard could be made out easily, walking around as he was in his command armor to check on his troopers' positions. Many lupar from the village were within the perimeter, as well, though not all of them were wounded. Many had simply found it comforting to be near each other, and given the fact that the Republic troopers were helping the wounded – something the Blakests didn't do when they had subjugated the town – the locals were willing to give the humans the benefit of the doubt.

_That's not to say everyone is here_, Alexis remembered as she stood and stretched a bit to ease a kink out of her back. _All the militia members keep going back to look for anyone who might have been left behind, and some people just want to go back to their homes._ She sighed as she started for the farmhouse. _And as a result, everyone's all confused_.

Alexis stopped to ask if the 3rd Platoon trooper needed any help, and when he declined, she shrugged and moved on, heading for the front of the house. There she had left Yetaru and Acryu, who seemed to be the only two from the village who had any authority to organize the townspeople, as well as her rifle and radio. She trusted them to keep her equipment safe, and when she reached the knot of lupar at the front, she saw that the trust wasn't misplaced; her rifle and radio were still sitting where she had left them leaning against the house's front. Between them and Alexis, however, was the aforementioned pack of lupar, who seemed to be talking and discussing things with Acryu and Yetaru.

"What I want to know is why we weren't informed?" One man dressed in only a coat and pants demanded. "This sort of thing threatens all of us, yet no one came to ask for my permission."

Acryu turned and growled at the other lupar. "You are a shopkeeper, Faner, not a soldier. If I want advice on how to gouge travelers out of their coin, I'll ask you. But when it comes to fighting, I'll trust my own training thank you."

Alexis stifled a chuckle as she saw the addressed man blush. She walked behind the group, moving slowly to not garner any attention. Another man spoke up then. "It may be well and good what you had planned, Kaeno, but I thought Eiger Tangee was the militia's commander. Who are you to usurp his place?"

Alexis glanced at Acryu and she saw his fur bristle. "Tangee is a tail-fluffing asshole who would have let this town be ravaged by the invaders for all time so long as he had his power," he said in a low, angry voice. "And if you think I usurped his command, well, it wasn't I who beat Tangee in physical combat."

Alexis froze at this, partially because of Acryu's reference to her, but also because she couldn't go forward any more without entering the vision of the other men, and she felt like listening in a bit longer. _Good thing that I'm shorter than them, so Acryu and Yetaru probably don't see me_.

The gathered men murmured amongst themselves for a moment. Then the second lupar spoke again. "If this is true, then how come whoever beat Tangee isn't in command? Isn't that the way of our town?"

Acryu shook his head. "That person is busy at the moment, so I'm handling the job for now."

Alexis widened her eyes at that, and she managed to hold back a surprised noise. I'm_ supposed to be the one in command?_ She felt like screaming. _Good Gods, no wonder those lupar trusted me so much! Acryu made sure to mention to them in my presence my little tussle with him and Tangee… For what? So they'd listen to me? _The sudden implication made Alexis want to turn and run. _This is too much! I'm only supposed to be helping, not leading!_

A snort came from the slightly rotund lupar Alexis was standing behind. "Where is this man? I want to go and let him know that he should be answering our questions, not letting an underling take the blame for his reckless plan."

"If it was reckless, then how come you're still alive?" Acryu asked the latest questioner. "You used to be a militiaman, Gernor, you know that the kind of action here tonight hardly took any toll on our town, save those who went out to help in the attack. And those were volunteers, every one of them."

The man known as Gernor grumped. "Still, why is this person not here? What could he have to do right now that is more pressing than answering to the council?"

"More importantly," another lupar added in. "Who is this new commander? Why weren't we informed?"

More talk ensued, most of which passed Alexis by as she stood and thought about how this custom had seemed to change things. _Or does it?_ She asked herself. _Think about it, Alexis: You know these people won't accept you in charge of anything, and you won't be staying here too long, anyway._ She sighed at that, relieved as she realized that she wouldn't have to endure such a position for very long. _Acryu can say all he wants to avoid taking the blame, but in the end, he or another will take their militia, and I'll go back to my job_.

Alexis then noticed that the area had fallen quiet, and she lifted her head up from her contemplation to see the entire group of local lupar looking at her. _I guess my sigh was a bit louder than I thought_. At this, she blushed a bit.

"What is this? A gatón?" Gernor asked from his position near Alexis. "And a woman at that! What is she doing here?"

Alexis glared at him then, and her change in expression told the others that she understood them just fine. But as she opened her mouth to reply, Acryu spoke up. "This gatón is the one who beat Tangee in one-on-one combat, and she is technically the commander of the militia now."

The gathering fell silent for a moment, and then the lupar gathered around started yelling. At Acryu, at Alexis, at each other, it didn't matter. Alexis frowned and just shook her head, and she walked over to the house and grabbed her rifle and radio, ignoring the cacophony behind her. When she turned around though, the speech halted, and she saw them staring at her.

_No, they're staring at my rifle_, she realized as she shouldered the radio by its carrying strap. _I suppose having an advanced weapon gets their attention_. Alexis then decided a few words were in order. "Look, I don't care about your fancy titles, or command, or anything like that. I came to help, and I will leave soon." She began walking at that point, passing through the crowd. "If you want a real commander, pick Acryu." With that, she passed beyond the group and moved away, heading towards where the Republic forces had set up a temporary command post on the other side of the barn. She was about halfway there when she heard footsteps rushing up behind her. She tensed, but also forced herself to remain calm. _You're surrounded by friends, no one is going to hurt you_, she told herself as she turned around to see who had followed.

Alexis wasn't surprised when she saw Acryu slowing down from a quick dash he had made to catch up. "What do you want?" She asked as neutrally as she could, though a trace of anger seeped into her voice. _Why didn't you tell me about this crap?_ The second question hung unspoken in the air between them.

"Listen," Acryu said as he came to a respectful distance and then stopped. "I know you're upset and all, but I didn't tell you for the same reasons you just spoke of a few moments ago."

"And what about those 'volunteers?'" Alexis countered. "Did they have the benefit of knowing that I wasn't going to punish them of they didn't follow along?"

Acryu flinched a bit at her tone. "I… May have omitted a few things," he admitted. "But I do not lie. They all volunteered, every one of them, and they knew what they were in for."

Alexis frowned, and then she shook her head. "But they still made their decision because of what I did, right? Of my particular position in respect to your township?"

Acryu blushed a bit, but he looked defiantly at Alexis. "True, what you did might have made their decision easier, but I believe that even if you had just walked in without such a claim, they would have followed." He sighed then. "I just wanted to help them be clear of all doubts before they went into battle, to ease their minds."

Alexis shook her head, and she half turned from Acryu. "Two men died…" She began quietly. "Two people who will never see another day, because they thought that I was someone special, someone who would have the perfect plan." She sighed sadly and looked down, her tail curling up around her ankle. She closed her eyes and went on in a quiet tone. "I didn't ask for that responsibility, for people to risk their lives for _me_, instead of for themselves or their families…" Her voice trailed off, and Alexis felt the emotions of the night begin to overwhelm her, though she fought them back before she lost control.

Acryu laid a gentle hand on her left shoulder, and Alexis opened her eyes to look at him. "Listen," he began haltingly, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "I've only known you for little more than a day, but I can safely say that I have a good judge of your character." He paused to remove his hand, and he took a breath before going on. "Most especially, you and your friends thought up a plan that gave my town the most benefit with the least amount of risk." He gestured back to where the lupar were still arguing amongst themselves. "Despite what those old fools would say, you all have done us a great favor, just as you promised. And I dare say that if those two men could talk, they would agree that their sacrifice was worth it."

They both fell silent, and Alexis took a few moments to collect her thoughts. "Thank you," she said to Acryu suddenly. "I… I don't mean to make it sound as if they died for nothing…" She then paused and sighed. "It's just… I've seen too many people die in the last few months, and I'm tired of it. Then I hear that they might have died simply because they felt it was their blind duty to follow my lead…" She looked up at Acryu then. "You understand, I couldn't live with myself if that were the case."

Acryu looked confused for a moment, but then he smiled a bit. "You know, whenever I think I have you figured out, you go and add something new," he said. Then he shook his head. "That alone proves you wrong; you are a special person."

Alexis blushed deeply then. "I thank you," she said with a smile. "Although I warn you, I'm spoken for."

Acryu looked incredulously at her for a moment before he saw her smile widen a bit. Then he laughed. "Well, nice to see you can jest so well."

"Despite the circumstances," Alexis said, her mood fading a bit. "In any case, I really do thank you for your kind words."

Acryu nodded. "As I thank you again for saving our town."

"That may be a premature appreciation." A voice said off to the side. Startled, both Alexis and Acryu turned to see van Horn standing about a meter away, his helmet crooked under his left arm.

"Earl," Alexis said almost breathlessly. "You scared me."

"My apologies, then, Alexis," the human said, speaking the same Lupari that the two natives had been conversing in. "But I'm afraid that time has suddenly become very short. We need to speak to whoever is in charge of the village immediately."

Alexis spared a glance at Acryu. "I suppose that would be those old windbags back there?" She asked.

Acryu nodded. "Yes, but they're not really that bad. They just had a rude awakening, that's all."

"Good," van Horn said. "Because we have some bad news that they are not going to like, and I don't think any but the most strong-willed could take it."

"Why?" Alexis asked, her voice betraying the sudden influx of fear she felt. "What's happened?"

"Our enemies are more clever than we've given them credit for," van Horn replied darkly. "The Level II you thought you heard about? The one we confirmed from radio intercepts?" He sighed roughly. "They only labeled it wrong and transmitted it on an open frequency to bait us. It's not a Level II, but a Level III.

"We have thirty-six heavy and assault 'mechs bearing down on this village, and there's only just enough time before they get here."

Acryu, frowning at the unfamiliar speech, raised his voice. "Enough time for what?"

Van Horn turned and looked at him. "Enough time to decide whether we run, or just die here."


	40. Chapter 40

Van Horn sighed lightly as the native leaders of the town shuffled squeamishly into the small area that the Republic had been using as a makeshift command post. There was nothing particularly special set up, just a makeshift table pieced together from scrap wood planks laying next to the native barn they were standing next to, on top of which were some maps from Tanaka's map case.

What made the area intimidating to the locals, however, was Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_, Lieutenant Peterson's command tank, and the two battle armored infantry leaders in full combat kit that stood around the area.

_Thank God for Alexis, though_, he thought as the gatón calmly explained to the town's leaders just what machines these were, and why their pilots could be trusted. _Because we're not killing you_, van Horn thought as the last lupar in line, a wizened old man in priest's robes, reached where the Republic officers stood in a crescent facing the new arrivals. Strangely, he seemed the least daunted, and van Horn was put in the mind of a certain shaman he knew. _Nice to see that some people can stand up in the face of adversity with bravery_.

Then, standing in the line with the Republic officers, van Horn cleared his throat and began to speak in Lupari. "Gentlemen leaders of Kaytor, my name is Doctor Earl van Horn, and I will be helping to translate along with my friend, Alexis." He paused to gesture to the gatón, who took it as her cue to walk over and join her human friend. "Our time is short, and so we must dispense with full protocol.

"These are the leaders of our small force," he continued, gesturing with his hand at the other Republic officers. "Captain Tanaka, the lady standing in the middle, is the one in charge here, so she will speak and I will translate."

The lupar, save for the older priest and the young man named 'Kaeno' that van Horn had briefly met, all looked at the asiatic MechWarrior with suspicion. "Another woman?" One of the men in the group asked. "What is this, the end of the world?"

"It can be," Alexis quipped quickly to cover her flash of anger. "For your village, at least. Right now, debate on whether women can be in charge or not should wait. We simply don't have the time."

"You keep mentioning a lack of time," another lupar, the one Alexis recognized as the rotund Gernor. Unlike the others, though, he seemed to be getting a handle on his emotions. "But I don't understand this. The invaders have been defeated, and the field of battle is yours. Why is there no time?"

"Because more invaders are on their way," van Horn countered. "Those large 'metal giants' you call them? There's thirty-six of them coming this way as we speak."

That was enough for the locals to hold their tongues as they tried to contemplate such an enormous sight. Van Horn decided to press on. "We are not invincible. The enemy outnumbers us greatly, and we cannot guarantee any real victory that would leave your town still standing."

Again, a silence fell. Then the old priest spoke up. "If this is true, then what good is it for us to be discussing it?" He asked calmly. "Unless you have some sort of plan to deal with it?"

Van Horn nodded, and he managed to keep an appreciative smile off of his face. _Nice to see he's smart, too_. "We do, although it's not something to undertake lightly," he said, and then paused to take in a breath. "Basically, we can evacuate your town, and protect you until we can get reinforcements to beat back the enemy." _Not to mention find a more defensible position than a town on a plain_.

The suggestion rose yet another silence, which was soon interrupted by the local leaders murmuring amongst themselves. Then one of them spoke up. "You can't be serious! Just leave? This is our home, and has been for generations."

"A fitting epitaph to carve on your tombstone, no doubt," Alexis spoke up, adding in a slight growl into her voice, the tone and words making the lupar who had spoken flinch. "We're not saying to leave permanently. The invaders _will_ be dealt with eventually, and when the time comes when this area is safe, we'll help you come back," she paused to look over the council members again. "But for right now, we can't guarantee your safety here. We won't force you to leave, or anything, but if you decide to remain, we won't."

She saw Acryu frown at that. "You won't defend us?" Behind that question, Alexis saw another layer. _You won't do your duty?_ She gulped a bit and shook her head slightly. "Not exactly like that. We can and will defend you if you leave with us, but staying here would be suicide for us as well as for all of you."

"So the alternative is run, and leave our homes, or to stay here and die?" Gernor asked rhetorically. "I don't see much of a choice. How much time do we have?"

Alexis looked up at van Horn, who took in a breath. "That's the problem. If we had any real time, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Or at least, we wouldn't be having it so soon," he added quickly. "The enemy formation is approaching us even now, and we have only three hours before they get here."

That brought another round of silence, this one far longer than the last three. Then finally, one of the councilmen cleared his throat and spoke. "That is not much time. How can we possibly be ready by then?"

"By only taking the bare essentials," van Horn replied. "Some clothes, as much food as you can carry, and little else. Leave everything behind that you can't carry on your backs. And most importantly, do it now, before we waste any more time."

"And why should we trust you?" One of the other lupar asked. "You just appear, without warning, and we should listen to you?" Before he received an answer, the short, middle-aged lupar wheeled on Acryu. "And you! You conspired with these people and brought us to ruin!"

"What?" Acryu almost shouted as he turned to face the man. "Are you mad? We were treated terribly by the invaders! At least these people seek to advise us, rather then order us," he gestured to the Republic officers at the last. "So they give us bad news? Well, at least they are telling us, rather than leaving us without a word and letting us be killed when the invaders come!"

The one called Gernor looked over at van Horn then. "Is that a fair assumption? Will the invaders kill us if we stay?"

Van Horn frowned at the question, and he took a moment to think. Finally, he nodded slightly. "I think so, yes."

"You _think_ so?" The shrill lupar asked. Then he turned to his fellows. "We should be glad for this help? I say we ignore these women-following fools!"

"That's it!" Alexis hollered, bringing their attention back to her. She fumed and glared at the speaking lupar. "You know what? You can take that crap and shove it up your tail hole," she snapped at the shrill man. "We didn't come here to be insulted, we didn't save your asses just so we could throw it back in our faces, and we certainly aren't going to stand around while you commit suicide!"

With that, she spun on her right foot and looked at van Horn. "Doctor, I think that we should just advise Captain Tanaka that we should leave and don't look back," she said quickly, but in Lupari.

Van Horn almost took her seriously, until, that is, he saw her twitch an ear down three times. That, and the fact she was 'advising' him in Lupari told him that she wanted the council to hear. _All right, I'll play along_. "You seem to have a good idea there, Alexis," he said in feigned seriousness and then he turned his head to look at the lupar standing in front of the humans. "Gentlemen, sorry to have wasted your time. It seems that we've made a mistake thinking that you actually cared for your families' lives." He nodded then, and turned around to take a step towards where his superiors stood, Alexis mirroring his movements with her own.

"Wait!" The call, expected, made van Horn and Alexis pause and turn back to face the council, seeing the lupar wide-eyed, and Acryu speaking. "You can't just leave us here just because this pompous windbag can't keep his muzzle shut!"

"Pompous? Windbag?" The shrill lupar raised his voice at Acryu. "I'll show you, you upstart-"

"Shut up!" Gernor yelled to the lupar standing next to him, and he growled as the shrill one turned back. "I've had enough of your complaining, Karm. You've done nothing but whine and complain since your father put you onto this council. Well, he's dead now, and so are you if you drive away the only people who can help us now."

Karm backed a step from Gernor, and the muttered agreement with the latter's words made him blush. "All I want is to see to the best interests of this town."

"You mean the best interests of your own family," Acryu added in from the side. "Everyone knows your family is the biggest land owner here. Well, it's not worth much in the face of the invaders, now is it?" He asked with contempt in his voice. "Now, shut up or I swear that I'll leave you trussed up in those fields of yours for the invaders to find!"

At that, Karm backed up a few steps from everyone else. "You- you're all mad!" He said nervously. "Don't you see? Acryu is conspiring with these new invaders to drive us all away so they can take our land!"

Van Horn rolled his eyes at this, and he quickly yanked his pistol free of its holster and aimed towards Karm. Then he fired, and the weapon sent a .45 caliber bullet straight between his ears, just barely passing over his head to slam into the barn behind him.

The sudden report of the weapon, and the bullet grazing past him shut Karm up and it drew the attention of everyone on the anthropologist-soldier. "We don't need to conspire one fucking bit," he said, putting to use the curse words he had cajoled Mikula and Pavlo to teach him, and he holstered his weapon. "The fact is, we can take whatever we want, whenever we want, and leave you all dead if you so much as cough at us.

"But we are _not_ doing these things," he continued, and he paused a moment to let this thought sink in. "We don't want your land, we don't want your wealth. All we want to do is save your lives and the lives of all of your families. Now," he gestured back to the maps sitting on the table behind him. "You can either learn to trust us and we can all find a route that will keep everyone safe and relatively unexhausted, or you can bitch and moan the whole fucking night. Which will it be?"

* * *

The coming of dawn illuminated a scene that Alexis found heartbreakingly familiar; A line of natives were walking along a path that had been blazed by the rumbling mass of two of Checker Lance's 70-ton Abrams tanks. Many had only small bundles tied to their backs, while a few had carts, though these had been commandeered to carry the sick, elderly and very young.

The natives of Kaytor hadn't been happy when their leaders had told them it was leave or die, but the fact that the Republic forces had killed their oppressors and had taken the time to heal the few wounded managed to buy them some goodwill, and so the town had gathered up in the little time they had and had left prior to dawn.

Now, they were marching west for the mountains and, hopefully, for a safe place to 'hole up' as the Republic officers put it. Alexis knew, too, that a 'mech lance was also to join up with them, and hopefully, the two forces would be enough to defend a position long enough for the transports to fly in and evacuate the locals.

All of this passed through the gatón's mind as she trudged alongside the lupar near the front of the line. Although she could have ridden with Tanaka in her 'mech, she had wanted to provide an example for the denizens of Kaytor, and her human friends had agreed wholeheartedly.

_At least I had just enough time to change_, Alexis thought as she walked along in her M.I. field uniform, her pack on her shoulders. _I don't think I can stand to wear my old clothing anymore. It's all so itchy and hot_. She had to admire the artificial fibers of her uniform for the way they combined comfort with heat dissipation, all the more so because it was a gray color that usually wasn't noted for being especially cooling.

_Of course, it also helps that we're in the forest_, Alexis mentally added as she walked around another tree. Though the sun poked through the trees, its light was still diffused a bit from the overhanging canopy, and so the procession marched on in a sort of green tinted twilight. However, the headlights on the two lead Abrams tanks and the spotlight from Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ cut through the gloom as they led the train of natives. Each side of the traveling line had one of Oni Lance's battlemechs – Myers' _Corvus_ on the right and Carmike's _Wyvern IIC_ on the left – and trailing was the remaining two Abrams tanks and Stein's _Grizzly_, although both of the 70-ton 'mechs walked offset to the side so that their large footprints wouldn't create any opportunity for someone to trip over.

Not that such things didn't happen, though, as one lady taking a quick fall to her knees off to Alexis' left attested to. Her pack nearly slid off her shoulders, and people behind her started to scrunch up as their progress was held up.

Alexis quickly moved to the lady's side, and she grabbed the female lupar by the upper arm. "Let me help," she said softly in Lupari and helped her stand along with another native from the town who had reached her side.

"Thank you both," the not-quite-middle-aged woman said to both of her helpers. Then she shouldered her pack a bit more securely.

"Are you okay?" Alexis asked. "Are you tired? Feeling ill?"

"No, I'm fine," the lady replied with a shake of her head. "Thank you anyway." With that, she started forward, having barely looked at Alexis.

The single gatón in the group sighed and started off again along with those who had slowed to walk around the small scene. Soon, everyone was again moving off at a regular pace, and Alexis worked her way back to the outside of the group.

_The way she acted is typical, I think_, she mused as she picked her way just to the right of the tread track formed by the advance tanks. _After all, how else would you expect someone to act when they have to leave their home with only what they can carry on their backs?_

"Feeling tired yourself?" A voice intruded on her consciousness, and Alexis started a bit before she turned her head to look at who had spoken. Sure enough, off to her right, van Horn was walking along in his own scout armor, his weapon held at the ready, though not aimed at anything specific.

_His helmet's on, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere_, Alexis thought and she gave her friend a small smile. "I'm fine, thank you Earl."

Van Horn nodded. "That's good," he said, and then paused for a bit before sighing. "This sort of gives you the feeling of déjà vu, doesn't it?"

Alexis recognized the human term and nodded. "It certainly does," she said, and then softly sighed as well. "Why do things keep turning out this way, Earl?" She asked suddenly. "How come no matter how much we do, we always seem to be one step behind?"

Van Horn didn't reply right away. Instead, the pair walked alongside each other and the procession of natives for a few moments before he spoke up. "Alexis, I can't really say," he said quietly. "Why does anything bad happen in the world? Such things cannot be readily explained, and the greatest minds of my people's past have spent all their lives pondering such things." He shook his helmeted head a bit. "All I can say, Alexis, is that there's a reason for such things, for this action we're taking right now. Such is the will of God."

This brought on another few moments of silence before Alexis cleared her throat. "Earl? Might I ask you a personal question?"

Van Horn turned his head to look at the gatón, and he nodded. "I suppose, though I can't guarantee that I'll answer."

Alexis returned the nod and took a moment to collect her thoughts. "It occurs to me after all this time, that I've never really asked you about your people's religion before…" She let her voice drift off a bit to see if van Horn would have any reaction. Seeing or hearing none, Alexis went on. "I was just wondering, just what is it your people believe in?"

Another bout of silence came over the two as they walked alongside the natives of Kaytor. Finally, just about when Alexis was about to apologize for her curiosity, van Horn finally spoke. "Alexis, I don't think I should be the one to speak to you of religion," he said and then took a breath, which Alexis could hear as his speakers lightly broadcast the noise. "I can only tell you about my personal beliefs, which are not always the same as other persons.' Hell," he chuckled briefly. "We have many, many different religions, and each one says something different. But then, they also have a common theme, and I suppose that's what I live my life by."

"What might those be?" Alexis asked quietly. "I mean, if I'm not being too nosy."

"Well, if you were any other person, you would be," van Horn said. "But then, you've learned so much from us, Alexis, that I can't be surprised that you'd naturally be curious about our religious beliefs. And it would be rather kind of hypocritical of me to not be as open with them as I've been with everything else…" He shook his head. "Still, it's not something many of us talk about. We consider it a private affair, best not discussed due to the fact that it tends to cause confrontations." He paused to sigh yet again. "Some of our worst wars have begun because of religious differences, and as a result, humanity as a whole now follows a general, unwritten rule. Namely, don't talk about religion if you can help it."

"I'm sorry then," Alexis said and she turned to face forward, her ears going down a bit in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to offend."

Van Horn sighed again. "You're not offending, Alexis. I'm just trying to say just why it might be a bit hard for me to speak of such things with you. All the more so because I don't want to soil your mind with my own beliefs, when you undoubtedly have your own."

Alexis now took a moment of silence to think before she replied. "I think I see… Though I still wonder a bit at how you can seemingly take some things, like our current situation, in stride and call it the will of some god."

"Not 'some' god, Alexis, the God." Van Horn corrected her. "That is, that's the common belief amongst humans, that there is only one entity who created the universe and rules over it." He shrugged. "But, like I said, that's our common belief. There are some religions like yours, that believe in many different gods, and some that believe in spirits and mystic forces more than any deities." He shook his head then. "But I don't want to sound like I'm correcting you, Alexis. Another unwritten rule of behavior with humans nowadays is that all religions are, in essence, equal."

Alexis glanced at van Horn and frowned. "But how can that be? If every religion is different, then how can they all be equal? Surely only one is right and all the others are wrong, aren't they?"

"And which one _is_ right Alexis?" Van Horn asked her, and the question made her pause. "There's the rub. That's the reason so many bloody wars were fought over such trivialities. No one could really decide who was right, so they resorted to making themselves right by eliminating the competition." Van Horn paused to shake his head again, slowly this time. "Then about a thousand years ago, the rapid pace of scientific progress started to show some religious beliefs as false, and this caused a crisis of faith amongst those who lived at the time.

"Eventually, they started to look over everyone else's religion, and they found startling similarities. All the basics were there, 'be nice, don't murder, and don't steal.' These were basic truths that all rational humans lived by, and soon, many in their faiths started to realize that all religions have the same message. That there is someone above, watching us, taking care of us, but always challenging us as well." Van Horn paused to take a breath. "And that is, basically, the center of modern religious belief, with me and many humans across the galaxy. Namely, that all religions are the same in essence, so they all must obey the same God. They just have different ways of doing it."

They walked along, picking their way between trees in the forest for some time before Alexis spoke again. "So, that's all there is to it? 'Behave and don't kill?'" she asked, a bit bewildered.

Van Horn sighed again. "It's not that simple, no… But again, I should not be the one you should talk to about this. When a sufficiently-sized task force _does_ get here to relieve us, I'll see if they have a pastor or reverend you can speak with."

Alexis gave her friend an odd look. "Are they like shaman?"

"Sort of. At least, they're the main religious leaders, so you could say they're like a shaman in that respect, though they don't usually do things the same was as Forbasa did."

Alexis nodded a bit. "I suppose…"

The screech of aerofighter engines cut off any further debate, and Alexis, van Horn, and all the other troopers of the Vanquishers and the 3rd Platoon dropped to the ground automatically, and the tanks and 'mechs around them halted. The natives from Kaytor, uncertain over what was going on, stopped in their own tracks as well, and muttering began to be heard from them.

"It's okay," van Horn spoke, bringing Alexis' heard around to see him standing up less than a few seconds after hitting the ground. "It's one of ours. They're off to attack the Wobbies on our tails."

Alexis sighed and she stood up even as the tanks in the lead began to roll again. She had to explain the sudden stop to those locals nearest to her, and it took several minutes for the information to move down the line and to get everyone moving again.

_It's going to be a long day_.

* * *

"It's gonna be a long day, Oscar," Ensign Rachael Pachinski observed as she walked alongside her wingmate towards the parking areas for the two fighters from the USS _Chris Metzen_ waited in the pre-dawn hours. The pair of F-56 _Stormchaser_ fighters were, like the _Achilles_-class _Metzen_, call ups from the National Reserve, as were the two pilots who now strode from their semi-permanent tents that had been set up next to the airfield. The Seabees had finished preparations for at least two fighters to be maintained as a ground-based element for bombing, as craft reentering atmosphere naturally couldn't carry high explosives on their exterior.

"Well, look at the bright side, Rachael," her friend and wingmate, Oscar Hayes, replied as they reached the first fighter, which belonged to the red-haired woman at his side. "At least this isn't like Tuskahara back in the day."

Pachinski groaned and rolled her eyes. "Please, don't remind me. I've spent many an hour in bars trying to have that memory removed via non-invasive liquid procedures."

Hayes laughed. "Well, Rachael, in any case, let's hope this doesn't turn out that way."

"Here here," Pachinski said and she held up her neurohelmet. Hayes mirrored it and they clacked the helmets together. "See you back here at base for debrief and cocktails."

Hayes laughed again at the old joke as he walked for his own fighter, which was parked a good sixty meters away to prevent both from being taken out by a lucky attack. Because of that, Pachinski took her time as she walked the last few meters to the immediate area of her fighter. While the few ground crew who had transferred from the _Metzen_ finished their status checks on the delta-winged fighter craft, Pachinski did a walk around, visually inspecting her craft as critically as any of the technicians did. It was an age-old ritual that had proven its worth countless times since the advent of powered flight, and the ensign wouldn't dare skip a single part of it if she could help it.

After completing her circuit, Pachinski nodded to the lead tech, and received a nod back as she climbed up the small metal ladder to the 40-ton fighter's cockpit. Once there, she began the necessary tasks that one needed to do in order to pilot a modern space-capable fighter. The bulky flight suit she wore had to be plugged into its proper ports so that it would be able to inflate during high-G turns and keep the blood in Pachinski's head, where it belonged.

After that came the attachment of her neurohelmet into the battlecomputer. Unlike older Inner Sphere or even Clan models, Republic aerofighter neurohelmets were scarcely larger than the normal flight helmets worn by pilots in the late 20th century, owing to advanced technology and a lack of necessity for the more elaborate sensors needed for a battlemech's balance.

Still, it required a few moments of time for Pachinski to get everything properly seated, and also to seal up her flight suit to her helmet so that she could, theoretically, eject even in the blackness of space. Although their sortie today was supposed to be entirely in the atmosphere of Bowman's Planet, Pachinski took no risks, and so she made sure her suit was secure and had its emergency oxygen bottles attached to her boots.

Finally, after going through this routine, Pachinski looked over the left rim of her cockpit, and she saw the head tech standing where he was supposed to be. The tall man gave her a thumb up, which indicated that the crew was finished and no problems were found. She returned the gesture, which meant the same thing from her, and the man shot her a salute before scuttling off beyond the ensign's vision.

_Time to get this bad boy rolling_, Pachinski thought as she started flipping controls on in her cockpit. The internal batteries for the ship came on, and at a touch of a button, the cockpit's canopy slid forward and closed off the cramped compartment. Pachinski, who left her oxygen mask off until the "real flying" began, felt her ears pop slightly as the cabin pressurized a bit over nominal to test for leakage. The small gauge for pressure remained steady, and the 'idiot light' for that system burned a healthy green.

Pachinski took another few moments to warm up the ship's computers and radios, and she only had to blink before the craft synchronized its time and position with the Republic Battlenet. With that, she activated her Heads Up Display, and the holographic bowl that represented the full 360-degree sphere around her fighter materialized. Overlaid on it were the faint golden lines that delineated the different firing arcs for her fighter, and virtual windows popped up to show the status of the _Stormchaser_'s weapons. Pachinski was gratified to see that the "Flashpoint III" ER Large Laser in each wing came online as fully charged, and that the Mk-51 LRM Ten-rack in the nose was fully loaded and operational.

_All right then_, Pachinski thought as she punched up the last sequence she needed to get the craft fully operational. Unlike conventional, atmospheric fighters, a fusion-powered aerospace fighter doesn't need a starter cart to get the engines moving. Such carts were still used, however, if a fighter was kept inside an enclosed area, like an underground hanger, while a similar system on ships drew power from the carrier's reactor to ignite the fusion torch within their fighters.

The two _Stormchaser_s, however, were only parked in the open – a necessity given the relatively primitive airfield – and so they had kept their engines in a low power mode similar to that of a 'mech's engine. Now, with but a simple code that only Pachinski and the chief tech knew, the pilot told the engine to ramp up power to standby. Behind her, Pachinski could feel the ship's engine system rumble as power was built up.

Now, fully ready, she triggered her radio on. "Oscar, you strapped in yet?"

"Yes ma'am," Hayes responded. "I'm just waiting for you to get off that cute ass of yours."

Pachinski snorted into her radio. "Watch it, bub, unless you want to go to sleep tonight with your cajónes."

"Duly noted, Toast," Hayes replied, using Pachinski's callsign.

"Triply noted," came the male voice of the very temporary 'flight officer' for the airfield, who was really the USS _Cheops_' head pilot. "Now that that's all cleared up; Baker One, Baker Two, you both are cleared to taxi."

"Roger that, air boss," Pachinski replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Baker One is rolling." With that, she released the landing gear brakes and gave her throttle just the barest nudge. The power from her craft's engine edged over the threshold at which friction held the 40-ton fighter in place, and soon the small ship was rolling down the paved taxiways.

* * *

The rolling thunder of the two fighters moving down to the end of the air strip woke some of the natives in Shulana, though many stayed asleep as they had started to grow accustomed to the loud noises from the Republic's activities.

One person who wasn't, however, quite used to it was Senmar. He awoke with a start at the rumbling, and it took him a moment to remember where he was and what the noise meant. _Damned things, can't they wait until daylight?_ He mentally grumbled and sat upright in the small, makeshift bed he had. Looking around the small room at the back of his mother's house, he noted that of the other two beds cramped into the tight quarters, only one was occupied.

_Odd,_ Senmar mused. _Kanu's here, but where's Pavlo?_ Although his older brother still was doing important translating jobs for the humans, he still tried to find time to visit and even sleep over with his family. The fact that he wasn't there now piqued Senmar's curiosity enough that he stood up a bit shakily and walked off to find his brother.

Moving out of the room and into the hall that connected it to the kitchen/dining room, Senmar noted the back door was open, and just beyond; a familiar profile stood watching the airfield to the south.

Walking up slowly, Senmar left the house and padded up to Pavlo, the cool air chilling his bare chest. "Pavlo?"

"Huh?" His brother replied with a small start. Then he smiled sheepishly for a brief second. "Hello, Senmar. Still not used to the noise, I see."

Senmar just grunted, and looked to the north, where he saw movement of lights and objects. "What's going on? Why are you out here? What are they doing?"

"You seem awfully curious for someone who just got up," Pavlo joked weakly.

"Maybe I don't like to be woken up without a good reason," Senmar grunted back. At that, Pavlo shook his head and sighed. "There was some more action to the east again. Things are… Not quite as well as our friends would have liked."

Senmar frowned. "Is Mikula okay?"

"He's fine," Pavlo replied as the first _Stormchaser_ reached the western end of the runway and began to pivot. "It's Alexis and Earl who I'm worried about."

Senmar frowned a bit, not understanding through the haze of interrupted sleep. "I don't understand how you would know. Haven't you been here all night?"

"No, I haven't," Pavlo replied sadly. "I couldn't get to sleep, so I snuck out after you and Kanu went to bed and went to the command center to find out how the action went."

The sudden booming noise of the F-56's engines roaring to full power interrupted then, and they both fell silent to watch as the delta-winged craft screamed down the runway, lifting sluggishly into the air as it was fully laden with external ordinance. With a reverberation that made the ground itself shake even at a distance, the 40-ton craft finally lurched higher and higher, eventually moving off to the east.

"You know…" Senmar began after the second fighter went through the same routine. "I may not have been the most polite in my words to your friends before, but I wish them well now."

"Thanks Senmar," Pavlo said and gave his brother a weak smile. Then the smile faded along with the noise from the Republic fighters. "I just hope and pray they'll be safe."

* * *

An hour later, Pachinski checked her fighter's status and HUD one last time before triggering her radio. "Beautiful sunrise, ain't it Skippy?" She called to her wingmate.

"You got that right, Toast," Hayes replied. "But that don't change the fact that we got us a job to do."

"I know that, jackass," Pachinski replied as she pulled her fighter up and over to bank to the left so she could descend towards the fields below. "I was just tryin' to be a bit philosophical for a moment."

"Whatever you say, boss," Hayes replied as he pitched his craft to follow. Then the radio fell silent as both pilots concentrated on performing their maneuvers. The two _Stormchaser_s flew downwards in a broad spiral that, when they were finally down to low level, gave them a westerly heading.

_Just right to shoot those Wobbies in the ass_, Pachinski thought as she toggled her radio to a new frequency. "This is Baker One to Oni One, please come in."

"Oni One here," Tanaka's voice came back over the radio. "Glad to hear your voice, Baker. Your over flight left us a bit jumpy."

Pachinski indulged in a quick chuckle before she keyed her mike again. "Well, no need to worry now. We're coming in from the east, and we could use an update on the sitrep."

"Uploading data now," Tanaka replied, and within a second, an LCD display in Pachinski's cockpit resolved from the standard load out manifest to a map of the local area, including the tags for friendly and hostile forces. The former were within a dark green field that indicated a forest, while the latter were in a relatively open area. _Perfect_.

"Thanks Oni One," Pachinski replied as she brought her fighter closer to the ground and boosted her speed. "We'll see if we can't give them a lead enema."

* * *

Adept III Gregory Jorgensen was angry. Angry at many things, at how the Clans had ripped his homeland asunder when he was a boy, at how he had to spend part of his life I refugee camps, at the general way in which life had treated him. But today, the hate was all about the 'infidels' that his unit now chased.

_Well, it's not 'My' unit_, he remembered. _I'm just in it._ Still, he was angry now at how the infidels had _again_ managed to escape the righteous justice of the Hand of Blake, this time by pouncing on Wintaka's Level II from out of nowhere, and then pulling away before the Level III of 'mechs could catch them resting on their laurels.

_And they took the dogs with them, as well_. The thought had made him pause his 65-ton _Catapult_ when the unit had passed by the now-empty village an hour ago, and only the pressing need to keep marching after the enemy had managed to keep him from taking out his anger on the empty buildings.

_Not that I care about those filthy wretches specifically,_ Jorgensen mused as he kept his bird-legged 'mech in the loose formation with the rest of the Blakest unit. _Just that they would have been a nice way to lure the heathens back to their deaths. That, and they look funny when you shoot them with a laser_.

The dark musings that went through the Adept's head ended abruptly as a threat warning erupted on his HUD and screeched through the cockpit. Barely had he time to register this when his 'mech bucked as two bombs slammed into the back and detonated, their concentrated power ripping off armor and unbalancing the 'mech.

Even as the bird-legged design fell, Jorgensen heard the screech of aerofighter engines and the booms of more bombs detonating nearby. It was another thing he found time to be angry at.

* * *

Pachinski pulled up and out to the right from her level bombing attack, and she pushed her throttle as far as she dared while still carrying half her bomb load. The holographic HUD showed laser bolts and streams of autocannon fire racing past her fighter, but she didn't pay them too much attention as she put distance between herself and the Blakests.

Behind her, Hayes' own _Stormchaser_ dropped half its bombs as well, striking a hapless _Charger_ before he, too, pulled out to follow his wingmate. His fighter approached and fell into formation with Pachinski's own after the latter had slowed down a bit. "I think we got their attention, Toast," he said over the radio. "I think we shoulda dive bombed 'em instead."

Pachinski grunted as she hauled her fighter up and to the left this time. "Thought they'd be stupid. I guess I was wrong for once," she replied in a clipped tone as she felt the gees as her fighter soared up and over the hilly forest beneath.

"Remind me to file a complaint with the management," Hayes replied as jovially as he could, given his own g-forces. "I still got half my load, Toast, what do ya want to do?"

Pachinski remained silent as she contemplated their next action and at the same time leveled off her fighter. Unconsciously, she had pulled the craft up several hundred meters, and this sparked an idea within her brain. "Skippy, you still feel like dive bombing?"

"What?" Her wingmate sounded incredulous. "They know we're here now, Rachael, it'd be suicide."

"Which is why they won't expect it."

* * *

Although it had been anything but easy, given the design's notorious lack of hands or lower arms, Adept Jorgensen had managed to carefully get his _Catapult_ standing again. _Blake's Blood! Those damned bastards can't do anything without their air support at their beck and call!_

"This is Precentor Harrison," the familiar voice of the Level III commander came in over the radio. "All units scatter. Designated AA 'mechs move to the outside, all others, make sure you're not within ninety meters of each other."

Jorgensen grunted and he set his older-model 'mech moving forward, away from his mates. _They're level bombing to catch more of us in one pass, so by spreading out, they can only attack one at a time_, he mentally reviewed as he checked the sky visually. _Of course, that reduces our ability to concentrate return fire, but their level flight path means they'll have to fly over more of us to attack._

He was just thinking this when, off to his left and front, explosions erupted around the largest 'mech in the Level III, a 100-ton _Vanquisher_. Four fiery blossoms of death erupted all over the design in rapid succession, and another four quickly followed them. Again, the screech of a fighter could be heard, but almost all of the Blakests' weapons were pointed the wrong way; outwards in anticipation of another level bombing attack. Instead, the two fighters had approached from straight above, and now they roared outwards, challenged by only a few laser shots.

_Not again!_ Jorgensen raged. _How do they keep avoiding judgment!_

_

* * *

_

Pachinski had again sent her fighter roaring along at treetop level, just barely avoiding the taller trees of the forest a she shot past the boundary with the plains. Again, her HUD showed Hayes' own _Stormchaser_ moving in to the traditional trailing position. "Damn, Toast. If I ever doubt you again, feel free to serve my cajónes up at the mess hall."

Pachinski grinned inside her helmet as she pulled the craft around for another pass, this time to make an attack run with her fighter's mounted weapons. "I'll remember, Skippy. Now, you gonna talk or you gonna fly?"

* * *

The day passed on and pressed upon as the small procession of natives and war machines finally halted near sunset. The former were exhausted, while the latter's pilots needed their own breaks. Most especially, the battle armor of the Republic needed to have their power supplies replaced or recharged.

Thus, Sierra squad from the Vanquishers had leapt ahead of the main body of the procession during the waning daylight in order to locate a relatively safe area for the eclectic group to settle, if only for a few hours.

Alexis sighed as she dropped to the ground next to a halted Abrams tank. Although she had been helping to guide the Kaytorians along throughout the day – especially during the repeated bombing attacks against the Blakests that had made the area noisy – she now felt like having a few moments away from their suspicious glances and open stares, preferring instead the company of the humans.

She didn't have long to wait until one of the tank crew clambered down the side of the 70-ton behemoth. "Well, Miss Hurano," the lanky man started. "To what do we have the pleasure of you gracing our tank?"

Alexis tilted her head up just enough to smile wanly at the man. "I just wanted to sit by myself for a few moments."

"Ah, say no more," the man replied and waved a hand. "I'm just goin' for a stretch. Watch out for Stienke – he's our driver- restarting in case we're attacked. I don't want him runnin' ya over."

"Thank you, I will," Alexis replied, and the man nodded to her and walked off, leaving the gatón alone again, _or alone as I can be sitting only a few dragnas from the nearest bunch of natives, or even Mobile Infantry, for that matter_. Still, she was content to sit back and close her eyes, even for a few minutes.

The noise of people yelling and movement snapped Alexis upright and her eyes flipped open. She felt a brief moment of panic when she couldn't see anything, then she realized that night had fallen and that her eyes were taking a moment to adjust. Confused, Alexis checked her wristwatch and was surprised and chagrined to see that she had slept for two and a half hours.

The tank behind her rumbled, and Alexis quickly stood up and moved to the side so that she would be free of the treads. Looking around, she saw natives being herded together and organized by van Horn, Acryu, and a couple of militiamen from the town. The latter were recognizable, for they insisted in carrying around their swords, at least. They were calling for people to get ready to move out, and Alexis wondered why. Then with a flush of embarrassment, she remembered her helmet radio, and she turned it on.

"-En 'mechs moving up the valley. I guess not all of them were heavies after all," an unfamiliar voice spoke over the background noise of a fighter engine on full thrust.

"Oni One copies that Badger Five," Tanaka's voice answered back. "Thanks for the heads up. Now git back to strafing their asses and we'll get a move on."

"Roger, wilco, Oni One. Badger Five out." With that, the background noise ceased over the channel.

"Okay, anyone listening in on the common freq, I'll reiterate. We got us ten lights and fast mediums rollin' up our trail at speed. We need to get the non-combatants out of here _now_.

"So this is how it's going to be," Alexis saw Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ striding with the other battlemechs of her lance towards the area where their trail led back down the hills. "Oni Lance will move and engage the Blakests at the mouth of this valley. All other forces will continue their escort of the refugees into the mountains."

"Captain, you sure that's wise?" Lieutenant Vickers called in. "Your lance isn't an even match against ten 'mechs. Even with Clan-tech, that's suicide."

"I appreciate the concern, Vanquisher One, but I don't plan on stayin' around once we engage. We're gonna hit and fade, and I'm willin' to bet that not all of those bastards have jump jets," Tanaka replied in a darkly amused tone. "The rest of y'all will just slow us down. Now git goin'!"

With that, Alexis saw the 'mechs of Oni Lance start their march towards the enemy, while the two lead Abrams began to roll off again to blaze the trail for the Kaytorians, who were even now lining up and beginning to move off after the first pair of tanks.

"Alexis!" The sudden shout from van Horn snapped the gatón out of her temporary freeze, and she rushed over to the human. _What the Hell is wrong with me?_ She asked herself briefly, but then her thoughts cleared as she reached her friend.

"Nice to see you've rejoined the land of the living," van Horn commented dryly to Alexis. She blushed a bit at the mild rebuke, but she nodded. "What do you need me for?"

Van Horn pointed towards the departing tanks with his free left hand. "Get up front, and stay there. We need you to be able to keep these people from panicking."

Alexis gave him a look. "How do I do that?"

Van Horn shrugged, his suit mimicking the gesture. "I dunno. Just be yourself."

Alexis rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, you're such a help," she commented sarcastically and then turned to run off after the tanks.

_Gods, I'm tired_, the gatón thought, and her mind came up with another common saying amongst the Republic infantrymen.

_I can rest when I'm dead_.

* * *

Tanaka resisted the urge to turn her 'mech's spotlight on as she pushed it down through the woods. _Last thing I need is to make myself more of a damn target at the moment_, she thought as her 70-ton _Guillotine IIC_ crashed through underbrush and bowled aside smaller trees. Checking her HUD, she saw that the other three 'mechs of Oni Lance had spread out in a skirmish line without being told, and she felt a brief swell of pride. 

Then the sensors showed the first, intermittent contacts with 'mechs moving northwest and up the valley floor, and Tanaka frowned a bit. _Damn, they're faster then those Airedales thought!_ "Oni Lance, it looks like we got company. Hit and fade, and try to keep a range advantage."

A chorus of replies echoed over the channel, and Tanaka slowly brought her 'mech to a halt in the middle of the path cut by the moving procession of tanks and native. Carefully, she sited her weapons at the edge of a bend in the path. "All right you zealous motherfuckers," she breathed, "come and get it."

As if responding to her challenge, the sensor signal of a 40-ton _Cicada_ appeared through the trees, and then moved around the bend. The enemy MechWarrior apparently hadn't checked his own sensors, and he brought his charging 'mech to a sudden stop as he caught sight of Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_.

_Bad move, cocksucker_, Tanaka thought savagely as she jerked her firing controls. A stream of charged particles from her ER PPC ripped the air asunder with light and thunder, and its azure fire ripped into the starboard side of the enemy 'mech. Then Tanaka's Large Pulse Lasers lanced out to rip tons of armor from the _Cicada_'s left leg and chest.

The 40-ton 'mech writhed as it took a beating that, as a fast scout unit, it was never intended to receive. The particle stream ate through the armor and structure of the 'mech's right chest like a vibroblade slices flesh, ripping into and through the right side of the _Cicada_ until it was only a bare skeleton holding up the vestigial right arm. Meanwhile, the pulse laser blasts easily melted or vaporized the armor over the left breast and leg, one stuttering pulse turning the lower leg actuator into a solid lump, while the other ripped apart structural braces within the enemy 'mech's chest.

The Blakest MechWarrior, though, managed to return fire, and he opened up with his Ultra autocannon, sending a seemingly unending stream of shells to rip armor off of the right and center torso of Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_. He fired his medium lasers, as well, apparently in fright or panic, as they were well beyond their accurate range.

Despite the sweat pouring off of her body in rivulets, Tanaka grinned savagely as the weapons exchange had gone exceedingly in her favor. But then she saw more blips representing enemy 'mechs coming from the south, and the grin died.

Apparently, the Blakest pilot saw them too, and he pushed his battered 'mech forward, apparently encouraged by their impending arrival. Tanaka frowned at the action, and she just shook her head. _Foolish boy_, she thought as she concentrated solely on targeting her weapons. She took just long enough for the Blakest to get off the first shot, though this time, his aim suffered, and despite the long-winded blast from his autocannon, only about half the stream hit Tanaka's 'mech, ripping armor off of its right leg.

"That's your last shot," Tanaka spoke to no one in particular as she fired her particle cannon again. The roaring blue stream again hit, this time tearing into the _Cicada_'s center torso, eating away all of the armor and then chipping away at the internal structure. A brief shudder in the enemy 'mech told of a damaged gyro housing, and Tanaka smirked as she fired a large pulse laser, sending the pulsing coherent light into the damaged left side of the 40-ton 'mech, ripping into and through the ultra autocannon, turning the sophisticated weapon into slag.

The side hit did even more, as the laser ate away the last structural supports, and the left side of the _Cicada_ collapsed into itself, crushing the engine shielding to the XL engine. Then the plasma from the engine was released, and it blew the collapsed side back out again as molten metal and composites.

Even as the now lifeless 'mech collapsed to the ground, Tanaka turned her _Guillotine IIC_ on its heel and began a run up the path. "All Onis, break contact, Charlie Sierra Delta, move ten by six Romeo Echo," the captain called as her 'mech rapidly passed eighty kilometers per hour.

"Oni Two copies, breaking contact," Stein called in first, though Tanaka heard the whine of a discharging Gauss Rifle over the radio. "Scratch one _Jenner_."

"Oni Four moving off. Got me a piece of a _Phoenix Hawk_, movin' up in the world." Carmike added in with lightness in his voice that bespoke his pleasure to fall back.

"Three here, cap'n" Myers called next. "I'm tryin' to break contact, but I got two bastards on my tail." The blaring alarms warning of weapons hits backed Myers' voice. "They're too fast for me to disengage."

Tanaka only thought for a split second before she yanked her controls and sent her 70-ton ride angling to the right, where Oni Three's beacon placed her. "Oni Two, Oni Four, continue moving up to site bravo. Me an' Two will join you post-haste."

"Roger that, skipper," Stein spoke first, and he was soon echoed by Carmike.

Tanaka didn't bother to respond as she pushed through the forest, bashing aside smaller trees with her 'mech's arms, and dodging around larger ones with a grace that belied the _Guillotine_'s mass and bulk. The range counter next to Oni Three's icon dropped at a rate that made Tanaka wonder if she'd ever get there. Finally, though, after a few moments, she saw new icons pop up on her HUD, displaying the two enemy 'mechs that were harassing Myers. The closest one was a newer _Red Shift_, a Blakest-exclusive design, while the other was a Liao-made _Snake_.

_No wonder she can't disengage_, Tanaka thought as she angled to hit the _Red Shift_ first. _The smaller one's too fast, and the other has better jump capability_. This thought seemed to trigger a niggling sensation in the back of her head, but Tanaka mentally shook it off as she finally broke through a copse of trees and managed to get a direct line of sight to the _Red Shift_.

Tanaka barely thought as she spitted the hapless 20-tonner onto her sights and fired. The large pulse lasers in the _Guillotine_'s right arm reached out with their destructive power, though only one managed to impact the rear armor, the other impacting and exploding a tree. The laser that did hit, though, ripped into and through the left arm, blasting the small limb into scrap and slag before sending a bit more of its energy to rip into the rear left shoulder.

Barely had the pilot of the _Red Shift_ begun to correct his now unstable 'mech before Tanaka added to his misery, firing her ER Medium Lasers and SRM rack. The SRMs, unfortunately, flew off to cut down some more trees, but the two medium lasers ripped into the rear armor on the Blakest scout 'mech, one sending megajoules of energy into the left torso and eating it away, while the other slammed into the center torso. The thin rear armor couldn't take the punishment, and both lasers turned the extra light, and extra large fusion engine shielding into slag metal, allowing the plasma to escape and send golden streamers of tortured flame out of the _Red Shift_'s sides and into the night.

Even as the Blakest 'mech fell, Tanaka saw Myers send a hail of shells and lasers to slam into the already-battered _Snake_, the autocannon shells ripping into the only pristine armor on the 'mech over its right breast. One of the pulse medium lasers missed, but the other melted armor off of the left leg, furthering damage done to the limb from an earlier exchange.

None of this, however, could stop the _Snake_, and it unleashed a hailstorm of cluster munitions from its LBX-series autocannon. The spray of metal sandblasted armor off of several locations on Myers' 'mech, which was only added to as four streak-guided SRMs slammed into the _Corvus_'s arms and left side.

Tanaka flipped on her external speakers and whistled to the Blakest _Snake_. "Yoo-hoo," she said lightly in a little girl voice. The sudden, strange sound made the Blakest MechWarrior jerk his 'mech around, and he paused as he saw the _Guillotine IIC_.

"Surprise, fucker!" Tanaka screamed at him as she fired all of her short-ranged weaponry again. The medium lasers sliced into the chest and left arm each, in both cases ripping past the paper-thin covering to melt chinks of internal structure and equipment. The laser hitting the left arm turned the hand actuator into molten slag, while the one that hit the chest ate straight through and into the recesses of the 'mech, though to Tanaka's brief disappointment, it didn't strike anything useful.

This was made up a bit, however, when Tanaka fired her SRMs, sending six missiles downrange, and in a fit of good luck, all six managed to lock on and hit. A cluster of explosions rippled over the _Snake_, chiseling armor from its head, right torso, and leg. But the worse damage was the two that slammed into the central torso, burrowing past structural members to detonate deep within.

The tiny explosions, it seemed, didn't stop, but grew larger and larger, as if the SRMs had simply planted a seed of fire within the _Snake_'s chest. Then Tanaka realized that the fusion engine had been hit, and in the blink of an eye, the upper half of the 45-ton 'mech plumped out a bit like a balloon being inflated, and then promptly disappeared as the colorlessly-bright plasma evaporated the enemy 'mech from the waist up.

The shockwave sent trees falling in multiple directions, but both Republic 'mechs were safe. Tanaka blinked her eyes a few times to get the after image to fade a bit before she triggered her radio. "Oni Three, hope I'm not intruding?"

"Not at all, cap," Myers sounded relieved. "Damn good shot."

"Thanks, but save the butt-kissing for the post-action report," Tanaka replied wryly as she turned her 'mech towards their fallback position. "We need to move before the rest of them catch up."

"Uhm, Captain?" Myers sounded almost small. "What others?"

Tanaka blinked and was about to answer when she saw that, indeed, her HUD was clear of even long-ranged traces of enemy 'mechs. "Those aerojocks said there were ten of them-" She cut herself off as a thought hit her. "Oh, clusterfuck!"

* * *

Alexis felt as if her legs were made of lead, and the pack on her back and the weapon in her arms felt like incalculable burdens. Still, she pressed on, pushing forward, trying to stay ahead of the crowd behind her without looking like she was running in panic.

_That would be terrible_, she knew. _Everyone would trample over everyone, people would head in all directions, but no one would really get anywhere_. Alexis didn't have to have been told about such things from her human friends, for she had clear enough memories of the Blakest attack on Kuamket.

Her dark musings were suddenly interrupted as her helmet radio, still tuned to the general frequency, suddenly blared out. "This is Oni Two to Checker One! You gotta get hunkered down now!"

"What the Hell?" Alexis heard Peterson ask even as the tanks ahead and behind the procession of lupar rolled to a stop, causing the natives themselves to halt in surprise. _Surprise because they can hear the noise of battle just as much as anyone_, Alexis thought.

Then, again, the radio muted her conscious thoughts. "Checker, Vanquisher, and Red Dog forces. Four enemy 'mechs have bypassed our location, and they are chasing up the path as we speak! You gotta hide those civvies!"

"Fuck," Alexis heard the curse, and though she knew not who uttered it, she couldn't help but echo it in her mind. _Damn!_ She thought as she spun around to face the locals. _What to do, what to do?_ Her mind raced as she tried to think of some way to help. Then, while looking around, she noticed a ridge was only a hundred meters away. It was rocky enough that only a few sparse trees had claimed it, and there were cleared paths down the side where rock falls had brushed aside the few trees that did grow along the side of the ridge.

She keyed reached up with her left hand and keyed her radio. "This is Oscar One, there's a ridge to the left of our travel path, about one hundred meters or so away," she said, knowing that her human friends could make better use of the information with their training.

"Good eyes, Oscar One," Lieutenant Vickers's voice rolled over the frequency. "Peterson! Can you guys go hull-down up there?"

"Gimme a sec," Peterson's voice sounded almost distant, and then Alexis saw why as the hatch on the tank right in front of the first rank of natives opened up. Alexis recognized Peterson, despite his tanker's uniform of a helmet and thick coveralls. He looked for a second before finding the ridge. "Yeah…" He spoke almost unconsciously, his voice carried into the radio net by his helmet microphone. "It looks just about right. Yeah, we can."

"Good, here's the plan," Vickers began to speak fast as Peterson started clambering back into his Abrams. "Checker One, take your boys and hull-down up there. Red Dog, send your squad of rangers up there to cover 'em while your primes stay with the Vanquishers while we form a skirmish line below the ridge. Oscar One, you still there?"

"Yes sir," Alexis replied quickly.

"Good. You get them natives up there and behind Checker Lance. If things look bad, don't wait for an order, just get them to bug the hell out of here and don't come back."

Alexis gulped nervously at the implied actions. "Yes sir. Understood sir."

"Thattagirl," Vickers spoke even quicker now, and off to the south, the armored troops began to jump around as they formed up for battle. "Let the tankers go up first and carve y'all a path, that way they won't squish anyone. After that, you're on your own.

"Now, everyone get goin'!" This final command snapped Alexis back to the area around her, and she saw several lupar looking around nervously, especially at her and the jumping infantrymen. She quickly turned off her radio, cleared her throat, and spoke. "Attention everyone!" She yelled in Lupari, and the natives turned their heads to look at her. "Everyone stay still for a moment while the tanks begin to move off, then we follow them," she paused and turned to point upwards. "Up to that ridge. We'll take shelter behind it.

"Does everyone understand?" Alexis paused to see people nod silently, and she found herself reflecting the gesture. "Good! Now, wait for my word, then we go!"

* * *

Van Horn landed from a short jump and then sprinted forward of the forming skirmish line, moving out with the other scout armored troopers to provide advanced warning of the enemy. Moving as carefully as he could, the anthropologist-soldier sliced through the underbrush until he was about one hundred eighty meters out in front of the rest of the armored troopers. From the icons in his HUD, van Horn could see that he was the far-right anchor for the seven scout suited troopers, and he quickly looked for an appropriate hiding spot.

He found one easily enough when he noticed that two tees had grown closely together, and sprouting from their trunks were some sort of fern-like plant that apparently was some sort of climbing vine. Moving between the trees, van Horn found the leaves of the climbing plant excellent cover, and he kneeled down between the two tree trunks.

_This is _not _what I had in mind when I wanted to come help these people_, van Horn thought wryly as he checked the action on his heavy gyrojet gun. _"The best laid plans of mice and men," buddy,_ another voice in his head chimed in._ You can't expect the Wobbies to just lie down and die, did you?_

_Yes, damnit!_ Van Horn grunted as he switched his active probe suit on. _Goddamned fuckers should just accept their fate and die_.

_Since when did humans willfully accept such a fate?_ The voice asked sneeringly.

_Since when were the Wobbies human?_ Van Horn asked back as he primed his weapon.

_Touché_.

It was then that he saw the first telltale traces of a signature on his sensors. Van Horn felt a chill go up his spine as he read the range. _Damn, so close! Bloody trees_… He reluctantly turned off his active sensors then, deciding to wait for the enemy to approach before broadcasting his position to them.

_Still, gotta broadcast to my friends_. With that though, van Horn clicked his radio on and spoke softly, as if just a lower voice over the radio would lessen the chance that it would be detected. "This is Sierra Eight, I have intermittent contacts approximately two seven zero clicks south of my position. Going quiet."

"This is Sierra Seven," Private Stuger called in from her position to the left of van Horn. "I concur in readings and action."

"Good job, Eight, Seven," Corporal Connors replied over the squad frequency. "I'll appraise the Boss. Hold tight and wait for orders."

Van Horn and Stuger acknowledged the brief orders, and then the frequency went silent. _Well, 'cept for the sound of six people breathing at once_, van Horn thought. The soft chorus was strangely soothing, and if it hadn't been for the adrenalin pumping through his system, van Horn would have found it almost sleep-inducing.

Then the passive sensors in his helmet began to pick up active scans, and van Horn shook off the brief tangential thoughts. Checking the probe suite's computer database, the suit's main computer projected the ID tags for a _Nexus_ and a _Venom_. Both designs were equipped with speed, jump jets, and enough lasers to slice apart a whole squad of battle armor in seconds, and van Horn gulped a bit in nervousness. _Damnit Earl!_ He fairly yelled to himself. _Get a grip. You've faced this crap before, you can do it again!_

It was then, watching the two Blakest 'mechs march forward, that van Horn heard his radio locate and tie in a broad-spectrum transmission. "This is Adept Four Janus Torvald calling the infidels. You are outgunned and, despite my better judgment, my conscience dictates that I give you a chance to surrender."

Van horn felt his blood boil then, and he almost broke discipline in order to tell the Blakest off. _Wait a minute, asshole!_ The small voice inside his head railed. _That's just what the fuckers want from you!_

Several seconds passed by, and van Horn was about to sigh in relief as he heard no one else even utter a word before a familiar voice rolled in. "You lying hypocritical godless heathen monkey-fucking whore-mongering spawn of an _Amaris_!" Vickers' voice rang over the frequency. "You want us? Come and get us!"

Van Horn frowned for a bit, wondering if Vickers had cracked under the strain. Then he saw that Vickers' transmission hadn't been coming from his location – provided by low-power radios that operated below most 'mechs' detection thresholds – but rather, from the ridgeline where the tanks of Checker Lance had set up. The good doctor was briefly puzzled, until he saw the two Blakest 'mechs turn towards the ridge and begin a fast climb up.

Van Horn smiled broadly within his helmet. _Brilliant! Vickers routed his taunt through Peterson's tanks! The Blakests will walk into an ambush that they created for themselves!_ The irony was almost tangible, and van Horn tensed up as he saw the _Nexus_ walk right past his position.

The Blakest 'mechs had gone about thirty meters past his position when Lieutenant Vickers' voice again came over the radio, though his HUD told van Horn that it was via the squad channel. "Sierra squad, illuminate them and get their attention, make a show, and then we'll double whammy 'em from behind."

Van Horn didn't bother to respond – no one in the squad did. Instead, he and the others rose almost as one and flipped their active probes onto full power mode. Within seconds, van Horn quickly saw that the _Venom_ was factory-standard, while the _Nexus_ was the newer NXS1-B model. _Both dangerous_, he thought as he crouched to jump. _But the _Venom_ is the worse of the pair_. He noted that the other two 'mechs of the Blakest force had shown up now, as well, but he ignored them as he hit his jets and angled for the _Venom_.

The sudden sensor contacts and movement behind them made the various Blakest 'mechs pause for a second. Then they quickly turned around to face the new threat. Van Horn decided to not hesitate, and he fired his gyrojet gun at the apex of his jump, sending a miniature rocket to race for the 35-ton enemy 'mech.

The small flash of the rocket's detonation on the _Venom_'s chest was joined by the actinic flash of a gauss slug impacting the canopy, and then by a laser rifle blast that managed to carve a superficial scar over the left breast. Van Horn realized then that the two closer troopers in Sierra squad had joined in, and he felt a brief surge of camaraderie.

Then the _Venom_ turned fully, and two of its searing pulse lasers ripped into the night. Neither shot landed, though one came close enough that van Horn cut his jets and dropped to the ground rather abruptly. Groaning with the strain, he cut sideways at a run this time, firing another shot that raced for the enemy 'mech, missing this time, but getting the pilot's attention.

Just before the Blakest MechWarrior could get a bead on van Horn, however, the 'mech shuddered as missiles impacted its rear, the fiery orange blossoms backlighting the 'mech enough that Stuger could lay another gauss slug into the canopy, further shaking up the enemy MechWarrior enough that his laser blasts again missed anything of importance.

It was then that the enemy hesitated, trying to figure out which was the greater threat, the missiles to his rear, or the shots hitting just inches from his face? In that moment of hesitation, van Horn continued to dart further to his right, hoping to form up with the rest of Sierra squad.

Then, much to van Horn's surprise, the _Venom_ turned and leapt into the air as the pilot triggered his jump jets. The bright flash of superheated air coming from the back of the 35-ton 'mech was enough to make van Horn wince a bit, despite his helmet's protective optics.

"Sierra squad, fall back now!" Connors called over the squad frequency, and van Horn checked his HUD for a split second to consult the projected beacons before he turned and jumped after the Blakest 'mech. Although his jump ability was only half of that of the _Venom_'s, van Horn was more concerned with joining up with his squad than chasing the enemy 'mech. _For now_.

* * *

If she had felt tired before, Alexis truly felt like crawling under a rock and dying now. The push up the ridge had drained her small body's reserves, and from the looks of the lupar making their way past her position, they were just as tired as she.

_It cannot be helped_, Alexis thought as she stood on a rock near the crest of the ridge, urging people forward with her left hand. Behind her, she heard the rumbling engines of Checker Lance's Abrams tanks, and she knew that behind them, at least, was temporary safety. Yet she fought her instinct to run and hide, instead trying to show herself as unafraid in a hope that it would rub off on the lupar from Kaytor.

_At least, I hope that's what it's doing_, Alexis wondered, though she did see many of the Kaytorians straighten a bit and move faster as they passed her. _Bah, it's probably because they don't want to be seen as inferior to a gatón_, she mused. _Even if that's it, I'll take it; anything to get them to safety quickly_.

It was then that she heard movement behind her, and Alexis turned warily to see Acryu half sliding down the steep ridge face from where he had been directing people to sit on the other side of the crest. He came to a stop on the same large rock Alexis stood on and he took the few steps to her side. "Everything seems to be going well," he said quietly.

Alexis just nodded and turned to face the Kaytorian lupar who were still climbing up the ridge along the path. Although the path they took wasn't extremely steep – the Abrams tanks had, of course, taken a roundabout path so they could climb the ridge – but it was long, and the natives were all exhausted from their exodus from their town, created it. The only thing that had kept them going earlier in the day was the sounds of Republic aerospace fighters laying into the enemy behind them, and every time it happened, it had seemed to get closer and closer.

_This has got to stop_, Alexis realized. _Nobody can keep pushing themselves like this, not even humans. We need to stop these marauding 'mechs or else no one is getting away from here_. The dire thoughts made Alexis lower her ears in a mix of anger and fear, and her tail twitched about.

A spoken phrase from Acryu dragged Alexis back to the present, and she shook her head a bit to clear it. "I'm sorry, but I didn't get what you just said."

Acryu sighed then. "I said that maybe you should sit down and rest," he replied quietly. "You look worse than anyone from my town."

Alexis shook her head again, this time in slow reply. "No. I can't rest, not until everyone is safe."

Acryu grunted a bit and he looked down on the people coming up the ridge. "Well then, you should be glad that almost everyone is-" The sudden noise of battle made him pause, and both he and Alexis turned to the southeast to see flashes of light in the forest.

"Oh shit," Alexis breathed. Then she turned and hopped off the rock, calling to the lupar still making their way up the ridgeline. "Everyone, move it now! We're out of time!" She pushed her rifle around, letting the strap keep it from flying off as it came to a rest on her back. This freed her arms, which let her wave at the lupar even more hurriedly. "Come on!"

The noise of battle and Alexis' calls had the desired effect, and soon the lupar were almost running up the ridge, passing the tired gatón as she came to a slow stop along the recently created trail. Alexis bent over a bit and rested her hands on her knees, feeling the drain that the brief exertion had taken from her. _Damn, I need some rest! Just a little bit!_ Her mind raged.

"Are you okay?" Again, Acryu had come up beside her, and Alexis turned her head to see him standing a few feet away. She slowly nodded her head. "I'm just smaller, so I'm a bit more tired," she said and weakly smiled. Then she made herself upright again and she turned towards the sounds of battle. "We don't have much time."

As if to emphasize this, the loud rushing of battlemech-scale jump jets could be heard, and the bright flares coming from the four enemy 'mechs could be seen leaping over the trees and coming closer towards the ridgeline.

At this, the lupar did finally break into a run. Unfortunately, it was panicked at the sight of the enemy coming closer, and the orderly line became a roiling crowd that pushed forward, heedless of anything in the way.

Alexis was slammed by several lupar as they rushed up the ridge, and she was knocked aside. She fell, hitting the sloped ground and rolled down several meters before finally coming to a stop. Though to her misfortune, the stop was made possible by her slamming into the trunk of a sapling.

The pain in her side made Alexis moan, but she quickly stood up and looked back the way she had come, worried about any rockslides she might have triggered. Fortunately, the ground was stable, and she began to clamber her way back up. _Stay calm, Alexis_, she told herself as she heard the sounds of battle coming closer. _Rushing will only delay you._

Acryu was waiting for her when she regained the trail. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Alexis replied a she once again gained stable purchase and looked around, seeing no one. "They all made it up?"

"I think so," Acryu said hurriedly. Then a laser flashed overhead, and he and Alexis ducked. "I think, perhaps, we should run for our lives."

"Don't think, do it!" Alexis yelled and shoved him. Acryu needed no further encouragement, and he turned and ran up the ridge. Alexis hurried after him, though the pain in her side peaked each time her left foot came down, and she slowed a bit. Although she cursed her aching side, the gatón kept pushing herself forward. _Just a little further_, she told herself.

Then Alexis heard a noise off to the side of the path. It was a small noise, but it held something that made her stop. Then, just above the noise of another missile volley being launched, she heard it again off to the right side of the path. _It sounds like someone in pain_, she thought, and she looked in the noise's direction.

Here the trail had passed along a finger of the main ridge, using the top of the small formation to gain access to the larger one, and off to either side of the trail the ground sloped down. Down where the noise was coming from was a small stand of several trees, and Alexis saw small, odd shapes at the bottom there.

Cursing, Alexis took only a second to consider her path before she started down the slope, half-sliding the whole way. She soon reached the stand of trees and the small shapes resolved into the forms of two lupar, one of who was unconscious.

The other was half lying down on the ground, reaching over to check on the status of the other. Then the lupar turned its head and Alexis aw that it was, in fact, a young woman. "Please help us," she half-begged. "We were pushed, we fell," her words came out clipped and strained, which Alexis figured came from the situation.

Grunting, Alexis moved over and kneeled next to the prone man on the ground. Gently pushing aside the female lupar's hands, Alexis then checked his vitals and felt along his neck carefully. _No broken neck, good… Still breathing, heart rate is a bit high._ She leaned over and laid an ear on the man's chest, and she listened to his heart for a moment. _Strong beat_. She sat up then and looked at the woman. "He's fine. Knocked out for a bit, though," she said and stood to move over to the other lupar. "Are you hurt?"

The woman looked down at her legs, and Alexis followed her gaze to see that both of the lupar's legs were swollen around the ankles. Next to them was a fairly hefty rock that showed signs of recently being moved, and Alexis realized that it must have fallen down after the pair at her feet and slammed into the woman's legs. "I don't think I can walk," the female lupar said in a small voice tinged with pain.

Alexis stood still at that as the situation hit her fully. _I'm alone, and I've got two hurt people to get to safety… And I can't even carry one by myself!_ She reached up to rub her head then, and her hand slapped against her helmet.

Blinking a bit, Alexis suddenly realized that she had a radio. _I must be _very _tired_, she excused herself mentally as she triggered the radio and flipped the selector on it for one of the battle-armored platoons' frequencies.

All of a sudden, voices rang through her head. "The _Venom_ is moving-" "Johnston's hit! I need someone to make pickup-" "Hit the fucker now!" The cacophony of voices was over the general frequency that the unit was using, and Alexis felt a ball of ice form in her stomach as she listened. _How can I possibly make myself heard?_

Just then, she heard another rush of jump jets, and Alexis looked up to see a large 'mech alight on the trail that the gatón had been on not a few minutes before. Gaping up at it, she felt a twinge of fear as she recognized the design from the books she had studied. Then she saw the 'mech turn to walk up the trail, and her training kicked in.

"Left flank! _Hellspawn_ on the ridge on the left flank!" She called over the radio in English, yelling as loud as she could. The voices on the channel died a bit for a second to comprehend the new voice. Then "Checker One copies! Engaging!"

It was then that the flash of a gauss round slammed into the chest of the 'mech, the sound of its hypersonic passage and its impact reaching Alexis a split-second behind the image. The large 'mech shuddered and took a step back to balance itself, which let it take a second gauss slug to its left arm and remain standing.

Even as he fought gravity, the enemy MechWarrior returned fire, firing his two LRM racks and sending a score of the missiles downrange, the orange exhausts from the missiles lighting up the area around the small sub-ridge for a second. Alexis blinked against the brief glare, and she heard the explosions coming from the area of Checker Lance.

_I hope everyone got behind the rocks like we told them to_, Alexis thought, naturally worrying about shrapnel. Then she worried more about her life as she saw the _Hellspawn_ hit its jets again, this time angling to its right and down the same slope that Alexis and the two hurt lupar were sitting on. The woman behind her whimpered again, and Alexis crouched down and brought her rifle up.

_Not like it will be any real help_, the gatón nervously thought as the medium 'mech landed only fifteen meters away. The hot backwash from the jets washed over the three natives, and Alexis felt her hair and fur ruffle up even as the vibrations from 45-tons of metal landing to the ground sent s shiver up her spine. _Please don't see us, please don't see us_.

Her silent prayers were not to be heard, it seemed, for the _Hellspawn_ turned and aimed its right arm at the trio of natives. Alexis felt her stomach flip over repeatedly as she saw the barrel of the arm's medium pulse laser swing in line with her position. _No!_ She turned and grabbed the shoulder of the female lupar, who was staring in frozen fear at the war machine. "Go! Get out of here!"

The she-wolf turned and gave Alexis a stricken look. "I can't walk!"

"Then crawl!" Alexis said and she shoved the lupar a bit before interposing herself between the unconscious man on the ground and the _Hellspawn_'s laser barrel. _Not like my body will stop anything_, she knew, but Alexis felt she had to do it anyway.

Her movement did not go unnoticed by the Blakest MechWarrior. "Well well well, what's this? A kitty with a rifle?" He spoke over his external speakers.

Alexis brought her rifle up and aimed it at the canopy of the 'mech, her fear fading from her mind as the Wobbie's arrogance piqued her anger. "Why don't you come out and see for yourself up close and personal!" She almost screamed at the 'mech.

"Well, it looks like I own Fritz a steak," the voice sneered out. "Those fools _are_ using your kind. Pity for you, though." With that, Alexis saw the arm twitch a bit more into line with her position, and she tensed.

Then from off to the right, a brilliant cerulean beam screamed in, slamming into the head of the _Hellspawn_. In a period longer than a split second, but too short to count, Alexis saw the searing particle stream cut into and through the 'mech's head as if it wasn't there, and when the light faded, it wasn't just an illusion; the head was missing entirely.

Without the controls from the cockpit, the 45-ton 'mech fell forward and slammed into the ground with a great noise. Alexis tried to blink her eyes clear, and she turned to the right to see a dark shape running down another finger of the main ridge three hundred meters away. Then, as she watched, two more crested the same finger and a fourth hurled through the air towards Checker Lance's position. She didn't fear, however, because the next thing she heard over her radio set was heartening and familiar.

"Yeeeeeeeee-Haaaaaaawwwww!"

* * *

Van Horn jumped again, landing closer up the ridge's slope, and he fired the last round in his gun's second clip, sending the miniature rocket to impact no the back of the _Nexus_. The Blakest 'mech, like its fellows, again ignored the infantry firing at it and instead jumped up slope even further, heading for the tanks and the civilians behind them.

The infantry skirmish line had taken its toll, and one of the _Nexus_' arms hung limply at its side, more memory than metal, and the other two 'mechs within view – the _Venom_ and a fearsome 55-ton _Wraith_ – also had pockmarks from laser and missile impacts.

_It's not enough though_, van Horn thought as he jumped through mid-air again, splitting his attention between his jump and changing the clip in his heavy gyrojet gun. The latter he completed just in time to avoid slamming into a nasty rock outcropping, and instead he juiced his jets a bit more until he could land on top of it.

Off to his right, van Horn saw the last salvo of missiles streak up from the ragged line of Mobile Infantry to tear into the backs of the _Venom_ and _Wraith_, wreathing both in explosions that tore more armor off their backs. However, the Blakest MechWarriors, displaying their characteristic determination, made their last jump to reach the top of the ridge, where, van Horn knew, they could engage the tanks where the Abrams' gauss rifles would be nearly impossible to aim quickly.

Before this could happen, however, van horn heard a yell come over the common frequency. "Yeeeeee-haaaaawww!" Pausing in a brief bout of confusion, van Horn was in the perfect spot to see the azure beams of particle cannons reach up and tear into the battered Blakest 'mechs.

The _Venom_ took two in the chest, both eating through already weakened armor that now gave way to the awesome force assaulting it. The entire chest of the 'mech seemed to cave in for a moment before the _Venom_'s engine blew, tearing the 35-ton 'mech in half and sending debris to crash to the ground.

The _Wraith_ didn't fare much better, as a rather large and impressive-looking 'mech jumped to land almost next to it and immediately let loose with a hail of energy from paired particle cannons, lasers, and missiles that decimated the Blakest 'mech. Then coming up from behind the ridge, two large streams of LRMs plowed into the 55-ton 'mech, wreathing it in a cloud of explosions.

The tortured 'mech couldn't take much more, and the final straw was a gauss slug from one of the Abrams tanks that tore through the weakened chest armor and ripped into the gyro housing of the enemy 'mech. With a shudder, the _Wraith_ collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut, falling backwards to slide down the ridge's slope a bit.

The only Blakest 'mech untouched by the incoming fire was the _Nexus_, which was still partially covered by the ridge's crest. A pair of particle cannon shots lanced up at it, but they both went high, saving the light 'mech from immediate death. The MechWarrior inside decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and he turned his 'mech on a dime and hit his jump jets. Flying through the air, the _Nexus_ landed with a thud further down the ridge.

Unfortunately for the Wobbie, he had forgotten about the Mobile Infantry. The Vanquishers and the contingent from the 3rd platoon ripped into the thinly armored 'mech with a vengeance, and lasers and bullets and gyrojet rounds poured at the hapless 'mech, seeking out patched of ruined armor to exploit.

Van Horn added to this misery, and he sent a rocket that flew straight into the 'mech's canopy, detonating and sending the pilot inside into a fearful jerk. This was a poor choice for the MechWarrior, however, as the jerk translated into his neurohelmet and his 'mech tried to mimic the move. Instead, however, the 25-ton 'mech simply fell backwards and slammed into the ground.

Taking advantage of this, van Horn and the other infantry leapt into the air, and in seconds, they descended on the last Blakest 'mech in a frenzy of armor ripping and equipment bashing. When it was over, the anthropologist-soldier was standing amidst a pile of scrap along with twenty other armored troopers, each apparently pausing in confusion at the sudden end to the battle.

Naturally, Vickers would have none of this. "Everyone stop sitting on your ass and spread out!" The lieutenant hollered. "Whiskey Lance is covering us, so post battle cleanup, now!"


	41. Chapter 41

Alexis sat tiredly on one of the rocks at the summit of the ridge; her head hanging down so all that she could see was the tenuous soil and grass at her feet. She wasn't so much embarrassed or anything, but simply exhausted from the day's events, and from the recent brush with death she had had. _Gods, I just want to lay down and sleep_, she thought with a weak sigh.

Around her, she heard the sounds of the Republic taking care of what post battle duties that needed attending to. Casualties – thankfully light, but one trooper was dead and another couldn't fight anymore – were taken care of, prisoners – none, the Blakests were committing suicide again – needed to be rounded up, and ammo and power packs for the battle armor needed replacing.

Thus, it was no surprise when she heard someone walking up, though it was a bit of a surprise when a hand lay on her shoulder gently. Looking up, Alexis blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Mikula?"

Mikula smiled as he let go of Alexis and sat down next to her. "Yes. I hope I'm not intruding?" He asked in English.

Alexis shook her head, and she smiled as broadly as she could, given the situation. "Never," she said and then reached out and wrapped her arms around her love. Mikula gently returned the embrace and they sat there for a moment. "I'm so glad you're here," Alexis said softly.

"As am I," Mikula returned. "Especially since I see you're back to bad habits again."

Alexis drew back from Mikula and gave him a look. "What are you talking about?"

Mikula grinned at her. "You were standing in front of a big gun again."

Alexis opened her mouth and then closed it. Then she grinned sheepishly and lightly smacked Mikula's arm. "You tease!"

Mikula's grin only widened a bit. "Perhaps. Or maybe I'm just too happy at seeing you again."

Alexis shook her head and sighed at that. "As am I," she said, and she turned a bit to lean on Mikula, who shifted his torso a bit so he could lay an arm around her shoulders. "Although I must admit to being selfish in that I hope you can help with the people we're evacuating."

Mikula grumbled slightly at that, and Alexis could feel the vibrations in his chest. "I've met a few of the officious types. They were trying to raise a ruckus with Tanaka and Williams. I had to politely tell them to fuck off."

Alexis giggled a bit at the phrase. "I'm sure you didn't really say that."

"No, but I wanted to," Mikula admitted. Then he rubbed his hand along Alexis' arm. "But I heard from Captain Tanaka that you did give them quite a talking to."

Alexis blushed a bit, though her right ear was blocked by Mikula's chest. "They needed to be reminded of a few things," she said, and then yawned. "Excuse me."

"No excuses needed," Mikula quipped easily. "For either subject. From what I've heard, you've also made some friends." He paused to chuckle lightly. "Hell, a few of their militia seemed ready to beat the loudmouth one senseless for talking bad about you."

Alexis shifted nervously at that. "There's actually a story there…" She started, and then yawned again.

"Perhaps another time," Mikula suggested. "Right now, I think it's best if you just conserve your strength."

Alexis just murred and shifted in his arms. _So nice just to be near him_…

* * *

Van Horn hustled over to where, again, the leaders of the small Republic force had gathered. This time, though, there were no natives in attendance; there simply wasn't time to bring them in and brief them. Instead, van Horn was to hear the commanders' decisions and then relay them to the locals. _At least the Wobbies are stopping for the night_, he thought, remembering the report that had came in a short time before. _We can at least rest ourselves_.

Then he arrived next to Lieutenant Peterson's command tank, where the black tanker was standing along with two very disheveled MechWarriors dressed in their cockpit garb – Tanaka and Williams – and Lieutenant Vickers in his armor. Missing was Sergeant Renard, but van Horn knew that the commander of the 3rd platoon's detachment was seeing to post battle organization.

All of the commanders looked at van Horn when he walked up, and the anthropologist-soldier took his helmet off and nodded. "Reporting as ordered," he said neutrally.

Peterson just grunted. "Good, now we have the man who can tell the locals how everything's FUBAR," he said sarcastically.

Tanaka gave the tanker a withering glance. "Easy there, Peterson. Let's not get all defeatist just yet."

"You gotta admit, captain," Vickers spoke next. "We ain't in much of a good position at the moment."

"So I noticed," Tanaka commented icily, crossing her arms. "What I'd like is to hear some ideas, rather than laments."

"Captain, what's the big problem?" Williams spoke up next. "I mean, I know there's still a crapload of Wobbies on your tail – well, our tails now – but we still have a head start and a slight edge in mobility."

"All of which we are giving up because of the locals we're guarding," Tanaka replied with a shake of her head. "They can only go so fast."

"Not to mention, they're all tired as Hell," van Horn added in, knowing that the officers wouldn't mind the breech in protocol given the situation. "I mean, I'm tired myself, even, from traveling, and I've had strength-enhancing power armor." He then gestured off to his right, where the native Kaytorians still sat where they had taken shelter from the battle earlier. "And they're smaller than us, their bodies have less reserves. Humans may be able to press on for a while, and even the younger lupar might be able to go on for a bit, but the majority are just too tired to move much anymore."

"Y'all can join the club, then," Vickers added in, his helmet cradled in his right arm so that he could talk freely without the tinny effect of his suit's speakers. He then turned to look at Tanaka. "Not that I'm bitchin,' captain, but we all need a bit of a rest. Even you mechjocks can't go ridin' them overgrown beasts of yours forever."

Tanaka sighed, bringing up a hand to her forehead so she could rub a growing headache. "Don't you think I know these things?" She asked rhetorically and then looked back up at those around her. "The sad fact is that the Blakests aren't going to wait. Even if they're tired, too, they've only been at this for far less than we have. All they need to do is wait until we break down and stop in order for them to pounce on us."

Van Horn frowned. "Well, excuse my ignorance, but why can't we just call in some dropships, or even some shuttlecraft, and start evacuating the locals?"

"Oh?" Tanaka gave van Horn a sarcastic look. "And, pray tell, have you seen any nice, flat areas in the last ten hours where we could land such craft?"

"Not to mention the Wobbies would catch us while we're loading," Vickers spoke up again. "Have you ever been in a withdraw under fire before, doc?"

Van Horn blushed, first at Tanaka's comment, and then at Vickers.' "No. I never saw any real combat during my first stint in the military."

Vickers grunted. "Well, I've had more than one occasion to get on a boat while being shot at. Even in the best of circumstances, with fully-trained men and women, and fire support from fighters, it's still a hairy proposition." Vickers then gestured towards where the balance of natives sat two score meters away. "With civilians, it would be a bloodbath. Not only from the enemy, but also from the civvies trampling each other in a panicked rush for safety."

A silence fell over the group then, and van Horn turned his head and looked down at the ground, feeling a bit ashamed that he hadn't remembered such a basic problem as mob psychology. _Hell, it's one of the first things you have to learn before you get a degree in my field_.

It was then that Williams cleared his throat, a noise that brought everyone's head up to look at him. "Well, captain, what if we had a way to fight the Blakests on our terms?"

Tanaka frowned at the front-line MechWarrior. "I'm afraid I don't get you, lieutenant."

Williams shifted on his feet. "What I mean is that the major problem with the enemy chasing us is that they outnumber us, correct?" He paused while Tanaka just nodded. "Okay, so we have the tech edge, but being outnumbered negates that _and_ allows the Wobbies to get at the natives, perhaps use them to force our surrender.

"However, what if we could find a way to negate those numbers? Like, say, by using a certain valley my lance passed while comin' here to save y'all's asses?" At the last, Williams smiled.

Tanaka blinked then. "Valley? We're talking 'mechs here, lieutenant, not tanks. They can just climb on over."

Williams shook his head. "Not with this one. It's an old glacier valley, one of those shaped like a big 'U,' or it used to be." He shrugged then. "The sides are a bit more weathered from time, but you can still see the basic shape is pretty much set up for defense. The walls are high and steep, and they meet a plateau of barren rock that makes for good aerospace strafing. Hell, that's even if they have jetters that can get up there. Nice, narrow opening, too, from rockslides coverin' about half the floor, and a small river that pours out of the valley takes about half of what's left for entry space."

Tanaka just stood there for a moment. "This sounds too good, lieutenant. Way too good. What's the catch?"

Williams sighed. "We didn't have time to investigate, but we think there's already inhabitants there. At least, there wee signs of intelligent activity, such as slaughtered game carcasses and campfire spots."

Tanaka sighed and shook her head. "Great, just great. I don't suppose you've read your history, Williams? Specifically, the ones that tell about how mountain people tend to be xenophobic?"

Williams frowned a bit. "It can't be that bad."

"Actually, it can," van Horn spoke quietly, bringing the group's attention to him. "Captain Tanaka is right. People in extreme locations often tend to develop extreme societal irregularities, with xenophobia being common, given humanity's predilection to it already." He sighed then. "And I'm afraid that our friends on this planet are enough like us in that regard as to make the captain's suspicions valid."

Vickers groaned, and Williams frowned. "Well, no offense, doctor van Horn, but isn't that what you're here for? To smooth over relations so that we can operate effectively?"

Van Horn frowned a bit. "Yes and no…" He said carefully. "I'm also here as an 'observer' to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the natives of Bowman's Planet." He paused and shook his head at Williams' suspicious look. "Don't worry, lieutenant, we're on the same side. I'm just also on the natives' side."

"Be that as it may, doctor," Tanaka interjected. "Your duties still include diplomacy with the goal of letting us hunt the Wobbies down unhindered. I think you can sweet talk a few natives into letting us use their valley for a short period of time."

"Just how much time are we talking about here, anyway?" Van Horn asked then, looking around at the others. "I mean, how long can we even stay away from our support facilities before things start to break? What about food and medicine?" He looked back at Tanaka then. "Unless that valley has a nice landing zone set up, we won't be able to stay there for very long. The Wobbies could just wait us out."

Tanaka frowned, but she also nodded. "You have some damn good points there, doc," she said and then shot Williams a questioning look.

The other MechWarrior nodded. "Good points, but in this case, we also have advantages to counter them. First, we have aerospace superiority," he held out the index finger on his right hand. "The Wobbies will have to come for us, otherwise our aerojocks will keep chiseling at them 'til they're nothing but scrap metal and protein paste.

"Two," his middle finger came out to join the other. "The longer the wait, the worse off the Wobbies will be, as well. They're stuck in the same boat as us concerning supplies and the like. And remember, they'll still going to be attacked from the air all the time.

"And finally," he stuck out his ring finger. "There does happen to be an area up the valley that appears to have a nice, wide area. I'd wager that it's possible to land an assault transport, perhaps even a small spheroid dropship there."

Silence came over the group for a moment, and Williams lowered his hand. Finally, Tanaka sighed. "Lieutenant, you are again making this sound too good to be true. How far is this valley?"

Williams winced. "That's the part where it gets bad. It's at least a half day's march from here at 'mech speeds. With civvies, probably twenty-four hours or more."

Muted sounds of disappointment came from the others in the group, though Tanaka just nodded. "Well, we're up shit's creek without a paddle, ain't we?" She asked rhetorically. After another moment of silence, she sighed again. "Well, unless anyone else has a suggestion, we're going to go for that valley. Any ideas?" No one spoke up.

* * *

The next morning broke over a scene that brought an ache to van Horn's heart, _despite its necessity_. The thought brought a sigh from his chest, and the anthropologist-soldier shook his head in frustration.

The procession had once again started, though, now at least, the natives had had several hours of sleep and a small meal furnished by their food supplies supplemented by another Republic airdrop.

_But it's not quite enough, though_, van Horn worried as he marched alongside the second Abrams in Checker Lance, which was again helping to break trail by flattening anything in the way with their tanks' treads. The two 70-ton tanks in the lead were the most battered, and van Horn could see where armor had been chipped, blasted, and melted away all along the angular surfaces of the war machines. The tanks were well armored, however, so they were still operational, but it was only a matter of time before the next shout would break through. _Yet another problem that can only be resolved through proper facilities_.

The group was winding its way down the small mountain range that formed the outermost limits of a series of such ranges that had been built up eons ago by a buckling of the continental plate. Fortunately, the next mountain range was the one that contained the valley that was their destination, and the descent to the valley between the two ranges was a short one, the 'valley' being little more than a dip between the two mountain chains.

_Still, it might as well be an oceanic trench_, van Horn mused darkly as he glanced at the tank by his side again, this time looking at the three natives who were riding on top of the turret. Two of them were a pair of lupar who had fallen and been injured during the last rush up the ridge the night before, while the third was Alexis, who had decided to help with their care.

_Insisted is more like it_, van Horn thought. He had wondered just what had impelled that gatón to be almost forceful in helping with the two and the others wounded from the traveling (most of whom rode on one of the tanks trailing the line of natives). _Still, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, 'cuz at least now she's not wearing herself out trying to prove she can be as good as any of the lupar_. Van Horn had seen the behavior, but he hadn't commented on it at the time. _As much as it's tearing her up physically, mentally, and emotionally, this is something she has to do._ Although anthropologists weren't necessarily considered psychologists, they nevertheless received some training in that field, given the overlapping science involved. _Which is why I can see what I see. Alexis would feel worse if she couldn't at least try._

Van Horn sighed then. _I just hope that 'try' isn't going to be the only word used in describing our little adventure here._

_

* * *

_

They stopped just past midday, having ascended the next mountain range and begun a trek through the larger passes and valleys that would lead to their ultimate destination. _And, hopefully, not out_ final _destination_, Alexis mused as she adjusted the balled-up jacket under the head of the female lupar sitting on the tank.

The lupar was, in fact, the same one Alexis had tried to defend last night, and she sighed a bit. "That's better. Thank you, Miss Hurano."

Alexis just shook her head. "I told you, Aslada, call me Alexis," she said with a faint smile.

The lupar – Aslada – frowned a bit. "I know, but I still don't feel comfortable calling you that," she replied with a brief shift on top of the tank's broad turret. "I mean, you're such an important person, it doesn't seem right."

Alexis blushed a bit at the comment. "I'm not that important, though I thank you for the compliment that I could be such a person," she said and smiled briefly and weakly. "In any case, our friends will undoubtedly be breaking out what rations are left. Do you want anything?"

Aslada shook her head a bit. "No, that's alright. I'm not very hungry at the moment, though," she turned her head and looked at the male lying asleep next to her. "If you could get Paerko something, I'm sure he'd be able to get it down."

Alexis smiled a bit at that. "I'm sure he would," she said and then half stood so she could crawl over the tank's surface. "I'll be right back, then." With that, she clambered over and off of the main battle tank, and then turned and walked to where many of the natives were sitting down in groups along the trail. Battle armored troopers carrying the packs of MREs that had been dropped earlier in the day were walking along, handing out the packages to natives who then passed them on so that the armored troopers wouldn't risk stepping on anyone.

Seeing a familiar gait in one of the Marauder suits, Alexis carefully walked up and stood behind the person, standing about a meter back, knowing that the suit's HUD would allow the soldier to see that Alexis stood near.

The soldier handed out a few MREs, and then turned and nodded at the gatón. "Alexis, can I help you?" Came the familiar voice of Jennifer Marks.

Alexis nodded. "I was hoping for a pair of MREs for myself and the wounded on the tank up front," she said and then gestured to the aforementioned Abrams. "That is, if there's enough?"

"For now, there is," Marks said politely, and she reached into the large sack she carried and rustled in it. "Actually, I've got five left. So could you take the other three up to the crew of that tin can you're riding?"

"Oh, certainly," Alexis replied, nodding again as she took the offered sack from Marks' armored hands. "Thank you, Jennifer."

"No problem. Just keep yourself safe, ya hear?"

Alexis smiled and nodded a third time. "I will," she said, and then turned around and walked for the tank that she had been riding. Along the way, she noticed that many of the Kaytorian lupar were giving her strange looks, which surprised her a bit since she had thought that those had stopped the day before. _Well, no matter_, she thought and shrugged the looks off.

The short trip only took a little amount of time, and soon Alexis was clambering back up the tank, and she crouch-walked over to where the two wounded lupar lay down. The man had been awakened, and he was sitting up, though he was mindful of the splint on his leg. He was not the same lupar who was with Aslada, but rather another who had broken a walking limb while falling down the side of the ridge.

"Well, glad to see you finally woke up," Alexis spoke to the man with a small smile. "I was beginning to think that we'd have to drag you off the tank when we get to where we're going."

The male – Paerko Talug – smiled back, though in his face was the look of pain from his leg. "I'll admit that I am tired, though I doubt that you would have to drag me to get me off of this thing."

Alexis shrugged as she opened the bag she carried. "Well, in any case, I hope that you still have an appetite," she said and reached in. Then she pulled out two of the MREs and handed one to each of the native lupar.

Aslada looked surprised. "Miss Hurano, really, I said I wasn't hungry."

"And I am not deaf, Aslada," Alexis countered intently. "I've heard your stomach rumble for the last half hour," the gatón added with a slight smirk, and she tapped the MRE. "Now, I don't want to see more than half of the food in this package left." With that, Alexis turned and walked the half-meter to the hatch in the turret.

Alexis rapped on the hatch with her knuckles, and she was soon rewarded with the handle turning and the hatch being pushed up from the inside. From below, a helmeted head stuck up and blinked at the glare of the sun before it turned and smiled. "Miss Hurano, what can I do for you?" The swarthy man asked.

Alexis smiled and held up the sack she still carried. "Lunchtime," she said and held the bag near the hatch. "Got three MREs in here for y'all."

"Well, ain't you nice today," the human replied as he pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the opening. Then he reached out and took the offered bag and lowered it into the hatch before letting it drop the rest of the way.

"What the Hell?" A gruff voice came from below.

"Lunch, Hector. Don't hog it all," the tank commander replied, addressing himself to the space below in the turret.

"Oh. Okay then, sarge," the voice below replied, and some noises could be heard that indicated the gunner was moving around.

The commander looked back up and glanced around the outside, his gaze eventually coming to a rest on the two native lupar, who were trying to eat and eavesdrop, despite the fact that they didn't know English. "Damn," the tanker muttered.

"Is there a problem, sergeant?" Alexis asked, a bit confused.

The man looked at her and blinked a second. "Oh, sorry. No, no problem." He paused and waved a hand over the scene behind his tank. "It's just that this ain't exactly the kind of thing they put in the recruitment pamphlets."

Alexis sighed a bit. "And it's nothing like the stories I heard as a child."

The man looked at her and his face appeared pained. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make my situation sound worse."

"You didn't," Alexis replied with a shake of her head. "I'm just saying that I'm as flustered by this as you are."

The tanker smiled faintly and nodded. "Too true. In any case," he said as he started to slide back into the turret. "I'd better get to eatin' before those two fat assess hoover everything down."

"I heard that!" The gruff voice sounded from below, and the tank commander chuckled as he slid through the hatch and disappeared below.

Alexis shook her head a bit and smiled at the way the human soldiers seemed to be able to find some mirth despite the situation. Then she turned around and moved back to where the two lupar were digging into their food. _I just hope they won't mind sharing_, she thought as her belly rumbled.

* * *

The group pushed on, passing through the small valley and the stream at its center, eventually moving up the far mountain range, working up the paths that became more rocky as the group gained higher ground.

Alexis had finally climbed off of the Abrams she had been riding; tired as she was by constantly sitting when she was, in actuality, fine. _Just a little tired_, she thought. _But nothing like the Kaytorians_. At this, she turned and glanced back, looking over the line of locals following up the mountainside, stretched out from the climb and also from the fact that van Horn and Alexis encouraged them to do so. _Less likely for all to be killed in one attack this way_.

The callous thought made the gatón shiver. _Gods, I don't want to think that way… But I must!_ She turned back to watching her footing so she wouldn't have to look at the natives behind her. _I can be ignorant and self-delusional, thinking that such things don't happen, or that they're freak circumstances… But if there's anything I've learned these past few months, it's that one must be ready for the worst that life can throw at you._ Alexis sighed then. _It's the only rational thing to do_.

"Are you getting tired again?" A voice asked from the side, and Alexis turned to see van Horn striding next to her. She put on a small smile and shook her head a bit. "A little, perhaps, but not nearly as bad as last night." She blushed a bit then, remembering being told by Mikula how she had fallen asleep laying on him and had to be carried to a safe place to sleep.

"Then why the sigh? Or am I prying too much?" Van Horn asked, clearly concerned.

"You're not, I suppose," Alexis began. "It's just… I was thinking of how we have everyone stretched out, and the reason for it…" She sighed again. "I just felt strange, thinking of the cold reason for it, like I'm someone I'm not…" Her voice trailed off as Alexis wondered whether she sounded crazy or not.

She needn't have worried, as van Horn shook his head then. "Alexis, only a smart person can be able to determine the difference between clear thinking and wishful thinking," he said with a sigh of his own. "I know, it may seem cold and uncaring, but this way, we retain our sanity in the face of what can be overwhelming despair."

Alexis nodded. "I understand that, and it's what I keep remembering…" Her voice trailed off.

"I sense a 'but' in there," van Horn replied half-questioningly.

"Yes. 'But,' I worry that I'm losing my touch with who I am when I think that way…" She shook he head. "I know, it sounds silly."

"No, no it doesn't, Alexis," van Horn said quickly, quietly. A momentary pause came and went before he spoke again. "I didn't really want to worry you about this… But then, I suppose I was being foolish, thinking that a smart person like you wouldn't figure such a thing out on your own." He shook his head. "But I won't lie to you, either.

"The life of a soldier is a tricky one at times," van Horn continued, talking in a low tone so as to not be overheard. "A soldier is trusted with a lot of power, as you've undoubtedly seen by now." He paused for a second while Alexis nodded. "My people have a saying, Alexis: 'Power Corrupts.' The power a soldier has is that of life and death, and it takes a very strong person to handle that responsibility day in and day out.

"Some people, however, cannot handle it. Some just break down; some just refuse to handle it anymore… But a few abuse it." Van Horn paused to take in a breath, then, and though his helmet was still in place, Alexis could almost see the consternation on his face. "My people, those in the Republic, at least, take great pains to ensure that only the best people can get that power. But even then, we watch each other a bit. Yanno, keep an eye out for any problems… But the greatest watch is the one we place on ourselves."

Alexis looked up at her human friend and frowned. "I don't think I understand."

Van Horn shook his head. "Alexis, do you honestly think any of us want to turn out like the Wobbies, drunk on power? We don't, and the idea that we could become that way is enough to scare people straight." He sighed then. "And that's the rub; you're scared, Alexis, because you're worried over losing that which makes you- makes you a person." Van Horn had to halt himself in mid sentence when he had almost used the phrase 'makes you human.' _Gotta watch that around these folks_, he mused as he shrugged. "But on the other hand, Alexis, to be a good soldier, you need to be able to distance yourself.

"It's a tricky balance, and I won't lie to you and say it's not difficult to maintain, because it is. A wise man once said, 'anyone can handle adversity, but to truly test a man's character, give him power.'"

Alexis blinked at the statement. "Who said that?"

Van Horn grunted. "A good man, named Abraham Lincoln, who led our country's ideological ancestor through a period of civil war. And he has the right of it, because only a person with real character can withstand the temptations of power. And yet, to be such a person is to constantly question your use of that power."

At that, the pair fell silent, van Horn because he had run out of things to say, and Alexis because she had to think these new words over. After some time, Alexis cleared her throat. "Earl, no offense, but power isn't what I was speaking about."

"Isn't it?" Van Horn asked rhetorically. Then he pushed on. "What you seem to be wrestling with, Alexis, is the idea that you may start to be cold hearted and callous simply because you have to think in such ways at times. Am I right?" He paused again while Alexis nodded. "Well, Alexis, thinking like that is because you know what sort of things can happen, and knowing what can happen is trying on one's soul. Furthermore, knowing about such things is a form of power, and the responsibility to use that power correctly is also another weight upon anyone's shoulders.

"I guess what I've been trying to say, in my own roundabout way, is that I understand what you're going through. But Alexis, the simple fact that you _are_ going through such troubling thoughts shows that you have the ability to handle such a burden."

Again, a silence fell across the pair, and Alexis thought hard on what had been said. _Knowledge, power… The humans have a saying, 'knowledge is power.' But they also say 'power corrupts.' Does this mean that I'm corrupted? Is that why I'm feeling this way?_

She shook her head then. _No, that's not what Earl's saying at all. What he's saying is that knowledge and power are not only the same, but that they can weigh heavily upon someone… And that by doing so, it tests a person._ Alexis looked up at that, and she glanced around and back at the line of lupar stretching behind the lead tanks. _I'm having these thoughts because I'm worried about losing that which makes me a good person… But by worrying, I'm proving that I _can _handle such things after all. Or, at least, for a little bit_. Alexis knew that the various soldiers of the Republic, though strong in mind and body, couldn't take their jobs if they had to do it constantly. _Perhaps that is what that tank commander meant when he said that 'this isn't what they tell us about.' Maybe he means the constant, soul-worrying tasks one must endure as part of being a soldier?_

Alexis thought long and hard on this as the group walked up the grade, finally reaching the beginning of a pass that lead into the more craggy mountains beyond. Here the ground leveled out, and Alexis found herself grateful for the more level terrain.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one, as van Horn turned and looked at the gatón. "I think we should give our friends behind us another rest, don't you think?" He asked of her.

Alexis nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

* * *

Mikula climbed down the side of Nguyen's _Hellbringer II_, taking advantage of the temporary respite in the long march to stretch his legs, and also to see Alexis. _'Stretch my legs.' How ironic when so many are so tired from marching that they cannot stay standing unless they're moving_.

This last thought had been precipitated when the lupar had finally reached the rocky ground and turned to look over the small, temporary rest area that the Republic had cordoned off with their war machines and battle armored troops. Clumps of tired lupar from Kaytor sat or lay down on the various patches of ground that were more soil than rock, many resting against some larger rocks that had been clearly cast down from the tall peaks nearby. The air was chilly with autumn and altitude, though the fur on the lupar was enough to keep them warm. _That and the marching_, Mikula gloomily remembered.

The terrain was devoid of trees, though the ground had numerous patches of grass, sparse though it was thanks to the environment. A small stream that was a tributary to the one that ran through the valley the group had just left flowed through the pass, and along it small bushes and other hardy plants grew.

Mikula, however, cared not for them, but rather, for the single native who's fur color was most definitely not suited for such environs. _Alexis certainly stands out now_, he thought with a smile as he walked towards where the gatón sat on a rock some distance apart from the other natives. _Though to be fair, she always _did_ stand out_.

He reached lexis just as she looked up to see who had approached her, and the gatón managed a weak smile. "Hey," she said, using English.

"Hello," Mikula replied as he sat down next to Alexis, reaching his left arm around to again wrap along her shoulders. "I hope you're not getting too tired?"

Alexis shook her head. "Tired? Yes, but not overly so," she said, and then sighed as eh turned to look over the other lupar. "And I really shouldn't say anything."

Mikula looked over the same people, and he nodded, bringing his arm back to his side in a show of his understanding of the gravity of the situation. "And I should be down here, helping you out with everything," he said somewhat bitterly.

Alexis looked at her love and frowned slightly. "Now Mikula, you know that both Tanaka _and_ Williams want you up there for a good reason."

"Yeah, I know," Mikula grumbled. "In case you and Earl… Well…" He blushed a bit at this, refusing to voice the full reason. "It grates on me, knowing that I'm almost useless until something terrible happens to a friend and you."

Alexis put her right hand on Mikula's left, and she looked into his face. "I know, love. Such thoughts worry me, as well…" Her voice trailed off as Alexis considered the recent conversation she had just had. "But I think there's more to it than just feelings, as important as those are."

Mikula gave her a questioning look, an ear flopping down to enhance it. "Oh?" He asked neutrally.

Alexis nodded. "Well, yes," she said quietly, and then squeezed Mikula's hand reassuringly. "There is duty, after all, and that's important too, since by doing our duty, we help to preserve lives."

Mikula blinked at her, and then he nodded. "You're right, of course," he replied, and then smiled faintly. "I must admit, I keep forgetting how strong you are inside. So strong that you help everyone else even when you're already tired."

Alexis blushed then. "Maybe…" She said, and then let her voice trail off as music started to play. Mikula heard it too, and they both glanced to where one of the Abrams tanks sat, the top hatch on the turret open. Alexis recognized it as the same tank she had ridden on earlier, and she also recognized the tank commander, who was holding a musichip player. He was holding it up for the two wounded lupar riding on his machine, and apparently the music was intended to help buoy their spirits.

_It's certainly helping mine a bit_, Alexis mused as she heard the ethereal, booming orchestra and the sounds of a chanting chorus. _It sounds so grand… Almost as if the music itself is telling a story_. At this, Alexis sighed and closed her eyes. "It sounds beautiful."

"It does, doesn't it?" Mikula asked as he again reached out and half-hugged Alexis with his arm." It makes you feel like you're somewhere else."

"That sounds like what we need now," Alexis said as she opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed that several Kaytorians were listening intently to the music, though a good number more were also looking at her and Mikula.

Mikula followed her vision, and he grumbled again. "You know, more and more I understand just how Earl must have felt when he first arrived amongst us."

Alexis chuckled lightly at that. "Well, you can, as our friends say, 'join the club.'" She said and smiled faintly. But it died soon, and she yawned. "I suppose that we shouldn't be making jokes, though."

"Perhaps not," Mikula said and shrugged, letting his arm again fall back to his side. "In any case-"

He was interrupted then, as a voice blared out from Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_. "Everyone, get off your asses, now," she said intently. "Aerial recon shows that the Wobbies are catchin' up. Let's get a move on."

* * *

They marched long and hard, moving deeper into the mountain ranges, passing through wide, open valleys that offered little protection from the chasing enemy. Food was dropped again by assault transport, and another two hours' worth of rest during mealtime had bought the natives enough time to push into the night again.

_Even so, I don't think we can go on much longer_, Acryu thought tiredly from his position towards the rear of the column of natives. He paused in his movements to stop and rest for just a moment, looking over the long line of Kaytorian lupar. The sight made his heart ache, but at the same time, he knew that this was necessary to save their lives.

"Feeling tired?" A voice asked from his side, and Acryu turned to see his old friend Hurg standing next to him. At this, Acryu smiled faintly. "Now now, Hurg, if you want to rest, just ask."

Hurg snorted. "You can't be too tired, if you're joking," the other lupar said, and then he started walking again, and Acryu found the fortitude to catch up. "I feel like my legs are going to fall off."

Acryu sighed. "I as well, but I've talked to our friends, they say it is not too much longer."

Hurg grunted then. "I certainly hope so! Why, I was talking to Joku Ranal earlier, and his wife is about ready to keel over from exhaustion."

Acryu frowned at his friend. "Really? When was this?"

"About an hour before we ate the evening meal," Hurg replied, not wanting to call what they had eaten 'dinner.' "Why do you ask?"

"Because I haven't seen the Ranals in about that time," Acryu spoke quietly. "In fact, has anyone?"

Hurg blinked at his friend. "Huh? What do you mean? I thought they managed to catch a ride with one of those so-called 'humans.'"

Acryu frowned. "No, they were back here at the tail end for a while, just after you talked with them I think…" He started to look around. "I think we should see about finding them."

* * *

Alexis was trudging along just behind the second of the leading tanks when she heard some commotion coming from the natives behind her. Curious, she turned around in time to see Acryu speaking with the foremost family in the procession, the two young heads of the family holding a child each.

Acryu finished speaking with them and nodded a goodbye, then he turned and, seeing Alexis looking back, he hustled up to where she walked. "Do you have a moment?" He asked.

"Always," Alexis replied sincerely. "What is the matter?"

Acryu panted a bit to catch his breath before he replied. "I am afraid that some people may be missing."

Alexis slowed at that, almost coming to a stop before she remembered the situation and caught back up with Acryu. "Are you sure? Who is it?"

"The Ranal family. They are only recently married, but are expecting their first child," he sucked in air through his teeth. "No one has seen them since before we ate last."

Alexis felt her face drop into an expression of shock. "What?" She almost yelled. "Why didn't you say so?"

Acryu blinked in surprise. "I thought I just did?"

Alexis scowled at him, and then reached up to trigger her helmet radio. "This is Oscar One to Oni One, please come in."

"Oni One to Oscar One," Tanaka's voice rolled in after a second. "What's up?"

"Captain, there appears to be some missing individuals from the natives we're escorting." Alexis used the Republic term for the lupar automatically, thinking only in a businesslike manner.

"How many and how long since they were seen?" Tanaka asked quickly. Alexis replied just as quickly. "A male and a female, the woman is pregnant. Last seen before we stopped and ate dinner, exact time undetermined."

Alexis heard an unintelligible curse come from the radio, then "All right. Are you up for a ride, Alexis?"

Alexis nodded as she replied. "Definitely, captain."

"Good. Stand by while I confer with Williams." With that, the radio cut out, and Alexis glanced over to Acryu, and she switched languages. "I've told Captain Tanaka. She's working out a way to send some people back to look for our lost friends."

Acryu looked stunned. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Alexis said incredulously. "What, you think we want to leave anyone behind?"

Acryu changed expressions to that of embarrassment. "Well, not exactly… I just didn't expect such a rapid response."

Alexis snorted lightly. "And why not? Lives could be at stake."

Acryu didn't respond, but he simply followed Alexis as she walked to the side of the procession and stopped. _These new people are so much like the invaders in appearance… Yet they keep showing themselves to be far better then even many of my own people_. He sighed lightly then. _I am just amazed._

Just then, he saw one of the bird-legged war machines pull out of their own formation and amble forward to where he and Alexis stood, and Acryu had to fight down an urge to run away. _It's not going to hurt you… The person inside, rather, is not going to hurt you_.

The 'mech brought itself to a careful halt in front of the pair of natives standing to the side. "Miss Hurano, I'm Sergeant Ferguson. It seems I'm your ride for tonight."

Alexis nodded to the 'mech as easily as if it were a real person. "Thank you, Sergeant," she said and then turned and spoke quietly to Acryu. "Did you want to come along?"

Acryu blinked a bit in surprise, and he looked from Alexis to the 'mech and back. "Wait, on that thing?"

"Sort of," Alexis returned with a small smile. "I think we can both squeeze into the cockpit for a quick trip to find our missing friends."

"The what?" Acryu asked, confused by the name.

"Oh, I mean the little room from which the pilot controls the machine," Alexis said and then nodded towards Ferguson's _Mad Dog II_. "It's normally only made for one, or maybe two uncomfortably, but we're smaller than humans and we'll not be riding for a long distance."

Acryu looked up at the 'mech again, and he thought for a moment before he gulped and nodded. "Well, I suppose if it's to find the Ranals."

Alexis nodded back. "Good," she said, and then turned to look at the 'mech and switched languages. "Sergeant, my friend here will be coming along."

"Fine," Ferguson said gruffly. "But let's not dawdle; the Wobbies are still comin' so we'd better get this done fast."

* * *

A short time later, Acryu found himself stuffed in behind the command chair of the 60-ton _Mad Dog_, holding onto it for stability as the odd gait of the 'mech tried to toss him about. He looked around the right edge of the seat, watching the amazing view of the interior of the cockpit, the holographic HUD, and the ground outside as it swept by.

"Do you think we're close?" Alexis asked from where she had buckled herself into the fold-down jump seat, and Acryu looked across the human MechWarrior sitting in the couch to nod. "Yes, I think that this is about where we lost track of them."

Alexis nodded and she translated this for Ferguson, who grunted. "Well, IR didn't show anything on the way back here," he said quietly, and then opened a radio channel to the infantry riding his omnimech. "Whiskey Four to Sierra Eight, do you have anything?"

"Negative, sergeant," van Horn replied. "Course, I've been a bit busy holding on for dear life."

"Smart ass," Ferguson breathed before he triggered the radio again. "Well, we're stopping. Y'all can get off and spread out and find those folks." Even as he spoke, the MechWarrior brought the massive war machine to a halt.

* * *

"Copy that," van Horn replied as he saw and felt the heavy omnimech come to a stop. As soon as it did, he jumped off from his position on the front right torso, goosing his jump jets just enough to soften his landing from limb breaking to merely bone jarring. Around him, the other four volunteers for the search party also hopped off. They included Private Stuger, Corporal Castellano, Jennifer Marks, and a trooper from the Red Dogs, the 3rd platoon. Although the others had more experience than he did, Tanaka and Vickers had agreed to place van Horn in temporary command of the infantry volunteers given his performance to date.

_As if I need more worries on my mind_, van Horn grumped mentally before he spoke over the radio again. "Okay, everyone spread out, scanners on full! Stuger, take left flank, Dan, take center, and I'll go right. Marks and Fredericks, fill in the gaps. We head back along the marching path towards the valley, and keep your scanners and eyes wide open." The others responded with a chorus of "yes sir," and then went about on the plan. Van Horn himself hit his jump jets to take the far side of the pass.

After two jumps, van Horn reached what he thought was a good distance, and he made sure to check his HUD fully, taking a few extra seconds to read his sensors more effectively. _Nothing, damn_, he thought, as he saw nothing but flat IR. _Well, nothing save for the others,_ van Horn mentally added as he turned and hit his jets to move south, towards the valley the group had left hours ago. _I can pick up the _Mad Dog_ and the other troopers just fine_. Unfortunately, infrared detection was the only system that had any real chance of finding the lost lupar, as they had no significant metal sources for magscan, and it was, of course, quite dark.

_Of course, one could find them using light amplification… But if they don't show up on infrared, it won't matter if we find them with lightamp or not._ Van Horn felt a chill at this thought, but another popped into his head. _Check it with lightamp anyway… Better to find them dead than to waste time looking for them_.

Van Horn paused after his jump to cycle through a few commands, quickly and expertly changing the HUD display so that light amplification was overlaid by an IR image that would show up only if it found unusual concentrations. _There, a bit better_, he thought as he again glanced around and looked for something, anything that would lead him to the missing lupar.

On and on this went for fifteen minutes, until finally a call came over the radio. "This is Sierra Seven, I've found them!"

Van Horn snapped his head around at that, and he quickly cycled his HUD to bring up Stuger's beacon. _Damn, almost at the mouth of the pass_, he thought with some worry even as h hit his jump jets. "This is Sierra Eight, you sure about this, Stuger?"

"Absolutely! Now you get your ass over here and tell them to stop cringing when I move an arm."

Van Horn smirked as he saw the light from the other troopers' jets converging on the location. "I hear that, you just hold on and keep your sensors on. Check for magscan now; I don't want to be caught off guard by the Wobbies."

"Aye sir," Stuger replied, her voice level. "Just be prepared for a big surprise when you get here."

Van Horn frowned then. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Alexis climbed quickly but carefully down the side of the _Mad Dog II_, wanting to reach the two lupar as soon as she could so that they wouldn't need to fear the large, metal figures around them.

_Of course, they should know that by now_, the gatón thought as she hopped the last half meter to the ground before turning to run for the pair laid out on a slab of rock. _But they might be scared or delirious and not thinking properly_.

Then her thoughts stopped as she came upon the two lupar sitting on the ground. _No, make that three_, she thought as she walked the last few steps trepidly. Laying against a rock outcropping was who Alexis assumed to be Mrs. Ranal, who held in her arms a small cub, barely large enough to fill her arms, looking all the smaller because it was wrapped up in a cloak. The mother was obviously exhausted, as she barely looked up at the figure that approached.

The man, however, looked up at Alexis with hopeful eyes. "You," he said, standing up from where he had been crouched next to his wife. "You're the gatón who knows our language, right?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes, yes I am," she said in a small voice as she looked back between mother and father. "I, ah, assume this is why you two haven't been keeping up?"

The male lupar nodded. "Yes, Finora, my wife, she wasn't feeling well," he began to wring his hands. "She just wanted to wait a bit, and I thought that it wouldn't hurt. Then she refused to move, and by then, everyone was past."

Before Alexis could think of anything to say, she heard footsteps behind her, and she glanced back to see Acryu walking forward, his own face a study in shock. "By Grakia…" He muttered before looking from Finora to her husband. "Joku…" He blinked then and then smiled a bit. "Congratulations, I think."

Joku managed a ghost of a smile. "Thank you my friend," he said, and then his face turned serious. "She was in so much pain, and the baby, he came so fast, we just… Just…" He paused then and looked helplessly at his wife. "Finora is so tired, she's barely awake."

Just then, the light and noise from a set of jump jets could be heard, and Alexis glanced back to see van Horn landing ten meters away. Looking back at the Ranals, Alexis was somewhat disturbed to see that this elicited no reaction from Finora. _That's not good_, she remembered from her time as Shaman Forbasa's apprentice.

"What's going on he- Oh wow." Van Horn's voice intruded on Alexis' thoughts just as he walked up to where the gatón stood. "Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick," he muttered in English.

Alexis ignored this as she walked forward to kneel by Finora, checking the vitals of the lupar woman. Behind her, she heard Joku move a bit, but Acryu said something that made him stop. Alexis only noted this in an abstract way, however, as she checked the mother, and then the child.

After a moment, she turned and looked at Joku. "They're both fine for now, but your wife is extremely exhausted," she said quickly. Then she turned to van Horn and nodded. "We need to get her someplace where she can rest."

Van Horn nodded back. "Damn straight," he replied and then switched languages and spoke over the radio. "Dan, Dianna, get over here and help us carry these folks."

In response, two sets of jets lit up the area from opposite directions, and the two scout-armored troopers flew in low arcs to land nearby. A few quick steps and an explanation later, and Castellano was picking up the new mother in his arms while Alexis explained to him that she had to be carried.

Typically, the relatively peaceful scene was interrupted as a hail of LRMs raced in from the mouth of the pass to crash amongst the rocks only a few hundred meters distant from where the small group of natives and infantry stood. The dirty-orange explosions ripped their noise across the relatively open terrain.

"Shit!" The curse came unbidden from van Horn's throat. "Everyone! Grab a civvie and scatter!" He called as he reached down and grabbed there nearest native to him, who happened to be Alexis. Without explanation, he picked her up and ran a few meters until he was clear, and then he hit his jump jets.

Via his HUD, van Horn could see behind him that the other armored troopers were doing as instructed. Castellano already had the new mother and child in his arms, and he was already away, while Stuger and Fredericks were manhandling Acryu and Joku, respectively. Marks was also falling back, as was the _Mad Dog_, though the latter returned fire with stuttering pulse lasers at their unseen attacker.

Then the HUD painted a new, darker picture, as the icon for a _Charger_ assault 'mech came up on the screen. Obviously, it was a refitted version, as it had LRMs. Then it took to its jets, hurling forward two hundred fifty meters, putting to rest any doubt about it's equipment.

Ferguson backed his _Mad Dog II Prime_ up the pass, facing towards the 80-ton design and unleashing another set of pulse laser blasts that ate into the enemy 'mech's torso. The _Charger_ responded with another LRM barrage, this time homing in on the Republic 'mech, its Artemis IV fire-control system ensuring that all but two missiles hit.

"Ferguson, get your ass out of there!" Van Horn called over the radio as he jumped again, careful not to loosen his grip on Alexis.

"Mebbie in a sec, doc," Ferguson replied as he continued to calmly back his 'mech up, even as the _Charger_ lived up to its name and drove towards his 'mech at eighty six kilometers pr hour. "This boy is as fast as me, and he can jump farther than you grunts. Just go and I'll catch up!"

Van Horn didn't reply then, concentrating as he was on landing from his second jump. Then he clicked his radio over to the force-wide frequency. "This is Sierra Eight, Task Group Zulu is under attack!"

"We got that, doc," Williams' voice rang back over the channel. "I'm commin' back to cover y'all and get Ferguson out. Keep headin' for the convoy and don't stop to smell the roses."

"Roger wilco," van Horn replied quickly, though at the end of his next jump he did pause to check the HUD for how his friends were deployed.

To his right and left, Stuger and Castellano were keeping up with him, and even then they started their next jump. Lagging ninety meters behind was Marks and Fredericks, who were in slightly slower Marauder suits.

"Damnit," van Horn muttered. Then he looked down at the gatón in his arms, who was deathly still from shock and fear. "Alexis, I'm going to wait for the others to catch up."

Looking up at the man who still gripped her around her arms, Alexis nodded sagely. "Of course," she replied. "Though, if we're going to wait, shouldn't we at least wait in a better stance?"

Van Horn almost grinned, though Alexis would have never seen it. "Sounds good," he said and released her from his hold. Settling on the ground in a crouch, Alexis pulled her laser rifle out and went to wait by a rock.

Van Horn swung his own Heavy Gyrojet Gun out and took a position five meters to Alexis' right. _She can sure keep her head in a fight_, he mused warmly before he settled down and triggered the radio. "Marks, Fredericks, I'm holding on your left. Keep movin' past and we'll cover you."

"Thanks doc," Fredericks replied quickly. "Just don't get stepped on." Then he hopped on by even as more lights from the 'mech battle in the distance flashed across the mountain pass.

Marks, however, hopped over to where van horn and Alexis kneeled. "Doc, you commin?'" She asked.

"In a minute," van Horn replied, unsure of why he was saying the words he was using. "I'm just gonna wait an' see if Ferguson needs a distraction."

Marks paused in her movement, and then shrugged and went and found a spot to kneel in line with the other two. "Sounds like a plan," she said simply.

Van Horn frowned. "You know, you should be moving on."

"So should you doc," Marks replied mildly. "If you think I'm going to let you two get killed out here alone, then you got another think coming."

Van Horn shook his head as he replied. "You're nuts."

"Takes one to know one."

* * *

Alexis had left her helmet radio on during the time from when she had climbed down the _Mad Dog_'s leg, and so it naturally logged onto the radio channel that was being used. She had overheard Williams' orders and the conversation between van Horn and Marks easily.

_What does it mean, though?_ She wondered, confused as she was at the apparent disregard of orders. _I thought that a military unit followed the chain of command strictly to avoid problems?_

_Then again, Alexis_, a voice in her head spoke up. _You've seen by now that your friends don't always follow the rules one hundred percent._ Memories of the past few months flittered through her mind briefly, including those about her estrangement from her family._ In fact, sometimes breaking the rules is needed in order to do the right thing._

Then she didn't bother to think of such things then, as the fight between the two battlemechs at the mouth of the pass had become a running battle, with Ferguson's _Mad Dog_ zigzagging back and forth across the valley at high speed to avoid being hit with LRM salvos, while the Blakest _Charger_ continued to hit its jump jets in a vain attempt to close the distance so that he could bring his pulse lasers and superior mass into play.

Although she didn't have the trained eye of a MechWarrior, nor the advanced HUDs of her friends on either side, Alexis could still tell that the _Mad Dog_ was giving as good as it was getting. However, the fact that it was out massed was not helpful, and neither was the fact that much of what it got was tearing up its rear armor as Ferguson tried to disengage.

"This is Whiskey Four to anyone!" Ferguson called over the radio in a steady but excited voice. "The Wobbies have four 'mechs at the pass already, all jumpers ahead of their main column." He paused then, which Alexis soon saw was from the fact that he brought his 'mech to an abrupt stop that threw off the Wobbie's aim, and LRMs flew past the 60-ton 'mech to slam into a mountainside. "Only this fucking _Charger_ is keepin' up, but I still need help!" With that, he unleashed a twin barrage of his own LRMs, sending forty missiles to sail towards the enemy 'mech. Only one rack managed a solid lock, and about fifteen missiles slammed around the _Charger_'s upper torso, bathing it in flame even as the second stream of missiles passed it by.

Then, from out of nowhere, a huge explosion blasted on the ground next to the _Mad Dog_. The blast shook the entire pass, and Alexis felt her ears flatten against the noise as it reverberated back and forth in the narrow confines. Before she could comprehend, a noise like a cross between an industrial rock tumbler and thunder came from above, and Alexis was astonished to see a landslide begin on the opposite side of the pass.

She didn't have much time to think this over before the rocks swept in and headed for where Ferguson's 'mech was standing. Although the slide wasn't humongous, a layer of rock and soil two meters deep swept into and around the 60-ton 'mech's legs. Although he fought it mightily, Ferguson couldn't keep his 'mech upright, and it soon fell underneath the rushing slide. A slight bit of fortune came to the beleaguered MechWarrior as the torrent of rock and dirt had already slowed and stopped almost right after the _Mad Dog_ collapsed.

Even as silence began to fall over the pass, Alexis heard van Horn and Marks leap up from their positions and race forward. Before she could form a conscious idea, Alexis found herself racing along after the two troopers as they dashed for Ferguson's 'mech. _This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done,_ she thought/_ Running for a landslide in a combat zone where the enemy is a giant walking death machine!_ And despite this thought, she pushed herself harder.

It was only when she got to the edge of the rockslide did she slow down, and Alexis soon had to sling her rifle on her back so that she could clamber over the rocks and loose soil. The armored infantry, she noted, simply hit their jump jets and flew in a low arc until they reached the stricken _Mad Dog_.

This prompted a sudden though in the gatón's brain. _Wasn't someone shooting at it a few seconds ago?_ Alexis quickly turned and looked towards the direction of the last valley, and she saw that the _Charger_ was holding back, apparently happy to wait for now.

A ball of ice materialized in Alexis' stomach as she recognized the behavior even from her own people's hunters. _It's waiting for reinforcements_. At this idea, the gatón turned and redoubled her efforts to reach the stricken Republic 'mech.

* * *

Van Horn landed on top of a particularly large boulder that had come to rest against the _Mad Dog_'s right front torso, and he turned to study the cockpit while he opened a channel. "Ferguson! Are you all right?"

Marks landed a second later, coming to rest next to the _Mad Dog_'s head. Van Horn heard nothing from the radio for a second, and was about to hop down and dig out the access hatch when he heard a moan come over the radio. "Ferguson!"

"Don't yell," Ferguson's voice came back weakly. "I've got a splitting headache."

Van Horn checked his HUD and saw that the _Charger_ was sill nearby. "You'll have more than a headache if you let that Wobbie come blast us."

At this, the 'mech underneath stirred a bit as Ferguson became more active. "What? Oh… Oh fuck me!" At this, the 'mech tried to shift, but the rock and soil around it made such a proposition difficult at best.

Van Horn quickly jetted about a dozen meters away, soon followed by Marks, thus escaping the sudden, miniature landslide that came from the_ Mad Dog_ as Ferguson tried to right it. Unfortunately, a rather large boulder was lying over the legs, and the best he could do was prop the 'mech up on its left elbow.

"Sweet Jesus," Ferguson muttered. "I'm stuck!"

"Okay, hold on," van Horn said, trying to sound reassuring. _Yeah, right, like I have _any_ fucking idea on what to do now_, he derided himself. _That boulder's too big to move with just Jennifer and me, even with our suits, and neither Ferguson nor Williams' 'mechs have hands._

Wracking his brain, van Horn didn't see Alexis crawl up onto a nearby rock until Marks spoke. "Alexis, what the Hell are you doing here?"

"Trying to help, if possible," the gatón replied quickly. "What's wrong with the sergeant's mech?"

"It's stuck," van Horn said for lack of anything better. "So unless you have an industrialmech hidden in your pocket, we're up shit's creek without a paddle."

Alexis frowned, not quite understanding the vulgar phrase, but ignoring it for the sake of expediency. "All right, then why doesn't he just climb out?"

Van Horn blinked so hard that he wouldn't have been surprised if someone heard it over the radio. "God, am I dumb!" He said. "Ferguson-"

"I heard, doc," Ferguson replied over the radio. "Got my external mikes on, though the speakers're shot."

"Well?" Van Horn asked impatiently as he glanced back on his HUD and saw three more blips start to join the _Charger_.

"Well, there's a problem," Ferguson replied slowly.

"And that is?" Marks asked testily.

"Well, if you hadn't noticed the rather large enemy 'mechs gathering over yonder," he paused and waved his 'mech's free arm towards where the four Blakest 'mechs stood. "They're kind of holding their distance for now. I suspect it's because they know I'm still dangerous. Now, suppose that I wasn't?"

Van Horn frowned in his helmet. "So, what? You want us to leave you here to face them alone, like some sort of samurai with a death order?"

"You have anything better to offer?" Ferguson asked harshly as he aimed his 'mech's free arm more carefully.

"Yes! We jump and get the fuck away from here!"

"How the hell you gonna do that when that _Charger_ is faster than you, even using jump jets?" Ferguson asked, his voice clearly full of emotion now. "It's got enough pulse lasers to slice you three up, and that _Catapult_ with it has its own share too, I reckon."

It was then, as if bidden by Ferguson's comments, that the _Catapult_ crouched down, angled its torso back, and fired an exceptionally large missile. The flame from the heavy weapon allowed van Horn and the others to react quickly, with Marks jumping behind the_ Mad Dog_ and van Horn running over to where Alexis was trying to squeeze between a rock and the dirt below. At the last second, van Horn threw himself over the curled-up gatón, just in time for the artillery missile to impact nearby and shake the world with light and noise.

Van Horn felt his whole body vibrate, and he could have sworn that he felt a filling come loose. He didn't pay it much attention; however, as the noise from the heavy missile stopped, and he raised himself up to look at the scene.

The _Mad Dog_ was laying on its side, apparently having taken the brunt of the nearby explosion, which had, unnervingly, happened about five meters from where van Horn had been standing before he had gone to protect Alexis. _If I had stayed there, I'd be dead_. At this, van Horn shuddered.

Then Alexis started to stand up uneasily, and van Horn reached down to help her up. "Are you all right?" He asked of the gatón.

Alexis nodded. "I… I think so," she said. "What happened?"

"The same thing that started the landslide," van Horn said quietly, as if he was afraid the mere mention would start a new one. "It was an Arrow IV artillery missile. That bloody _Catapult_'s been retrofitted with a launcher."

"Doc," Ferguson muttered via the radio. "I think I'm gonna take your advice now."

* * *

"Quit wasting those missiles, you idiot!" Adept VIII Richard Mandrake half-yelled over the radio. "We only have three tons left!"

Adept III Jorgensen growled before he triggered his own radio. "The infidels need to die!"

"And they will, but I will not have you waste irreplaceable ammo because your have a grudge!" Mandrake replied hotly. "I am _ordering_ you to hold fire on your Arrow IV until I countermand that order. Is that understood?"

Jorgensen only barely managed to control his anger. It was a control that allowed him to press the 'close' control for the Arrow IV launcher. "Understood, commander."

"Good. Now, everyone form up on me. We'll move forward and plaster the infidel 'mech with energy weapons _only_. The main body is moving up, and we will cleanse the path before them of any stragglers. Is everyone clear on this?"

A chorus of confirmations came through, and Mandrake started moving his older _Victor_ battlemech along, and soon the rest of the ad-hoc Level II formed up in a line abreast. Jorgensen still steamed, but being able to finally close with at least one infidel mollified him. _There is no way you're getting out of this one!_

The range inched down as the four Blakest 'mechs moved closer and closer to the stricken 'mech, known to the Inner Sphere as the _Vulture_. _How ironic that a 'mech named after a carrion eater should find itself at the mercy of circling enemies_, Jorgensen thought with a grim smile.

Suddenly, two shapes leapt up and away from the stricken _Vulture_, and Jorgensen blinked in surprise. "No!" He screamed in his cockpit. "You'll not get away again!" With that, he throttled his _Catapult_ up to its maximum ground speed, which, despite the cluttered floor of the pass, was still fast enough that he started to catch up with the fleeing Republic troopers.

"Jorgensen! What in the name of Blake are you doing!" Adept Mandrake called over the radio.

Jorgensen ignored that and the other calls from his teammates. He also ignored when they started after him, apparently trying to stop his 'mech. _I will not be dissuaded!_ Jorgensen thought resolutely as he approached the rockslide. This was the only time he slowed, as he had to figure out whether to go around or use his jump jets to hop over the slide. He made the decision to jump over the slide when the disabled 'mech in the rubble turned into a miniature star.

* * *

The sudden, mind-numbingly loud explosion of a fusion reactor set to deliberate overload roared through the mountain pass. Even expecting it as he was, van Horn had to struggle with his own suit to keep his gyros from tumbling, as he was caught in mid-jump. _Come on come on!_ He mentally asked, demanded and begged of his suit all at the same time.

Someone or something listened to him, and van Horn managed to land without falling over or crushing Alexis, whom he cradled carefully in his arms. Touching down carefully, van Horn spun about to see Marks landing nearby with he own load; Ferguson, riding similar to how Alexis was being carried, though his arms and legs were enough that he stuck out a bit more.

"Goddamnit, get your foot away from my head!" Marks grumbled at her charge.

"You don't want my foot in your face? Then jerking about!" Ferguson replied testily.

"That's enough!" Van Horn shouted over his speakers. "We need to move, otherwise-" He never got to finish that thought; as he heard the rumbling noise he had been fearing. Together, he and Marks turned around so that all four of them could look back towards where the smoldering remains of three 'mechs, Ferguson's _Mad Dog_, the Blakest _Catapult_ and _Charger_, lay on the ground. Near them the shapes of the two other Blakest 'mechs were trying to stand up from where they had fallen due to the blast.

They never got that chance. Van Horn had, correctly, judged that, if one landslide was possible, than many more were likely. He was, however, unprepared for the two massive torrents of rock and dirt that poured down each side of the pass in a broad front.

Even as the four watched, the Blakest 'mechs were overrun by a much larger slide than that which buried Ferguson's 'mech, and soon they disappeared as tons of earth slammed into them.

The rumbling continued, however, and van Horn and the others looked closer to their own position. They were all shocked to see that the landslides continued to expand their area, much as an ocean wave, one breaking, would continue to spread the white foam across its breadth.

"RUN!" Van Horn screamed, and he turned and, instead of running, hit his jump jets full out. Behind him, Marks did the same, and the pair bounded as fast as their jets could recycle, running in between jumps.

This pattern of run and jump continued on for an indeterminate amount of time, though to van Horn it felt like an eternity, one in which he couldn't even stop to look around or even fully plan out his next jump. He just hit the juice and prayed that the landing spot would be flat enough.

Finally, the rumbling began to dim and slow, and van Horn spared a glance backwards during a jump to find out that he and Marks had passed through a rockier area of the pass, one with solid formations that prevented the landslide from continuing on. They were safe.

"Whew!" Van Horn let out an explosive sigh, and he felt his legs give out. In a second, he hit the ground with his rear end, and he just sat upright while he waited for Marks to catch up. Alexis then stirred a bit, and van Horn relaxed his grip so that the gatón could climb out and walk unsteadily to sit on a nearby rock.

They sat there silently as Marks landed nearby, and she too released the person she was carrying. Ferguson, like Alexis, found a seat on a rock before his unsteady legs could tip him, and Marks just stood and stared mutely back at the simmering dust cloud kicked up by the landslide.

Then, slowly, she turned and stared at van Horn- well, seemed to stare, since her helmet was on, but it never moved from an apparent focus on the anthropologist-soldier. "You are," she began quietly, "quite possibly, the most _insane_ person in the Republic!"

Van Horn tilted his head up so that his helmet visor would meet Marks' own. "Yeah, well, it takes one to know one."

Marks just seemed to stare for another minute. Then, suddenly, she began to giggle. That giggle then erupted into full laughter, which van Horn, Ferguson, and even Alexis shared in.

"Oh God," Ferguson said, wiping a tear from his eye once the bulk of the laughing fit was over. "We're totally insane."

"You got that right," an amplified voice came from deeper in the pass, and everyone started and looked to see Williams' _Timber Wolf A_ standing a careful sixty meters away. The group on the ground stood up and sheepishly started to walk towards the 'mech even as Williams continued. "I get here and what do I see? Two M.I. jumping for their lives while carrying a pair of non-armored folk, being chased by an avalanche."

"Actually, it was a landslide," van Horn quipped, raising his voice a bit to be sure he was heard.

"Whatever! Just get your asses over here; I'll give the lot 'o ya a ride back to camp."

"Camp?" Ferguson asked. "You mean they're calling those stopovers camps now?"

"For now, yes," Williams replied sadly. "Don't worry. We rest now, and we should be at the destination by mid-morning."


	42. Chapter 42

This time, the march had been relatively quick. Only a scant two miles through more mountainous passes had finally led them to the entrance of the valley that the small procession sought, and they had reached it by the middle of the day.

Alexis stood watching the lupar from Kaytor trudge in the relatively narrow ninety-meter strip of land between a wall of jumbled rocks and a narrow but surprisingly deep stream that sloshed cold water down from the high mountain that the valley had been carved out of. The gatón was standing upon on of the rocks from the large, clearly old slide that blocked half the entrance, and she had her rifle at a casual rest across the front of her hips. The rifle wasn't because of the lupar, but because of the worried presence of any locals who might not take kindly to such a motley crew in their midst.

_Not that we've seen anything major_, Alexis mused as she glanced up and into the valley the group had striven to reach. Although it was relatively narrow, it certainly looked wide enough to the young gatón to contain a large town's worth of natives and still have plenty of living space. The U-shaped cut in the land looked to have some sort of "hot spot" microclimate, for trees grew well within the confines of the valley. This small forest prevented a good sighting far into the valley, though up the mountainside, Alexis could see some clearings that seemed to be wide enough for dropships to land.

She felt her heart flutter a bit at that. _Oh, to be taken away from this dreary hike and back to base, to a warm shower and hot food and no need to sleep with your rifle next to you_. Alexis didn't know just how common her lament was amongst soldiers, nor how the sentiment dated from time immemorial. What she did know was that she was tired, even after sleeping through half the night. _Or maybe that should be, 'because I _only_ slept half the night,'_ Alexis grumbled to herself as she turned back to look out the mouth of the valley.

Beyond the rocky entrance to the safe haven were the remaining 'mech forces of the Republic task group. All seven of the war machines stood in a crescent around the mouth of the valley, which opened up into a larger valley between ranges. More trees grew along the floor of the valley below, and the stream flowing past the Republic 'mechs went off to join several others into forming another small river, this one flowing to the northeast.

Joining the 'mechs were most of the Vanquishers and all of the soldiers from the 3rd Armored Platoon, 5th Marauder Division. They were in a line along the mouth of the valley, or on top of the ancient landslide, holding concealed defensive positions, save for several Marauder-suited troops, who were standing around the flat ground entrance to the small valley, acting as more mobile and attentive sentries.

"_A good defensive line," Cassandra called it_, Alexis remembered from the brief radio discussion earlier in the day. _I just hope it will be good enough… Though, with the way the enemy has been whittled down, it should be_. Alexis was further comforted with the fact that the action in the pass the night before had created enough of a mess that aerial reconnaissance had declared that the surviving Blakest forces were having a very hard time of it. _We finally have some breathing room_, the gatón thought with a small sigh. _But, how much and for how long?_

A noise from the head of the lupar procession caused Alexis to wheel about quickly. Then she relaxed a bit as she realized that it was only one of the Abrams tanks crashing through some foliage. Checker Lance was still blazing a trail for the native lupar, though they were also joined by the scout armor of the Vanquishers' Sierra squad, who were busy scanning the area ahead, just in case the Wobbies had managed to get a nasty surprise insinuated in the valley.

_So far so good_, Alexis thought as she looked over the Kaytor lupar walking past her. She easily saw the looks of exhaustion on their faces, but they seemed to have gained a second wind this morning. _The news of the Ranals' new child has probably helped_, Alexis thought with a slight grin as she scanned the area. _Although the story of what happened might also be part of it_.

She was referring to the fact that, once they had made contact with Williams, the troops carrying Acryu and the Ranals had stopped and waited for their comrades to catch up. Thus, they had had a good view of the action further back in the pass, and when Alexis and the others had arrived, they naturally explained what had happened. Alexis, particularly, translated for the natives, who had then gone back and spread it amongst the other lupar. Now, the whole group had heard about the exploit, and they treated it like a good omen.

_Just so long as they are safe, they can treat it however they want_, Alexis mused as she slung her rifle around her back. She did this mainly because she had finally decided that she could stop standing over the lupar like some obsessed watchman. _Instead, I can hike along them like an obsessed watchman_, Alexis thought with mild sarcasm, though she was also amused by the wry thought, and so she smirked slightly.

Alexis followed alongside the last of the Kaytor lupar as they moved through the narrow passage, and she started to hum a small tune to herself. It was an older tune from her childhood, and it made resurgence now thanks to the relieved feeling Alexis now felt.

Then her radio clicked on as it responded to a direct inquiry. "Oscar One, this is Checker One," Peterson's voice sounded in Alexis' ear. "We need you to come up to the front ASAP."

Alexis began to hurry forward even as she replied. "Oscar One copies, Checker One, I'm coming as fast as I can," she said as she began to trot forward, drawing looks from the lupar on her left. "What is the situation?"

"Dunno, Oscar One. Sierra Eight just wants you up front now, so I'm only relaying for him," Peterson's voice came back, sounding slightly annoyed, but still professional.

Alexis nodded, though she knew that the tanker couldn't see her. "All right, I'll be there as quick as I can."

* * *

Van Horn crouched next to a tree deep into the valley's small forest. There, he hoped that his suit's black paint would let him blend into the shadows that the canopy cast over the area, as he was not in the mood for any unexpected confrontations.

Of course, the people he was observing didn't seem to be the kind to want a confrontation, either, but they also didn't seem to be the type to want visitors, as well. Just what type of people they really were, van Horn didn't venture a guess, as he, like the other members of Sierra squad, only detected them via infrared and heartbeat monitors, which had been adjusted to pick up native heartbeats as well, thanks to the observations done on Alexis and the two Farkas brothers on New Honshu.

What van Horn and the others did know was that a group of five natives – gatón, from their stature and heartbeat frequency – were cautiously making their way down the valley, heading for the small, temporary rest area where the Kaytorian lupar were trying to regain some of their energy.

_Shouldn't be too surprised_, van Horn mused as he watched the signatures that represented the natives seemingly crawl past his position, passing within ten meters. _After all the noise we make, what I should be surprised at is how long they've taken to get down here and take a look_. With that thought, van Horn turned his head to see if he could make out the figures moving through the shady underbrush.

After a moment, he caught a glimpse of movement, though it was fleeting. _Moving stealthily_, the soldier-anthropologist noted. _Damn good at it, too. If it wasn't for our sensors, they could have slipped right past_.

"Sierra One to Sierra Eight," Corporal Connors' voice came over van Horn's headphones. "You're the expert, doc, got a suggestion for me?"

Van Horn had to mentally restrain himself from nodding, lest his movement give him away. "Aye. Call Peterson, tell him to hold Alexis up at the tanks and wait for our new friends to make contact. I'm sure that at the edge of the forest, even the Abrams' sensors can pick 'em out at that range."

"Okay," Connors replied dubiously. "And then what?"

Van Horn sighed before answering. "Then trust Alexis to know what to do. I think, by this point, she's in a far better position to gain their trust than I am."

* * *

Alexis arrived at the lead tank and paused to catch her breath. Tiredly, she stuck out her left arm and rested against the armor plating that extended down to protect the tank's road wheels. _Perhaps I overdid it_, she thought as she breathed deeply to make up for her run.

A now-familiar noise came from the top of the tank, and Alexis looked up to see Peterson pulling himself half out of his tank's turret. "Miss Hurano," the black man said with a polite nod. "Hope you didn't wear yourself out?"

Alexis shook her head and pulled herself back upright. "No, just needed a breather," she replied matter-of-factly. "So what's going on?" She asked, glancing to the forest that stood beyond the four tanks of Checker Lance.

"We got five gatón walkin' down the valley," Peterson began, turning his head to warily watch the forest. "Sierra squad has them on sensors, but not visual. Apparently, the locals don't want to be seen. Can't blame 'em myself, but it's still something that makes us nervous, you see."

Alexis nodded as she turned towards the tree line. "So, what's the plan?"

"The plan, as has been said over the radio, is to have Sierra squad wait in the forest, while we wait here for contact." Peterson then glanced back at Alexis. "And that means you, too."

Alexis frowned slightly, and her right ear twitched in confusion. "So? What am I supposed to do, then?"

Peterson shrugged. "Beats me, but van Horn said you'd know what to do."

Alexis did nothing but blink, surprised at that comment. "What? I would know what to do?" She asked, her voice betraying her confusion.

"That's what I was told," Peterson added and raised his hands a bit in a show of his own unsuredness. Then, he froze and raised his right hand to the side of his helmet, and his face took on the look of a commander. "In any case, Miss Hurano, they're about twenty meters out and coming towards the tree line," he said and began to fit himself back into the turret. "If I were you, I'd start to think about something to say."

* * *

Joru Talugo moved softly between the trees of the valley forest, heading for a spot he knew well from his childhood, when he and the other village youths would travel down to see the mountain pass. Now, however, he and the four other young men from the village were armed with bows and going to see what was making the ungodly noise. Strange scents wafted up on the wind, and this was making them all wary.

_As if the noise and lights in the sky weren't enough_, Joru thought as he slipped quietly past another tree. _But now it sounds and smells as if some… Things, have come to our land_. He gripped his bow more tightly then, and silently wished that his fur was dark green, like the other gatón tribes he knew to exist. _We would blend in far better than with our white fur_.

Finally, though, Joru approached the last line of trees. Beyond, he saw strange shapes whose outlines were broken up by the underbrush. He and the group stopped, and Joru signaled them to spread out. Then, he crept forward to the last tree in his path, and he slowly edged around the trunk until he could see clearly past the brush.

When he did get a good look, Joru just stared wide-eyed. Standing before him was a line of four monstrous things that looked like rocks, and yet, he knew that they weren't. Standing amongst them were several large, lumpy shapes that would have dwarfed a gatón, and behind them, Joru was even more surprised to see a large field seemingly filled with lupar.

So startled he was by this totally unexpected and unprecedented vision that Joru almost didn't notice that one of the shapes near the huge not-rocks was smaller than the others, and it was walking forward. Then he was shocked to not only realize that not only was this new figure a gatón wearing the most unusual clothing he had ever seen, but then received a second shock in seeing that it was a female.

Stunned, Joru didn't even think to notch his bow, and he just stood half crouched against the tree, staring over the tableau. He just watched as the lady gatón walked forward, and then coughed lightly before speaking. "Hello. We know you're out there, and we'd like to meet you," she said, speaking loudly enough to be heard across the intervening space. "We mean you no harm. Please, come forward."

Joru crouched down; worried that he had given himself away somehow. _Who is this person?_ His mind asked, finally free of the spell of the scene before him. _What does she mean by this 'we?' Could there possibly be gatón controlling those… Those… Those whatever they are?_ His head spun and the white-furred gatón felt like he was going to fall over.

"Please," the female spoke again, moving herself in between the trees and the large shapes behind her. "We are not going to hurt you." Her voice was soft and full of reason, or so it seemed to Joru. "Just… Come forward, and talk."

Joru felt deeply uncertain. _On one hand, they are so strange and alien… But on the other hand, if they want to talk instead of trying to fight us… But the shaman didn't say anything about talking to any newcomers, only to see them and report back. But she wants to talk… And that isn't bad, is it? Not when we expected so much worse…_

_

* * *

_

Alexis stood still, her feelings alternating between nervous, scared, and hopeful. _And perhaps a bit foolish, as well_, she admitted to herself. _I feel like I'm trying to coo a scared child from under his bed after a nasty storm has passed through._ The comparison was not entirely unfair, and she made it with the full knowledge of how her little sister, Shayana, behaved in the past. _Still, to think of these natives as children would be_- Alexis' thoughts stopped then, as one of the natives slowly, cautiously, edged out from behind a tree and took a single step beyond it.

_Gods, a northern tribal here?_ Alexis was surprised, since the northerners tended to prefer the cold climates. _Then again, it is pretty cool up here_, she remembered as a chill breeze swept past her. Then she decided that she had been silent enough. "Hello," Alexis said again, a bit less strenuously this time, as the person was within sight.

The other gatón simply stared at her for a moment before replying. "Hello," he said haltingly.

A moment passed, and Alexis realized that he was waiting for her to make the next move. _What do I do? What do I say?_ Her mind raced for a minute, and she wished that van Horn were there. _Earl did this before_, Alexis remembered. _He came to us, after we were attacked, even, and he managed to gain our trust…_ She blinked as another memory came back, this one of van Horn talking to her and Mikula and Pavlo on the _Rodger Young_ during their voyage back. _He told us that he had simply spoken from the heart, and didn't lie, even when it would have helped temporarily._

Alexis took a deep breath then. _Just speak truthfully and with your feelings_. "My name is Alexis. Might I ask what your name is?"

The young man fidgeted, and Alexis realized for the first time that he was armed with a bow, though it hung with his right hand by his side. _I can't blame him_, she thought, remembering her own laser rifle slung over her back.

Finally, the other gatón spoke. "I am Joru. What- what is going on here?" Although his question might have sounded demanding, the small, almost frightened tone in which he delivered it removed all traces of confrontation.

Alexis slowly turned just enough to wave towards the lupar behind the tanks. "We have some friends that we wish to protect, and this valley looks like it is easy to defend." She then turned and looked intently at Joru. "But we don't wish to be a problem for you or your people. We just want to stay here a while."

Joru stood there for a moment, a look of confusion over his face. "I… I do not understand. Why do you wish to defend lupar?"

Alexis felt the fur along hr back bristle a bit, but she poured calming rationality over her troubled thoughts. _You used to be the same way_, Alexis thought before she composed her reply. "That is a very long story. Perhaps you and your four friends can lead I and my friends to your shaman, so that we may tell him it as well?"

Joru blanched a bit at the number Alexis named. "How… How do you know how many of us are here?"

Alexis decided to venture a small smile. "We have our ways." She then raised her voice again. "Would all of you please come out? You can see that we don't wish to harm you." After that, there was only silence for a few moments. Then, as trepidly as Joru had moved out, the other four gatón slipped out of the trees. Each of them wore the same as Joru, a pair of dark green pants, leather boots, and coarse gray-green shirts that looked like a cross between what Alexis would have called a shirt and a coat. They also wore their hair long, though it was tied in long queues that went halfway down their backs.

Alexis noted both their appearance and the fact that they were all armed, though none of them had any of their weapons ready. She nodded at them and ventured a faint smile. "Well then, you all can see that nothing bad is happening. Maybe this would be a good time to meet your shaman so that we may discuss things?"

Joru looked to his left and right at his comrades. The other gatón, however, simply gave blank or unsure looks, and so Joru eventually sighed and nodded at Alexis. "Maybe that would be best. Though," he gestured to the tanks and infantry standing behind Alexis. "Perhaps t would be best if you left your friends behind."

Alexis nodded. "Yes, they would stay, though it would be best if my other friends came with, as well."

Joru gave her a quizzical look. "What friends are those?"

Alexis, noting movement behind Joru, smiled broadly and gestured with her hand. "The ones behind you."

Her words gave the five other gatón pause, then they snapped their heads around and gaped as they saw the members of Sierra squad standing just behind them, though the humans had their weapons and arms down to look less threatening.

Joru looked back and forth between Alexis and the scout troopers. "How…?" The one word question was all he said.

Alexis chuckled slightly. "Just a little demonstration, to show you that we mean what we say when we speak of not harming you." She said with a smile. "Now, perhaps we should go see your shaman now?"

* * *

Van Horn walked along a fairly well worn path through the woods, following along behind Alexis and the five local gatón. He was one of only three humans moving with the indigenous people, the other platoon members staying behind so as to not appear threatening by visiting the local village in large numbers. With him were Stuger and Castellano, and they all trailed the group.

_Hmm, looks like they've been cutting wood here for some time_, van Horn noted as he saw old, overgrown stumps just off the path. _They look old, too. These people must have been here a long time._

Then the trees began to thin out ahead, and van Horn grunted to himself. _'Bout time. We've been walkin' a good long distance. We must be halfway up the valley by now_. This assumption he verified easily by checking the barometric measurement that his suit's sensors noted, and van Horn did the math in his head. _Another twelve meters in height? Well, it _has_ been a steep trek these last few meters._

It was at that point that the trees gave way, and van Horn stepped into the full light of the local sun unfettered by clouds, trees, or even about a quarter of the planet's atmosphere. It was enough that, despite his visor's filters, van Horn had to pause to let his eyes adjust, though he did so only after stepping to the side so as to not block Castellano or Stuger.

Once his eyes did adjust, though, van Horn felt the sudden impulse to rub them. The scene before his eyes was something that he hadn't expected, not from a mountain village.

Up the slope a ways was a section of relatively level land, and on this was a wall of stone that stretched all along the edges of the land table. Rising above this wall van Horn could see the spires of three circular stone towers, apparently build separate from the wall itself. _They look so well built!_ Van Horn amazedly thought. _Those towers look to be a good twenty meters tall! How could these natives have built something so tall and yet so elegant?_

"Amazing," Alexis breathed nearby, before looking over the terraced fields set along the sloped valley floor. "It's like a place from out of a fantasy tale."

Joru turned to face the newcomers, and he couldn't help but smile a bit as they stood in awe at his village. "Well, given our homes are so far from everyone else, we must take measures to defend ourselves."

Van Horn nodded at the comment. "A wise decision," he spoke in Gatonese. Joru and the other natives started at this; however, as they hadn't heard any of the humans speak until then. "You… Know our language?" Joru asked, his tone incredulous.

Van Horn turned his head to look straight at the gatón. "What do you think?" He asked lightly. He then continued after the white-furred gatón blushed. "I am a scholar, of sorts, so I know several languages. Including yours, of course."

"Of course," Joru replied with a slight nod. "Well then, shall we?" He gestured towards a path that led up towards the village with that question.

"Yes, of course," van Horn said quietly, and the group moved off again, following the same path. This time, however, the path wound around the terraced fields, many of which seemed to have hardy plants growing. _Must be tough to survive the winters up here_, van Horn thought with a note of admiration in his mind. _The same can be said for the locals, as well_.

The walk up to the village was quiet, the natives still intimidated, and the humans and Alexis still in quiet awe at the fairytale setting. Van Horn wondered just where all the people who would normally be attending the fields were. _Well, duh_, he thought with a sudden realization. _They hear something that makes 'em nervous enough to send armed scouts, then they're gonna stay holed up 'til they know it's safe._

A few minutes later, the small group was walking towards the main gates to the village. Van Horn was gracious for his helmet being on, for he knew that otherwise, he'd look strange gawking at the gates themselves. _Beautiful!_ His mind registered as he looked over the ornately carved gates that seemed to have had every single square centimeter filled with lines. _And yet, the images are neither crowded nor incomprehensible_.

A whistle over the radio told van Horn that Castellano was also impressed. "Damn pretty. I don't think I've ever seen someone put that much effort into such a small set of doors."

Van Horn frowned a bit, as Dan's comment brought to his attention that the gates were, indeed, made for gatón. Their stone arch was so low that a lupar would have had to bend over to gain entrance, while a human, undoubtedly, would need to squeeze through in a crouch._ And that would be even without armor. Ah, well, that's why these suits can bend the same way we do._

Naturally, the gates were closed, though like at Hercor, there was a small semi-gatehouse built up, complete with a firing platform for archers. Atop this platform van Horn and the other humans could see the thermal traces of several more gatón, though all that could be seen visually was the tops of their heads as they stared at the strange creatures below.

Joru walked up to the gate and cleared his throat. "Ullo, open the gates. We have visitors."

One of the gatón crouching at the top of the gate stood up slightly, and van Horn was a bit surprised to see that he had not the white with black stripes coloration of the Northern gatón, but rather, the surprisingly tiger-like coloration of the Plains gatón. "Visitors? Since when were demons visitors, Joru?"

"Since when did demons appear from the lands below and speak as if they were shaman?" Joru countered. "They haven't harmed us, Ullo, and they have a gatón with them." He waved over to Alexis at the last remark.

The one called 'Ullo' turned his gaze at the indicated person, and Alexis tilted her head up so that the other could get a good look at her face. "A woman?" Ullo asked incredulously. "A woman travels with demons?"

Alexis' face turned dark at that, and van Horn could hear her growl slightly, almost under her breath. _We don't have time for this shit_, the human thought angrily. "Dan, Dianna," he spoke quietly, despite the fact that he was using the radio. "I'm going to do something silly, so please be dears and don't follow along."

Van Horn could almost feel their eyes burning into the back of his neck. "Oh, really?" Dan asked almost playfully. "Gonna go roll around in the mud?"

"Something like that," van Horn mumbled as he saw Joru try to reason with the gate guards again. "Just don't move if'n ya don't have to."

"Copy that," Dan said quietly, Stuger echoing the response a second later. _Nice to have people who'll let you have a chance to prove yourself _before_ they mock you_, he thought with a grin as he stepped forward.

His movement cut off the two locals' conversation, but van Horn didn't pay it any great mind. Instead, he made sure to sling his heavy gyrojet gun around behind his back before he walked eight meters away, turned around, and then jumped.

His movement was just enough to trigger his jump jets, and van Horn carefully overrode their controls so that he would just hover a bit at a height that put him just above the height of the wall. Looking over towards the gates, van Horn saw the grouping of gatón atop the gatehouse staring at him with mouths agape. Beyond them, he managed to see the decently sized village laid out in a grid pattern that startled him so much that he nearly forgot to land before his jets ran out.

Landing a few seconds later, van Horn mentally forced his mind to focus. _Soon, Earl, soon…_ With that, he walked over to his previous position by the gates, and then looked up at the gatón atop the gatehouse, still staring at him as they had abandoned their attempts to crouch behind the crenulated walls.

A moment passed before van Horn activated his external speakers and cleared his throat loud enough for it to activate his microphones. "As you can see, we don't _need_ you to open the gates. If we wished you harm, we would be harming you right, now." He paused to lend emphasis to his words. "Given the fact that we are _not_ harming you now, and instead are waiting, politely, for you to open the gates, I would hope to think that proves that we are _not_ bloodsucking demons come to eat your children!" Although he had started in a civil, though annoyed tone, van Horn had felt his voice rise as he spoke. "Now, are you going to be courteous, polite individuals, or are you going to sit on your ass behind that wall all day long? Because frankly, we're doing this as a courtesy to your people, to introduce ourselves. So if you want rude, boy, we'll give you _rude_!"

* * *

Alexis followed Joru and the other gatón native to the village as they passed through the gates. Unlike van Horn, Alexis recognized some of the figures inscribed on the gates from her people's mythology, but she didn't pay them much thought, as on the other side of the gates was a startling array of armed warriors. What made them startling, however, wasn't the fact that they were there – for it was expected. Also unsurprising were their armaments – the usual bows, though unusually for gatón, short swords.

What made them surprising to Alexis, however, was the fact that represented there was every tribe of gatón. Not just the white-furred northerners, but plainsmen, foresters, and swampers, as well, the latter distinguishable to Alexis by the deeper tint in their fur color. The northerners, however, were still the majority, which was perhaps the only thing that made sense to Alexis at that moment. _Why are there so many people from all the tribes here?_ Then the warriors' eyes started to bug out, and Alexis knew why without even turning around, though she did so anyway out of politeness.

Moving through the gate first was van Horn, who crouched over to avoid smashing his helmeted head against the gates' arch. Once he was through, he moved forward to stand next to Alexis so that Castellano and Stuger could follow in a similar fashion.

"What manner of devils are these?" A muttered voice came from the crowd, and Alexis turned and tried to single out the speaker, but settled for just giving the group around them a baleful look. "These people are no more demons than I am," she said aloud in a tone that challenged anyone to defy the words.

One man, a rather bemuscled forester like Alexis, growled in reply. "Given the way a woman like you is acting, perhaps you are."

Alexis turned and gave the male a long, hard stare. Silence reigned for a minute before Alexis spoke again. "Feeling threatened are we?" She asked sneeringly. "Are you so weak minded that I make you worry?" As she spoke, Alexis saw her words hit their mark, and the male gatón's fur bristled and his face twisted in anger. Before she could add another barb, however, Alexis felt a large hand come to rest on her shoulder, and she looked up at van Horn.

The human was, of course, completely unreadable behind his helmet's visor, but his calm words relayed his demeanor. "Alexis," he began in English. "We're not here to pick a fight. Just let the asshole think whatever he wants, because we both know he's full of shit."

Alexis blushed deeply at the words, and she nodded. "I am sorry," she replied in the human tongue. "I… I didn't think."

"That's okay," van Horn replied quietly. "But now, I think we have more important things to discuss." With this, he nodded his head towards the center of the group of local gatón, and Alexis turned her head to see the crowd parting to the muted mutterings of the word 'shaman.'

Coming through the crowd was an old, almost ancient gatón male being led by one of the warriors who had been with Joru. Although his fur might've once been the envy of all of his plainsmen kin, it was now tinged with gray along his face and arms. His hair was also a silvery gray, and he walked with a cane much the same way Forbasa did. _Although Shaman Forbasa never relied on it as much as this shaman does_, Alexis thought as she noticed that the man leaned heavily on the cane, though his voluminous robes tended to obscure it at times.

Many in the crowd bowed their heads reverently towards the man as he walked to stand along with Joru and the rest of his scouting troop, who stood about a meter and a half from where Alexis and the armored humans stood.

The old gatón's ears twitched as he looked over the four newcomers. "So… Who are you, who are so strange to us?" He asked in a quiet, raspy voice. "Why have you come to Shubasu?"

Alexis felt her jaw drop, and her knees became weak. "Shu- Shubasu?" She asked, her own voice barely above a whisper. "This… This is Shubasu?" She asked incredulously. _But, it can't be!_

"Alexis," van Horn spoke earnestly in English. "What is it? What does it mean?" He asked, leaning over to speak quietly to the young gatón.

Alexis slowly turned her head and blinked at van Horn. "Shubasu… The legendary city of the Guardians," she said quietly in Gatonese, apparently loosing her grip of English in her shock. Then she turned back to look over the gatón around her. "This… This place is said to be the first city created by the gatón after Basun fell, built…" She paused to close her eyes so as to concentrate. "Built on the very footsteps of the holy city itself." Alexis opened her eyes again and locked them to the shaman's. "Is it true?" She asked in a little girl's voice.

The shaman seemed to smile slightly. "Perhaps," he said neutrally. "But you still have not introduced yourselves."

Alexis blinked, still slightly in shock. Then she nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. I am Alexis Hurano," she said in a soft tone, though she raised her voice just enough to make sure it carried. Then she turned and waved a hand to her human comrades. "These are my friends, Earl van Horn, Daniel Castellano, and Dianna Stuger." She paused after each name so the respective owner could nod, and then she turned back and bowed to the shaman. "We are honored to be here, despite the circumstances which brought us to this valley."

The shaman nodded a bit. "I am Shaman Garkayo. I have heard from our warriors that you wish an audience. Perhaps about those circumstances you've mentioned?"

Alexis nodded, and she glanced up at van Horn. The latter took a step forward then and spoke. "They are, in fact, somewhat dire," he said, reaching up to undo the catches on his helmet. "But hopefully with your-"

"Aieee!" The yell came from the old man as van Horn pulled off his helmet, interrupting him in mid sentence. "They have returned!" He shouted, and then, in a move that surprised van Horn, given the shaman's obviously advanced age, he slid down to his knees and bowed forward deeply.

Van Horn was then doubly shocked when all the other gatón – save Alexis – followed suit, all falling to their knees and bowing forward until their heads touched the ground. "The Gods have returned!" One man in the back shouted.

"Doc…" Castellano spoke up, using his external speakers. "What the Hell is going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," van Horn said darkly as he felt his face turn a crimson color. "They think we're gods."

"What!" Both Castellano and Stuger shouted the same word at the same time. "What the fucking Hell?" Dan added after a moment.

"My thoughts exactly," van Horn replied and then turned to look at Alexis. "Do you have any idea what this is about?"

Alexis, though, looked back at him with wide eyes and a shocked look on her face that rivaled the one she had earlier when learning the village's name. "Earl, I swear to you, I have no idea," she said, this time managing to remember her English, though it came through badly accented.

Van Horn frowned; an expression that deepened significantly when he saw that not only were the gatón in the immediate vicinity were still kneeling, but more seemed to be coming from other parts of the village to add to the group. "Bloody fucking Hell," he muttered, and he dropped his helmet to the ground as he strode forward. He stepped up to Garkayo and reached down to pull the gatón up, taking just long enough to make sure he wasn't hurting the native.

Shocked, the shaman looked wide-eyed at van Horn. "What is thy bidding, your lordship?" The native asked.

Van Horn felt his face turn a deeper shade of red, and he carefully set Garkayo down on the ground, though he left his arms in place to support the frail gatón. "Stop it," the human sputtered. "Stop kneeling, all of you!" He called to the locals. "We are not Gods!"

These words obviously confused the natives, and many looked up with fearful eyes. Some even looked at Castellano and Stuger, and van Horn spared a glance back to see that they, too, had taken off their helmets. But a glance was all that he spared before turning his gaze full on the now-confused gatón he was holding. "No person should ever have to kneel in such a manner to another," he said intently to the shaman.

Garkayo started to fall back a little, and van Horn eased him into a sitting position on the ground. "But…" The elder gatón started. "But, you must be the gods! Returned at last to claim Basun and return our race to its golden halls!"

Van Horn took a step back, bending over to look for Garkayo's cane. He found it, and then handed it to the gatón, who took it as if he was receiving a holy relic. "We are _not_ gods," van Horn repeated firmly. "And I have no idea what you're talking about."

Garkayo just looked incredulously at the human, and around them, the other gatón, though still kneeling, were looking up now, intent on the conversation. "But, the prophecy!" The shaman said distressingly. "It says that one day, the gods would return, and you fit the description!" He closed his eyes and shook his head at this, seemingly taking a moment to remember.

"_With a great torrent of sound and light  
Shall they come. They will bring rightness  
And peace to the children of Sheyana,  
Whose glory fills the night._

_On great steeds they shall ride, clad in metal  
So strong that even the earth shall tremble  
In their mighty wake. So sayeth Sheyana,  
Whose power knows no bounds._

_And when their true forms are revealed  
To all, ye shall see their skin, as fields  
Cleared in the autumn's sun, lacking all fur.  
So sayeth Sheyana, the God of all._"

Garkayo opened his eyes then and looked up at van Horn. "So, you must be them," he said quietly to the human. "What else can you be, if not lupar nor gatón?"

Van Horn closed his eyes and tried to recalculate the prime numbers from one to one hundred until he calmed down enough so that he wouldn't snap at the gatón sitting in front of him. "Let me explain this, then," he said calmly after a moment, his eyes still closed. "We are travelers from a distant land, yes. We have no fur on our bodies, yes." He opened his eyes and looked down at the gatón shaman fiercely. "But we are not Gods. We do not deserve nor desire your worship. We are people, like you. So please," his voice softened then. "Just be yourselves."

* * *

It had taken a bit more cajoling, but van Horn had managed to wheedle the shaman to disperse the crowd and arrange a proper meeting. They were now walking towards the shaman's house to have said meeting, though truthfully, the anthropologist was half distracted by the sheer immensity of the events just past. _Most specifically, their relevance to the other hints I've been finding_, van Horn thought, remembering the various clues that had hinted at human intervention on Bowman's Planet in the distant past. _But who? How? And Why?_

Even more disturbing to the scientist-soldier was the grid pattern that the streets of Shubasu followed. _In no other native settlements do we find such a logical planning. And we find it in a village that is renowned as legendary for being near the home of the native gods, _and_ apparently has more powerful traces of human presence from the past_. Van Horn frowned deeply, not noticing that the native gatón of the village cringed when he glanced over them. _All of these discrepancies adding up… It's smellier than the Wobbies skimming off of the Free Worlds League treasury._

A light cough came from Castellano, and van Horn glanced back as the corporal began talking. "Earl, have you noticed the streets here?"

Van Horn nodded gravely before turning back to watch his way. "I have. It's very disturbing, ain't it?"

Castellano frowned, though van Horn couldn't see it. "That wasn't _quite_ the word I was going for."

Van Horn shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dan. It's just…" He sighed. "That scene back there, and all these weird things that I've mentioned before…"

"Yeah," Castellano just muttered. "I hear ya, man."

All further conversation was cut off as the small group of the three humans, Alexis, the Shaman Garkayo and Joru stopped in front of a rather large house that sat in the center of the village. _Though I suppose 'house' would be a it of an understatement given the locals' level of tech_, van Horn mused as he noted that the structure was built solidly out of stone, _much like the others in town_. This one, however, rose two stories and was far larger. Its walls appeared thicker, and the windows on the outside were narrow.

_It's probably made as a last stand readouts_, van Horn mused as the shaman waved to the newcomers to follow him around the back. They moved quietly around the large garden that separated the residence from the other houses in the village, and out back found a circular area of dirt that centered on an obvious campfire hearth. Arranged around this small hearth were several large, round, flat-topped stones that were obviously intended as seats.

The group paused, and Garkayo raised a hand and pointed to the formation. "Behold, the Council of Destiny," he rasped out. "Built where Arkal the Great first held council after the Fall of Basun."

Van Horn heard Alexis utter another small gasp, though he himself, despite his best attempts, still understood little about the native mythology. _Damned Wobbies_, he mentally cursed as the group followed the shaman towards the dirt circle.

Sitting down carefully, van Horn and the other humans – and Alexis as well – sat on one side, with Garkayo and Joru sitting opposite of them. Silence reigned then for a moment before van Horn decided that he should start the conversation. "Shaman Garkayo," he began politely. "I will understand if you wish to call for advisors to discuss things, or even to have scribes to record this meeting."

Garkayo frowned a bit in confusion, and Alexis cleared her throat and began in English. "Earl, I'm sorry, I should have mentioned this before, but gatón shaman usually only deal one on one, with only an apprentice or a prominent leader of the community," she said quietly, but quickly, her ears going back in embarrassment. "Even if you've managed to convince him that you're not the gods returned, Garkayo will deal with you principally, and you with him. In such cases, the results of the meeting are spoken of without falsehood, else the gods would be insulted."

"In this case, us," Castellano couldn't help but add with a smirk.

Van Horn gave his friend a dirty look before turning back to the young gatón at his side. "Thank you Alexis, for clearing that up," he said with a bare ghost of a smile before turning his attention back to Garkayo. "Shaman, I apologize. I was only now made aware of your traditions."

If anything, this seemed to confuse Garkayo further. "I think I see…" He said quietly as if reassessing something. Then he took a quick breath, apparently deciding to push it aside for now. "So, if you are not the gods, as you say, then what are you?"

Van Horn blinked for a second, and then he grinned. "Ah, some nice bluntness for a change," he said. Despite his clarity of words, this confused Garkayo and Joru further, and so the human pushed on, dropping his smile. "It is hard to explain," he began slowly. "I suppose I should explain that this world, the one we are standing upon, is only one amongst many…"

* * *

Dusk was falling as Mikula climbed down from Nguyen's 'mech, carrying on his back his pack of equipment and personal shelter. _Gods, my legs feel sore_, he grumbled to himself as he clambered down the rope ladder that led from the _Hellbringer II_'s cockpit. _I've been sitting still for too long with not enough movement._

Given the relative lack of pursuit at the moment, Captain Tanaka had ordered the MechWarriors, Armored Troopers, and tank crews to begin rotating on and off duty so as to let them get the rest they needed. She had then programmed her computer to randomly pick off half of each group for the first rest period, and Nguyen and his 'mech were amongst the lucky ones.

Reaching the ground, Mikula felt the sudden urge to yawn, and he did so. _How can traveling be so tiring even when you're not doing any work?_ He wondered as he turned and headed off for the small bivouac that the resting Republic troops had set up.

The two Abrams from Checker Lance that were 'off duty' formed an "L" shape, forming a small nook in which the bivouac took shape. In the small, roughly square area were over two-dozen men and women, mainly troopers from the armored infantry, though the tank crews and one of the MechWarriors from Oni Lance were there, as well. The armored troopers, apparently in an attempted to remain as ready as possible, were either sleeping in their armor – with the helmets taken off, of course – or had taken it off in the proscribed 'field readiness' manner which would allow them to squeeze into their protective suits with only three minutes' notice.

The tank crews and MechWarriors, however, were either lying against the tanks without taking off their uniforms, or were lying on the ground with a jacket piled up as a makeshift pillow.

Mikula wondered why they hadn't set up a lean-to or a tent, since they were going to be on 'rest duty' for a while, and after that, the other half of the Republic force would need shelter, as well. Then he noticed that, within the edge of the forest, where the lupar from Kaytor had settled and cleared some underbrush, there was the familiar olive drab color of tents interspersed among the clusters of natives huddling around small campfires.

_I shouldn't be surprised_, Mikula thought with a small smile, and he turned to set his pack on the ground. Quickly, he undid the strings holding the tent in place and then hefted it back up. Turning around, he started off for the Kaytorians, his tent lying over both arms.

His approach did not go unnoticed, and a male lupar that Mikula had seen talking to Alexis before stood up from one of the small sub-groups resting on the ground, and he took a few steps out to meet the approaching soldier.

For his part, Mikula walked up to the other lupar and held out his tent. "I thought you could use another," he said with a sheepish grin.

The other lupar twitched his ears in surprise, but then grinned back and took the offered tent. "Thank you, sir," he said with a nod of his head. "We can certainly put this to use."

Mikula blushed at the use of the honorific. "Please, there is no need to call me 'sir,'" he said. "My name is Mikula."

The Kaytorian lupar smiled a bit wider then. "Ah, my apologies. I am Kaeno, and I thank you again." Acryu turned and waved one of his comrades from the militia over, and the called for soldier came and picked up the tent and then went off into the large cluster of natives sitting under the trees.

"It seems you have an efficient system going," Mikula observed friendlily.

"I suppose," Acryu responded with a sigh as he turned back to face Mikula. "Things could be worse."

Mikula nodded, his friendly visage fading into a contemplative look. "Indeed they can," he said quietly. "At least we managed to evacuate your town before it was attacked." He paused to shake his head. "There are some places that weren't so lucky."

Acryu nodded. "So I've been told," he said in an assuaging tone. "I take it you were at one of those places?" He then asked curiously, waving a hand for Mikula to join his group as they sat around a campfire.

Mikula managed a small smile and a nod in thanks to Acryu, despite the current topic. Then the pair ventured over to the group as Mikula replied to Acryu's question. "Yes, I was. Four times, in fact," he said as he sat down, his face twisting into a grimace at the memories he dredged up.

Before he continued on, Acryu went through a round of introductions, and Mikula was pleased to see he had fallen in with part of the militia from Kaytor. Then he began to recount his long story.

Some time later, night had fallen all the way, and Mikula was just finishing up his description of NeoTokyo.

"Truly, an amazing city," he said, shaking his head at the astounding nature of his own memories. "I do hope that, sometime, I can go back, and maybe take pictures that I can show my family," he said wistfully.

"You and everyone else, I think," Acryu said in amazement. The other five lupar around the fire were all just looking on with dubious expressions. "I mean, I cannot even begin to think up such a city. Giant towers of metal, great numbers of people," he paused to shake his head. "It sounds like some sort of dream."

Mikula nodded. "It seemed that way to me when I was there. Yet, I know I was awake, because once you think something's a dream, that's usually when you wake up," he added the second line with a grin.

The other lupar chuckled lightly at that, though it was strained from their still-incredulous thoughts. "Well, maybe this is one big dream, then," Acryu suggested.

"Or a nightmare," one of the militia lupar commented sourly. The mood around the fire immediately darkened, and Mikula cleared his throat. "Well, at least we can stop moving and be safe for now," he said assuredly. "And with the results of the action in the pass, we have some time, as well."

The other lupar nodded at this, their faces brightening a bit. "So we've heard," a lupar introduced as Hurg spoke up. "Is it true that one of those 'ree-pub-lick' people blew up one of their own machines to stop the Invaders?"

Mikula nodded. "It is. I know the pilot, and he was most sad to see his 'mech go," he replied with a sigh. "But he does know it was to save lives, and so he takes comfort from that. Though he feels helpless now, since he can no longer fight the enemy in the way he's been trained."

"Really?" Acryu asked, and he waited for Mikula to nod again. "To tell the truth, I am a bit surprised. These so-called 'humans' don't seem like the warrior kind. I mean, they have no teeth or claws."

Mikula chuckled at that, which drew a frown from Acryu. "What did I say that was so funny?" The latter asked.

"I'm sorry," Mikula replied, shaking his head. "But, if you knew what I know, you'd not be saying such things."

"What do you mean?" Asked Hurg, his own face a mask of confusion.

Mikula sat back and looked over the other lupar. "These people, the humans, are more warlike than you can imagine. You've not seen the histories they keep, but I have." He closed his eyes and shuddered at that. "Terrible, vengeful wars. Battles that make the ones just fought look like nothing more than a scuffle betwixt children, weapons that would make you wet yourselves in fear if you knew that an enemy had them." He opened his eyes then, and looked the others in the eyes. "And more pain and suffering than we've yet seen," he said quietly. Then he went on in a more mollifying tone. "Which is not to say that you and your kin are not enduring great hardship, because you are. I am simply saying this: It could be worse. Much worse."

Again, a silence fell upon the group. This time, however, it was interrupted by Hurg's stomach rumbling. The men around the fire all grinned at that, save Hurg, who blushed. "Well, it _is_ getting late," he commented.

"It is, isn't it?" Mikula added rhetorically. Then he stood up, which prompted the others to do so. "I'm sorry for delaying your meal."

"Nonsense," Acryu replied dismissively. "It was good talking with someone who knows these humans much better than we do. Especially as we need to rely on them now."

Mikula nodded again. "I hope, then, that I've managed to assuage some of your fears?"

"A bit," Acryu admitted. Then he smirked a little. "Of course, that Hurano lady certainly talked a fair bit about them, so we had some idea beforehand."

Mikula blinked at that for a second. Then he smiled. "Yes, she can be quite the educator when she has the time," he said warmly. Then a thought hit him. "I do want to ask, just what is it she did, anyway, that has so many from your town treating her with such respect? I mean," he blushed a bit, realizing that his words could be misconstrued. "I do not want to offend, but even I was a bit wary of gatón until I met her."

Acryu continued to smirk. "She took care of an annoyance for us," He said. "And took over command of the militia."

Mikula did a double take at the last, and his jaw dropped open. "What?" He almost yelled. "How the hell does that happen?"

Acryu's smirk turned into a grin. "By taking care of an annoyance," he said mischievously. "More specifically, she managed to beat the former militia commander in physical combat."

"The man is a pig, anyway," Hurg commented, trying to fill in the silence that Mikula had fallen into. "I still can't believe we hauled him with us all this way."

Acryu turned and shrugged at his friend. "Well, to be fair, after the first attack on our group, we haven't had to keep him in line. He knows quite well that there's no going back."

"Wait a minute," Mikula said, interrupting the conversation. "Let me understand this. You all are willing to follow Alexis as if she were your commander?"

"I think you are using the wrong tense there," Acryu said, turning back to Mikula. "We do consider her our commander, and we have followed her. She helped us plan the diversion attack that allowed the 'reepuhblik' people attack the Invaders in our town."

Mikula just shook his head. "I am sorry, it's just… I am surprised. Not all lupar are so accepting."

Acryu nodded. "Well, I'll admit it wasn't instantly acceptable, but…" He just shrugged. "She has this way of putting people at ease."

Mikula managed to smile widely at that. "Something I know all too well," he said with a nod. "Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. I should be going now anyway, I'm sure that someone has got to be looking for me by now."

No sooner had he said that than a yell could be heard coming from the Republic bivouac. "Mikula! Mikula Farkas! Get your ass back here!"

Mikula blushed a bit and looked sheepishly over his new acquaintances. "Well, it seems I guessed that right," he said with a lopsided grin. "If you will excuse me?" He half-asked, and then turned and began to walk off.

"Wait a second," Acryu's voice made Mikula pause and look back. "Yes?" He asked of the Kaytorian, whose face had a quizzical look on it.

"Your last name is Farkas? As in, of the Regulus clan?" Acryu asked, one of his ears twitching down to emphasize his question.

Mikula frowned, confused and surprised at the question. "Yes, yes it is." He said carefully. "Why? Do you have a problem with that?"

"What?" Acryu asked, genuinely shocked. Then he blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head. "No. It's just that, well…" He smirked sheepishly and blushed. "I think we might be distant relatives."

Mikula took a step back in surprise. "What do you mean?" He demanded.

Acryu sighed. "My great grandfather on my mother's side had the last name of 'Farkas.' He was a traveling warrior who was said to have come from Tanzano. Or at least the family story goes."

Mikula's eyes widened. "Would his name happen to have been Pavlas?"

Acryu nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Yes."

"My Gods," Mikula said, and he swayed a bit in shock. "He was a great-great-uncle. I didn't know him myself, but my grandmother told me stories of him when I was younger. He liked to travel, and didn't come home after one trip…" He shook his head. "This is incredible!"

"MISTER FARKAS!" This time the yell was the unmistakable bellow of a platoon sergeant, and the words rolled over and through the nearby valley, startling Mikula and the other lupar.

Blushing deeply in embarrassment, Mikula glanced towards the bivouac, and then back to Acryu. "I really need to leave now. But," he paused to smile. "I would like to speak again."

Acryu returned the smile. "It would be a pleasure."

* * *

Some time later, Mikula was hiking up the path towards the gatón village, carrying a rather large backpack filled with power packs and air recharges for the three scout troopers who were still busy with the locals. He followed along behind Ferguson, who was now doing these sorts of odd jobs as well.

"Seems like a piss poor time to be out," the human MechWarrior complained aloud. "Dark and cold… Good thing one of those tankers had an extra coverall for me to borrow, otherwise I'd be a popsicle by now."

Mikula chuckled. "A human popsicle?" He asked mirthly. "I wonder how much one of those would sell for?"

Ferguson laughed briefly from where he led the duo. "Too much, I'm sure," he said, and then sighed. "You're pretty lucky, though, having all that fur. You must be pretty warm."

"Well, yes," Mikula admitted sheepishly. "But it's a real pain when the weather gets really warm. Especially in one of your mechs, then it becomes a real liability."

Ferguson grunted. "Yeah, I can see that," he replied casually. "Well, like the man says, it takes all kinds."

"Which man is that?" Mikula asked. Ferguson just laughed again. "No special man, it's just a saying. Well, two old sayings, really."

Mikula grunted at that, and was about to say more when the two soldiers left the forest behind. Like their comrades did earlier in the day, the pair paused to look over the new vista before them.

Unlike when van Horn and the others had been there, though, night had fallen, and though it hid some details, it also brought out others. Namely, lanterns light up the entire town above, and their light splashed against the three towers within the walls. The towers themselves were like dark fingers reaching up into the starry night sky, their reaches unlit by any lantern in a clearly intelligent move to prevent the sentries from losing their night vision. Their eyes were then drawn to the gate, which now were open and well lit by a pair of large lanterns that hung from the stone archway.

"Wow," Ferguson managed to say. "That's just… Wow."

"Yes," Mikula added breathlessly. "Beautiful."

After a moment, Ferguson squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "Well, let's get doing then." With that, the pair started off again.

Thirteen minutes later, they approached the gate to the town, and slowed as they saw a pair of guards standing at the ready on either side of the wooden doors. They stopped about five meters distant, and then Ferguson looked over at Mikula. "Well, you're the translator," he said quietly.

Mikula nodded, and then turned to walk closer to the guards, who regarded the lupar with suspicion. "Hello," Mikula said in Gatonese with a faint smile. "I believe we're expected."

The gatón, one a northerner, the other a swamper, both looked surprised at Mikula's words. "So, it's true, the lupar really _can_ learn a civilized tongue," the swamper said.

Mikula felt his hackles rise at this, but he forced himself to calm down. "Indeed," he replied dryly, dropping the smile. "In any case, I and my friend were called for by our comrades who are already in your town. I presume you've been told?"

The swamper frowned at Mikula, but the other nodded. "Yes, we were," he said neutrally. "Might I ask of your names, then, that we may compare them to that which was told to us?"

Mikula nodded. "Certainly. I am Mikula Farkas, and my friend," he paused to wave a hand towards Ferguson, who walked forward to join the lupar. "His name is Harold Ferguson." He turned back to look at the gatón and was surprised at the way they openly stared at he human in something that looked like awe. _What the Hell?_ Mikula thought confusedly. Then he shook himself mentally and straightened up a bit. "I hope that is enough?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course," the northerner replied. "One moment." With that, he turned and went over to the wooden gates, and then knocked on the right one three times. Mikula was startled to see a narrow strip of wood slide out, its location matching a pair of eyes on figure carved into the door. The effect was that now the carving's eyes seemed to have come to life, thought Mikula knew better.

"Are they the ones?" A voice, muffled from sounding behind the wood asked. The northerner nodded and replied. "Yes, their names match with what we've been told."

Mikula glanced over at Ferguson, who looked down at the lupar time to catch him rolling his eyes. Ferguson barely stifled a chuckle before the slot on the gate closed and the whole wooden door began to swing out.

Before them, they saw streets well lit by lanterns hung up on poles lining the street, and houses lined up in regular rows. Gatón of all colors were walking around, though many paused to stare towards the gate to see what was happening.

Suddenly trepid, Mikula didn't move until Ferguson started walking towards the open gates, prompting the lupar to follow. The taller MechWarrior took a moment to bend under the gate, but after that they were inside.

Another gatón, this one a forester like Alexis, walked up to them and nodded. "I am Okoa," he said. "I am to take you to the shaman's house, where your friends are located."

Mikula nodded back. "Thank you, we would appreciate that greatly," he said and then gestured for the younger native to lead off. Okoa did so, and the two outsiders followed along behind him.

"Interesting place," Ferguson mused aloud. "Very well laid out, isn't it?" He asked of Mikula, glancing over to the lupar as he spoke.

Mikula grunted in agreement. "Indeed. It is not very common, either amongst the gatón or the lupar to have such a layout… To tell the truth, in fact, I do not believe there is _any_ town or city this well organized." He finished in an uneasy tone. "This is very strange."

"Well, then it's good that we know how to kick as, right?" Ferguson asked mirthfully. Mikula saw the grin on the man's face and managed a chuckle. "Right," he replied in an amused tone.

Then they came upon a larger, stout stone house, and the pair of soldiers fell silent for a moment. "Wow again," Ferguson said appreciatively. "Now that's a house."

"Definitely," Mikula replied quietly. Before anyone else could speak, however, they heard noises coming from the back of the house, and soon saw movement.

Stepping from behind the house and moving towards the street were the familiar shapes of three scout armored individuals and several gatón. One of the latter spotted Mikula, and then bounded out.

"Mikula," Alexis said warmly, and without pause she walked up to him and they embraced quickly.

"Alexis," Mikula said quietly and he breathed her scent in deeply. "Even a few hours is too long," he spoke in English, as was their custom together.

"I know," She said sadly as they parted. Then her face lit up again. "But the news we have!" She positively beamed and turned to weave at the others who had walked up more slowly. "We're going to go see it now!"

"What?" Mikula asked confusedly. "What news? Going to see what?"

Alexis seemed immensely happy. "You know what this village is? Where we're standing?" she asked. Mikula just shook his head, and she continued on. "This is Shubasu, the guardian city!"

Mikula frowned. "Alexis, I don't wish to dampen your spirits, but I do not know of this place."

"Oh," Alexis said, and she blinked a few times. "Of course, I forgot," she said contritely. "I'm sorry, Mikula. It's a story that we gatón have."

"Perhaps," van Horn interjected, bringing their attention to him. "Perhaps you should explain on the way, Alexis?"

"Oh, yes," she said and turned around to look back at Mikula. "You wouldn't mind a little more traveling tonight, would you?"

Mikula smiled and shook his head. "For you, Alexis, anything."

* * *

It took a bit longer to get moving, since the Republic soldiers had to replace their power packs and support units for their armor, and as well to radio their movements in. The group's departure was further delayed by the fact that the shaman had called several of his best warriors for an honor guard for the trip.

Alexis, meanwhile, began explaining to Mikula. "The story that my people tell of Basun's fall says that a group of our earliest leaders stayed close to the city out of a desire to be closer to the gods," she said as they sat on one of the benches that the village had for public use. "But they didn't stay in Basun itself: That would be an affront to the gods, so they built a new city, and named it 'Shubasu,' which means, 'new city.'" At this part she started to look uncomfortable. "But, according to the story, some, ah, people, didn't like that idea very much."

Mikula placed a gentle hand over Alexis.' "You mean, some lupar didn't like that?" He asked. She blushed and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mikula, but that's the story."

He smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Alexis. We both know better now, don't we?" He asked, eliciting another nod from her. "So please, continue."

Alexis smiled back at the lupar before she took a breath and went on. "So the story goes that the lupar – and jealous gatón, of course – ventured forth to wage war against Shubasu. Along the way, they also were said to raid the ruins of Basun itself, and so Shubasu became a mightily armed city that pledged itself to the cause of defending the holy city." Alexis paused to take another breath, and she closed her eyes to help her remember the rest of the story. "The story goes on to say that messengers were sent to the elder shaman of all the tribes asking for help, and the shamans in turn sent their best warriors. Thus it went on for several generations, until eventually the city defeated its last enemies.

"It is said that then, the shaman of Shubasu decided that, to prevent their city from falling under attack again, they would cut themselves off from the rest of the world, and they cast great magic that laid a shroud over Shubasu and the ruins of Basun so that no one could ever find them again." Alexis opened her eyes and looked Mikula straight in his. "And we're here… In the city that was built within sight of the great city itself."

"Basun…" Mikula breathed, his eyes wide with shock and awe. "What you said earlier, what we're going to go see… It- is it?"

Alexis nodded energetically. "Yes! Basun itself! The shaman is taking us there because he feels sympathy for the Kaytorians and is willing to let us all stay there until the Wobbies are driven away and the Kaytorians can return to their own homes."

Mikula was shaking his head slowly. "I… I can't believe it," he said quietly. "The first City, the Home of the Gods… And we're going to see it?"

Alexis smiled. "Yes. The shaman said that no one has been there in decades, so we have to make sure it's still safe." She squeezed Mikula's hand with her own. "This is so exciting."

Mikula frowned a bit then. "And to think it only took an invasion for it to happen," he said wryly.

Alexis' face twisted into the gatón equivalent of going pale. "Oh, gods… I didn't think about that," she said quietly, and then scrunched her eyes closed. "I feel awful now…"

"Don't," Mikula replied forcefully, causing Alexis to open her eyes again and look at him. "I'm sorry, I was just… A bit bitter, I suppose," he continued in a more conciliatory voice. "But you have every right to be happy and excited. Every person who was born on this planet does."

Alexis slowly smiled again, though this time it was a smaller version of her previous expression. "Thank you, Mikula," she said.

"No need to thank me," he replied with a smile. "Let's just remember that the past is the past, and the future is what we want it to be."

* * *

The small group had started from Shubasu after eating a quick snack from MREs that Mikula and Ferguson had fetched up along with the power packs. Ferguson himself was heading back with Stuger to report to the Republic officers about there possibly being a safe and secure area for the civilians to be protected in, leaving van Horn and Castellano the only two humans in the group.

_Not that that's a bad thing_, van Horn mused as he followed behind shaman Garkayo, who himself followed behind a pair of his warriors from the village. Alexis, Mikula, Castellano, and another two guards in turn followed these men. Each of the four guards was from one of the four different races of gatón, which the shaman had explained was 'dictated by the gods.' _I seriously doubt that_, van Horn thought as he mulled over the events in his mind. _But, hey, it's harmless enough, and at least they have torches to light their own way_.

He was tired, unsurprisingly so considering the many hours he had spent speaking to the shaman and eventually, several leading members of Shubasu's citizenry, explaining very carefully the events that led them there and the fact that humans were not gods of any sort. The fact that only van Horn knew Gatonese and that they were terribly ignorant of the local customs helped to persuade the locals that the humans from the Republic, at least, were not anything godly or demon-like, but were just people.

_Good Lord, how many hours did that take?_ Van Horn asked himself as he hiked up a sloped path through yet another forest. _Five, at least, and then afterwards, they started to get all xenophobic… Well, some of them did, but their shaman set them straight_.

The agreement to help the lupar had been the hardest sticking point, but Alexis had helped there with the stories of how lupar and gatón were working together by Hercor, and van Horn's promises that they would leave soon had also assuaged the locals' fears.

His attention was dragged back to the present as the group came to a small ravine that apparently had been bridged at one point, but all that remained was the anchoring structures on either side.

"Oh dear," Garkayo said distressedly. "Those floods from two years ago must've taken the bridge down."

Van Horn grunted and stepped carefully past the three gatón to stop near the edge of the ravine. He slipped his helmet on and locked it into the suit's operating systems, thus providing power to the flashlight mounted on the side of his visor. With a simple eye gesture, the lamp flared to life, and van Horn bent over to look into the gap.

"Oh, this isn't too bad," he said neutrally. "Only about two meters deep." He looked up then and had the sensors measure the distance. "Another two and a half across…" Van Horn then changed languages and spoke the Castellano. "Dan, help me look for a couple of trees we can lay across real quick."

They took a few minutes before they found two different trees that their light suits could knock down, but were large enough to make for decent enough footing. Then they had to carry them to crossing, heave the logs across so that they bridged it, and then dug the dirt around the ends on both sides of the bank – the latter easily accessible to a trooper wearing power armor – to make the logs stable. Then the two humans were about to move and start cutting off branches that were in the way, but the shaman's honor guard already began to work on that, and so the Republic soldiers simply waited for the others to join them.

"That was an impressive display," Garkayo said with a hint of awe in his voice. "Do you do this sort of thing all the time?"

Van Horn shrugged. "No, not really," he said nonchalantly.

"Really? Because it seemed like you knew exactly what to do," Garkayo said after urging his guards onward, thus starting everyone moving again. Van Horn took off his helmet and shrugged again. "Well, humans are inventive. Give us an obstacle and we'll find two or three ways around it."

"Fascinating," Garkayo muttered. "Very fascinating. Ah, but we're almost there," he said, waving a hand forward to indicate the path ahead. Van Horn looked up and saw that it wound around a small hill and disappeared off to the right.

Despite the overall situation, he felt a thrill. _No anthropologist in his right mind would pass up a chance to visit an ancient city that helped shape the culture of everyone on a planet!_ Van Horn felt a pang of guilt over this excitement. _I know I shouldn't feel this elated when there's a war going on… But damnit, I'm only human…_

Then the group walked around the dark hillside, and they saw before them the ruins. Everyone paused then; to take in the sight as much as they could given the darkness, though the light of the planet's moon helped.

Finally, Castellano muttered something. "What a dump. Ah!" Van Horn's sudden elbow to Castellano's midsection was enough to push the trooper aside, thus prompting the surprised noise he made. Then the pale-skinned trooper flushed and turned to look back at Alexis and Mikula. "I'm sorry, you two, I…" He trailed off then, as he saw the two natives just staring in open eyed wonder.

* * *

Alexis heard Castellano say something, or rather, two somethings, but she was beyond caring at that moment. _It's real… Oh Gods, it's real!_ Somehow, the idea hadn't fully entered her mind until that moment, when she was staring up at it.

Ahead, the path sloped gently upwards until it reached another area of relatively flat land, and the forest thinned out considerably, leaving only a few sparse trees to block a portion of the moon and starlight.

What caught Alexis' attention the most, however, were the buildings. They were more than the simple domiciles of gatón villagers, even more impressive than any single-family dwelling. They rose anywhere from two to three stories, and they were scattered all around the ruins. Other buildings resembled warehouses, since they were low and wide, and they clustered together just behind several of the common buildings.

But by far the greatest attention was lavished upon the central structure, which rose twice as high as any other building, and it was built differently, as well. Where the other structures were rectangular, long, and had a squat appearance, the central building was a round, dome topped structure that rose out of a rectangular base.

All over, the city appeared to have been overgrown somewhat with local flora, though the high climate had stunted the plants' growth and kept them from fully covering and/or demolishing the ruins.

"Amazing," Alexis breathed. "It's… Just amazing." _So much how I envisioned it… And yet, how very alien it looks_.

"This is like a dream," Mikula commented quietly from beside her. "It's so strange… I never expected to stand here."

"Well, let us go, then," Garkayo said reverently, and he gestured for everyone to start off again. They did so, and soon they were approaching the outer buildings. Alexis gawked and squinted and did all sorts of things in between to try and get a clearer image of the city. _I don't care if I'll see it tomorrow! I want to drink it all in now!_

The group passed over some sort of raised lip in the pathway, though none paid attention to it save to step over it, and then they were on a stone pavement. Alexis looked down and bent forward to wipe some of the dirt and debris that had collected on the ground. Once uncovered, Alexis recognized the stone as being the same, gray native rock that lined the valley walls.

Then the group was moving again, and this time van Horn was leading them, having put his helmet on to activate his flashlight and image recorders so as to save the moment for posterity. _Hell, not just ours, but the lupar and gatón's as well_, he thought as he walked forward, towards the central structure. _It looks pretty big, probably could hold at least half of our wards_.

"Vanhorn," Garkayo said, compressing the soldier's surname as other natives had done before. "Where are you heading to?"

Earl paused and turned back to look at the others. "That main building, it could protect a lot of the people we're guarding. I want to check it to make sure it's safe." _Not to mention see any of the treasures that might be inside_, he completed the thought silently. He of course didn't mean treasure as gold or jewels, but rather, the treasure of knowledge that one could glean from whatever could be found inside.

But Garkayo shook his head sadly as he slowly walked up to where van Horn waited for him. "I am afraid that that building has been blocked off for as long as anyone can remember."

Van Horn, frowned, but then remembered he had his helmet on, and he cleared his throat to show his confusion. "I do not understand."

Garkayo stopped by the human and sighed. "It is, as I've said, blocked off. All of the entranceways were sealed up so long ago that no one knows why. We can only assume that the Gods did not anyone wanting to trespass in their arcane temple."

_More like some past shaman who didn't like what he saw in there is more like it_, van Horn thought acidly. But he nodded and made sure his tone was polite. "Then we shall not use it. Still," he went on, hoping for a chance to at least be near the massive structure. "Perhaps we should look over it again. There might be an open entranceway that might have been missed, or maybe one is hidden as a test?" Van Horn didn't really believe it, but he was hoping against hope at that point.

Garkayo sighed sadly, but he nodded. "Very well. Please, though, I need to rest," he added, turning to walk for a fallen log that lay along the street. "Go ahead without me."

Van Horn nodded. "Of course, shaman. Now, if you'll excuse me?" He waited for a slight nod from Garkayo, and then turned and walked quickly for the structure.

Alexis, Mikula, and Castellano all shared a look before Dan shrugged and started off after van Horn. The two natives then made their excuses and went to join their friends, while one of the guards – Joru, as it turned out – followed along.

The trio of natives came upon where van Horn and Castellano were walking along, the latter having been coaxed by Earl into taking his own recordings of the place. Although with their helmets on, they appeared the same, Alexis could tell by the way one looked intently over every detail of the outer wall of the structure that it was van Horn. Gathering up Mikula and Joru by eye, she led them over to where the humans had paused.

Van horn was moving an armored hand over the wall to dislodge some vines. "This is amazing work! Dan, look at the way these bricks are mortared, it's so well crafted."

"Uh-huh," Castellano replied, using the tone of one who is bored but still humoring the boring one.

Van Horn, however, didn't seem to notice the tone. Or if he did, he didn't care. Alexis was betting on the latter, and she came up and tapped the anthropologist's shoulder. "Earl, the way you're acting, you'd think you were born on this world," she said with a smile.

Van Horn turned and looked at her for a moment. Then the sound of his chuckle could be heard through his speakers. "Ah, too true, Alexis. I'm just excited," he said and then turned and walked off, causing the others to jog a bit to catch up. Van Horn didn't notice, and he continued talking. "It's just that, you'll remember what I told you? That I was studying your peoples?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Well, this is like finding a book that describes half of how your people are!" Van Horn commented excitedly. "Why, I'll bet that… That…" His voice trailed off then, as he saw something underneath some more vines. It was a decoration of some sort, and the anthropologist walked over to it and gently brushed aside the plants.

Alexis then saw him stiffen up, which was a singularly hard thing to notice in a person wearing nearly seven hundred kilograms of armor, but van Horn's reaction was profound enough to make it easily noticeable. "Earl, are you okay?" Alexis asked, concerned.

"I… I… I…" Van Horn's voice just repeated the single pronoun, and his visor was clearly locked onto the wall's decoration, which none of the others had seen yet, as they had stopped when van Horn had, and thus were at an angle.

"Doc, what's wrong?" Castellano asked, and he pulled his weapon to the ready. "You're creepin' us out, here." He then walked over to van Horn and was about to reach a hand up to shake the good doctor, when he too, saw the decoration and froze. "What the fuck?"

"What is it?" Alexis asked, confused, and she too walked over to where the humans stared at the wall, with Mikula and Joru close behind. Then she saw the decoration, and her mind, body, and very _soul_ stopped in their tracks. "What…?" Came the hoarse whisper. "How can this be?"

"It can be, Alexis," van Horn said, his voice now back to at least a dark shadow of its former self. He went on in this grave-like tenor. "It can be, because this place was never called Basun by its occupants." He turned around then and yanked off his helmet to show his almost-crazy expression. "They called it _Base One_."


	43. Chapter 43

"It's called _what?_" The familiar voice half-yelled over the frequency.

Van Horn grimaced as he triggered his radio. "Captain, this place, this so-called city… It's a human settlement, and the sign we found says it's called 'Base One.'"

"'Base One' of _what_?" Tanaka asked hotly. "Who built it? How long ago? Or more importantly, is there anything we can use?"

Van Horn shook his head, which didn't convey anything to Tanaka as the anthropologist-soldier was still standing in the ruins, along with Castellano, who was looking around, and Alexis and Mikula, both sitting on the ground in shock.

_Not that I blame them_, van Horn thought as he triggered the radio once again. "Captain, I told you, we just found the sign, and then we told the locals to head back while we checked some things." _Apparently, that Joru character seeing us spooked gave 'em the willies_, he added mentally for his own running tally of the situation. "Preliminary scans show structural reinforcement with iron rebar in every building, and several, including the main structure we found the sign on, are almost entirely ferrous, save for an outer façade of stone."

"So you're sayin' that you don't know jack shit?" Tanaka asked, her already-frayed nerves stretched to general annoyance with this bombshell.

Van Horn sighed again. "Unfortunately, yes," he admitted. "I sent Corporal Castellano scoutin' around, lookin' for any more signs or artifacts that're layin' out in the open, but with the looks of this place, I wouldn't be surprised if he finds nothin.'"

The radio was silent for a bit before Tanaka spoke again. "So, you are absolutely sure that you have no idea who built that place, or why?"

"No sir, only that they weren't natives and they used English on their signs." Van Horn turned around at this and looked over the sign again.

It was a rectangular, blue sign not painted onto the wall, but it was bolted on with four seven-millimeter bolts at the corners. On it was the typical white block lettering that one would expect to find in a military base or corporate warehouse or a research station. However, this sign was on a planet that was nearly a thousand light-years from Terra, a planet that hadn't been charted until the Republic had discovered it two decades ago.

Tanaka's sigh came over the channel then. "Okay, doc, in your opinion, is the place safe enough to keep the Kaytorians?"

Van Horn frowned within his helmet. "Captain, this is an important-"

"'-Archaeological discovery and we shouldn't disturb it,' you're going to say?" Tanaka said, finishing Earl's thought. He took a breath and spoke again in a slightly cold fashion. "Essentially, yes."

Tanaka sighed again. "Look, doc, if we had a choice, I'd agree with you. But for now, we need to keep these natives somewhere safe and preferably, a place with a fuckin' roof and walls. I mean, you _want_ them to freeze?"

Van Horn blushed deeply, and he shut his eyes tightly. "No… No, of course not," he said dejectedly. "You're right, of course, captain." He paused and sighed then. "Castellano and I are going to check things out some more, though it'd probably help if you could send the rest of Sierra squad to help us look for… Well, anything that we wouldn't expect."

"I'll take that under consideration," Tanaka replied. "I need to confer with my passel of lieutenants, and then I'll get back to you. For now, just look around as much as you can. You are authorized to do whatever you need to do to get information from the ruins, short of endangering lives."

Van Horn felt his blood run cold. "Captain, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I am," Tanaka replied businesslike. "Doc, right now my job is to keep people alive, and I do _not_ like surprises in this regard; triply so when we have a surprise of this scale. So if you have to demolish something to get hard data, do it."

His lips pressed into a thin line, van Horn took a few calming breaths. "Of course, captain," he replied as neutrally as he can. _Because she's right. Innocent lives are at stake._ "I'll be sure to leave no stone unturned."

"Good, and if it'll make you feel better, you can blame everything on me if your scientist friends get all huffy," Tanaka replied with a note of satisfaction. "Now, I've got to set up a conference. Stay in touch, Oni One out." With that, the channel became quiet.

Van Horn shook his head and looked around the ruins again, this time with light-amplification circuits making the area a monochromatic sea of green. The nearest buildings, now that he knew which species built them, looked less impressive and more like simple dwellings. _Still, pretty big though_, he thought as he critically gazed at the nearest one. _Two stories, easily, maybe could hold a large family… But there wouldn't have been families_, he realized this suddenly. _'Base One,' that implies a specific setup, not a colony. Probably wouldn't be any families… Unless it was an extended duty posting…_ With that, van Horn made a decision and started walking for the structure.

Movement and a voice from behind made him pause. "Earl, where are you going?" Mikula asked quietly. Van Horn turned around then and took a look over his two native friends.

Mikula seemed to have taken it a bit better, and though he looked haggard, his face still held animation. Unlike Alexis, who seemed just to stare off into space, her face blank.

_Must be from the way they were both raised_, van Horn thought. _The few gatón stories I've heard meld Basun into their religion more than the lupar's._ With a mental sigh, the anthropologist-soldier made his thoughts shift back to the present. "I'm going to look over that nearby building," he said and pointed towards the structure that was his destination. "Are you two going to be all right by yourselves?"

Mikula blinked slowly, his mind still apparently slowed by the night's revelation. "Yes… Yes, we should be fine," he said with a slow nod. "I have a flashlight and a radio."

"Good," van Horn replied with a nod of his own. "I shouldn't be too long, and Dan ought to be back soon, as well. Call if you have any problems." With that, he turned and walked the last few meters to the building.

Moving up to an obvious entranceway, van Horn briefly wondered why there was no door. Then he noticed the metal hinges set into the stone, and he realized that the building must have had a door at one time. _It must have either been stolen, or maybe it was wood and rotted away… But then, why would a military or mining or research base not use good plastic doors? Or even use treated wood? The stuff we have now makes wood last for centuries._ He concluded that it must have been stolen, and then began looking around the edges of the doorframe for anything that might shed more light on the situation.

Brushing off some more climbing plants that had gone dormant for the winter, van Horn quickly found another marking. It was a simple, small sign, painted on to the right of the door and thus worn by time, but still readable. White letters over a black field simply stated the name, "Dr. Garcia."

_Doctor?_ Van Horn mused, his curiosity rising. _So maybe this _was_ a research post after all… But that still doesn't answer who, what, when and why?_ He brushed the entire doorframe clean, but found nothing else but stone.

_Wait a minute…_ Van Horn looked more closely at the building itself, and he switched from night vision and back to visilight and turned on his helmet-mounted flashlight. _There's no mortar… This isn't stone, it's concrete_.

Confused, the anthropologist turned back to look towards the central building, and he used his suit's visor to zoom in to the patch he had originally uncovered. _Those are definitely stone and mortar… This is very odd_. Turning back to the door, van Horn leaned forward and looked into the interior.

A small hallway extended straight back, appearing to stretch the full width of the building. Three doorways led off into different rooms, two at the front, and one in the back and right. A small nook opposite of the far doorway looked to be a stairwell, though any stairs it had once contained appeared to be missing.

Looking left, van Horn saw that a single, large room took up a third of the building's ground area. The floor was a terrible mess of rotting plants, dead animal carcasses, and other telltales of forest animals using the room for shelter. However, several large objects stood up from the floor, and van Horn quickly realized that they were long metal tables, or desks. _Don't know for sure, though_, he thought.

Turning to the right, the good doctor saw that this room was half the size of the first one, making it about four meters square. The floor was a mess, as well, though less so, since apparently animals didn't care for the tighter confines. No furniture was evident, though there were marks on the walls that looked to have been made for mounting shelves.

At this, Earl began walking forward at a trepid pace, glancing down every few steps to make sure he wasn't about to plunge into an unknown basement or step into something he'd rather not have to scrape off. He quickly traversed the few meters to the end of the hall and looked into the room on the right.

This one was similar to the last room he had checked, though this had a single table stretching down the middle of it, the furnishing apparently bolted to the wall. On one side there was a pile of some sort of material lying on the ground next to the wall, and the walls themselves bore more marks that would denote the mounting of some sort of furnishing or piece of equipment.

Deciding to risk moving into the room, van Horn slowly took the few steps to the mess lying against the wall, and he bent over and picked up a piece. Hefting it carefully, he found the material to be the smashed pieces of an apparently flat stone counter cut from the native rock of the valley.

A chill went up van Horn's spine as if he were being watched, and he had to check his HUD several times before he could make the feeling subside. _Someone walked over my grave_, he thought as he gently laid the piece back on top of its fellows, and then stood up. _Or rather, I'm walkin' over someone else's grave… And through it_. Slowly, he backed out of the room and turned to face the nook opposite of the doorway.

It was, as he had suspected, a stairwell. It was not a large one, and van Horn reasoned that it must have held a spiral staircase. _Not enough room for a conventional set. Though, I wonder where the stairs went?_

Van Horn moved into the nook and looked up to see that the opening onto the next floor was still clear, and above he saw the underside of the building's concrete roof. _Those edges look pretty solid…_ With that, Earl made sure the equipment strapped to his armor was secure, and then he did a small hop. It wasn't enough to ignite his jump jets, but it was enough for him to reach up and grab the lip of the opening and haul himself up just enough to look into the space above.

The top floor was entirely open, save for the exterior walls that framed the space. Here the floor was relatively clean, with only a few small piles of leaves and other detritus here and there. Unlike the bottom floor, this one had windows spaced evenly around the outer walls, though there were only six that van Horn counted before he dropped back to the ground floor; he hadn't seen anything else of interest.

_This is really, really creepy_, the scientist thought as he made his way back out of the building and looked over it again. _And I think I know why. This is, or was, rather, a home for someone. Someone human, who spoke English, I'd assume, given the signs._ A shudder went through his body then. _It's times like these that make you wonder if ghost stories aren't real after all_.

A sudden spike of static in his earphones told van Horn of an incoming radio transmission. "Doc, you might want to come over here," Castellano's voice sounded. "This is… Fuck, I don't know what this is. It's just big fuckin' shit and I'd like you to tell me what it is before I start blowing things up."

Van Horn let out a brief chuckle, Castellano's joke helping to lift both of their moods a bit. "Okay, Dan, we'll be coming," he replied.

* * *

Alexis followed along behind van Horn, and Mikula trailed her as the three walked through the ruins, heading for the series of warehouse-like buildings standing in one corner of the complex. She walked almost mechanically, barely keeping herself from tripping over the root or vine that poked upwards through the stone pavement.

_How can this be true?_ She wondered and glanced around again. What had seemed almost a miracle to her earlier in the day now seemed like s cruel joke. _This is Basun… But it's not! It's a human base… But, Shubasu, the Shaman Garkayo, our stories…Are they all wrong? Are _all_ our beliefs wrong?_ Alexis felt as if the world had turned itself inside out, and had left her behind during the process.

Ahead, a new light source grabbed Alexis' attention, and she looked up to see the flashlight flick off so that it wouldn't blind the trio walking up. Blinking her eyes a few times, Alexis finally recognized the shape of Castellano in his armor standing in the darkness, next to a large doorway that led into the nearest of the large, low buildings.

"Glad y'all could make it," Castellano said as the others walked up. "Didn't know that you were coming for sure since I didn't get the R.S.V.P."

Van Horn shook his helmeted head a bit. "Funny, but in all seriousness, what do you want us to see?"

"It's in here," Castellano replied in more serious tone and turned to point into the large building. He also turned his helmet-mounted flashlight on to add to van Horn's as the anthropologist also swept his gaze inside. Alexis and Mikula, not knowing what else to do, walked up and joined the two humans as they scanned over the interior.

The inside was not like any native-built building that Alexis had ever seen. The floor was a wide, open mess of the typical debris that one finds in abandoned buildings, and an occasional pillar of metal rose up to support the roof. But other than that, there were no major partitions that blocked the line of sight.

_At least not fully_, Alexis realized as she saw the light from van Horn's helmet lamp reflect off of something that looked to be a skeletal wall, until she realized that they were bars. Following van Horn's lighted gaze, Alexis saw the outlines of a large cage or holding pen emerge from the darkness, though its door was lying on the ground after coming off of its hinges.

Nearer to the doorway, Castellano's own light swept over several large tables and desks that appeared to be made of metal or plastic, and several had what looked to be some sort of equipment on them. What that equipment was, no one could tell, for much of it had been smashed and/or covered with dust, dirt, and debris.

Dan's light swept deeper into the building, and Alexis followed the patch of illumination as it came to rest on more holding pens of some sort, many of which had openings to the outside within their confines.

"What the fucking hell?" Van Horn muttered aloud. "What's with all this?"

"That's what I was hoping you'd tell me, doc," Castellano replied quietly. "Looks like some sort of brig to me, 'cept for those holes in the walls." He just shook his head then. "But this isn't all of it. Come on." With that, the trooper turned and began to walk off for the next building, prompting the others to follow.

It was a short walk to the next building, and here the same, wide doorway granted access to the inside. Unlike the previous building, however, this one was clearly subdivided, as walls greeted the soldiers' eyes no less than three meters away. A small foyer of sorts led to a pair of hallways, both of which went back into the building. Doorways opened into dark rooms along either passageway, and the ends of the halls were gray splotches in the small helmet lights.

"Almost looks like an office," van Horn spoke first.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Castellano agreed. "I was going to check it out, but then I decided to see the third building." He turned and pointed off towards the next warehouse-like structure. "That's when I called you."

Van Horn grunted. "Well, let's take a look in here before we move on," he said and then turned to look at Alexis and Mikula, turning off his light so he wouldn't blind them. "You two should stay here while we look through here."

"Why not, Earl?" Mikula asked from beside Alexis, who still was just numbly staring at everything. _Why not?_ She thought. _I don't think anything could possibly make things any worse_.

Van Horn, however, sighed aloud. "Because, these buildings are old, very old. If we bump into something accidentally, it could cause the whole thing to collapse. That won't be so bad for Dan, and me since we're armored. But you two…" His voice trailed off then.

Mikula nodded sagely. "I see. We'll wait here then."

Van Horn nodded back and looked towards Alexis. The gatón looked up at Earl and nodded slightly, but she said nothing, which made the human start to worry about her. _It's one thing to be in shock, but letting it overwhelm you…_ He took a breath and forced himself to turn towards the building's interior again. _She might just need time, and you have a job to do_, van Horn reminded himself and then took the first few steps inside. Castellano soon followed him, and they both started down the left hand hallway.

Alexis watched them go, and then after Castellano's form moved into the hall, she sat down on the ground. Absentmindedly, she crossed her legs and curled her tail around herself before she dipped her head down to stare at the ground.

The sound and feeling of movement beside her told Alexis that Mikula had followed her lead in sitting down. However, she was surprised when she felt his arms wrapping around her, pulling her into a hug, and he placed his head right behind hers, resting it on her shoulders.

Her face a study in surprise, Alexis tried to turn around in Mikula's arms so she could look him in the eye. "Mikula, what?" She asked softly, lacking any hint of negative emotion.

"You looked like you needed it," he replied. "And besides," his voice dropped lower then. "I _know_ that I needed it."

Alexis felt warmth begin to replace the apathetic shock within her, and her eyes teared up as she returned Mikula's embrace. "Th- thank you," she whispered into his large ear.

* * *

Van Horn stalked down the hall slowly, again watching the floor for any telltales that could indicate a potential pitfall. As much as he looked, however, van Horn began to feel more and more like he had an idea of who built the place, and why. _But I still need to find the evidence_. He then reached the first door and held up a hand to tell Castellano to hold. The other trooper did, and van Horn cautiously peered around the frame.

The room was a fairly large one, five meters by six, though what drew van Horn's attention weren't the dimensions, but rather, the centerpiece of the room. Standing in the middle was a large, meter-high metal table, and around it were several overturned carts and stands. The table itself appeared somewhat disturbing, as it had straps on it that clearly were intended to restrain a person.

Van Horn Shuddered and he moved aside and waved Castellano over. The medic/trooper moved to stand next to the doctor and looked inside for a moment before he, too, shuddered. "What the holy hell?" Castellano muttered. Then he glanced over at van Horn. "Just what the fuck is this place?"

"You're the medic, you tell me," van Horn commented dryly. "Notice the fixtures on the ceiling over the table?"

Castellano looked up then, and he made a surprised noise that worked its way past his helmet speakers. "Jesus, those are lights aren't they?" He asked surprisedly, and then went on without waiting for an answer. "This is a fucking operating theater. Though, I've never seen one with restraining straps."

Van Horn just grunted and turned to move on down the hall. After a moment, Castellano followed along, and they went to the next door, and then to the next. Each of the six rooms along the hall was a similarly equipped room, each in varying degrees of disarray, but all obvious in designed use.

At the end of the hall, they found that it made a right angle turn to meet up with the other hall the building had, and down this connection was another doorway, as large as the one that had gained them entrance into the building. Through it, they saw a large room that was mainly empty, save for the trash and detritus that was everywhere. However, there were regular rises in the debris on the floor, and van Horn observed that they were ordered like beds in a hospital ward.

The pair of humans continued on, heading away from the alleged ward and up along the other hallway. The doorways in this section entered into smaller rooms, some of which still had metal desks, or at least the recognizable chunks of them. Others were stark empty, save for rotting vegetation, though one held some bones that appeared to have come from a small daukner.

"This is all really, really creepy," Castellano observed as the two moved into the building's foyer. "This is like something from an old trivid show, one of those ones that deals with haunted ruins of lost colonies and shit."

"Don't remind me," van Horn grunted out as they walked for the entrance. "I was in one of those smaller buildings earlier. Damn place gave me the willies." He was about to say more when he and Dan stopped to see Mikula and Alexis just sitting in a mutual hug.

"Awww," Castellano said aloud, causing Alexis and Mikula to start and quickly stand up. They both blushed, which elicited chuckles from the Republic trooper. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself," Castellano said.

"That's okay," Mikula replied, still blushing. "It's fine. What did you see in there?" He asked, hoping to change the subject.

Van Horn, however, would have none of that. "Let's not worry about it for now," he said quickly before Castellano could say anything. "Dan, let's look at the third building, now, and see what spooked you more than this one."

Castellano just nodded, and he turned and headed off for the third and final warehouse-like structure, and van Horn, Mikula, and Alexis followed along.

* * *

Alexis still felt the heat of her blush on her face and in her ears, but she moved along, still feeling the warmth within, as well. Although part of it might've been from holding another so close for several minutes, Alexis knew it was far more than that.

_Though, what _is_ it then?_ She asked herself as the group trudged over to the next building. But even as the question formed, an answer was forthcoming. _Because, Alexis, although this is a big shock, a terribly disappointment perhaps, it's not the end of the world. And, most certainly, it's not the end of your relationship with Mikula_.

The warm feeling rose in strength, but Alexis had little time in contemplating it before the small group reached the next set of doors. This time, however, Castellano halted them a few paces short and turned around to look at van Horn and began to speak in a dialect that Alexis didn't understand.

"Aybemay ourway iendsfray ouldshay otnay eesay isthay?" He asked. To which the good doctor drew himself upright in a show of annoyance. "Ofway oursecay eythay ouldshay," he replied in the same, confusing dialect that made Alexis' head spin.

The two used an obscure dialect known to humans as "pig latin," and it translated as Castellano asking "maybe our friends should not see this," to which van Horn had replied, "of course they should."

Alexis knew none of this, though, and from the confused look she saw on Mikula's face, neither did he. But before either native could speak up, Castellano turned around and headed for the doorway, with van Horn following close behind.

Alexis and Mikula shared a look before they followed along, and by the time they caught up the few steps, van Horn and Castellano were already looking into the building. "Wow… This just keeps getting better and better," van Horn said sarcastically as Alexis poked her head between the two humans.

Like the first building, this one was undivided by walls, but this was by far not the most striking feature. That honor was reserved for the three long rows of cylindrical devices that stood canted at an angle on large stands that rose a full decimeter off the floor. Arms rose from these stands to cradle the large cylinders, and the base and arms looked to be made of metal, while the tubes themselves appeared to be a form of glass or clear plastic.

Standing next to each of these contraptions were tables or other such furnishings, each one having some sort of device sitting atop it, and wires lay everywhere around them, some leading to the cylindrical gadgets, others leading to a central line that ran down the back of each row. These three trunk lines converged at the end of the rows at a large piece of equipment that looked suspiciously like the main computer of some sort of vessel.

"Sweet fucking H. Christ," van Horn muttered. "What in the name of all that is holy is this shit?"

"You're the guy with the doctorate, Earl," Castellano replied. "Why don't you tell me?"

Van Horn just turned off his helmet light and shook his head. "I have an idea… But there's no proof, yet."

Alexis frowned and looked up at the human. "Proof of what, Earl?"

"Of what I've suspected for some time now," van Horn replied mysteriously. "And I think I know where that proof is…" His voice trailed off then, and he turned his head to look off into the distance. Alexis and the others turned as well and followed his gaze, and they found themselves looking at the central building.

* * *

The sound of stones being pulled out seemed mind-numbingly loud to van Horn as he and Castellano removed the blocking wall from one of the main building's entrances. However, when he checked the sound monitor of his suit's sensor suite, he found that it was hardly louder than the noise a man made whenever he ran in his armor over a hard stone surface. _It must be the defacing of a monument that's makin' me nervous_, van Horn thought wryly.

Their helmet lights were augmented by the twin flashlights of Mikula and Alexis, who stood back a few meters so that their lights' beams would blanket the area, giving a decent base illumination that the lights from the scout armor amplified where needed. Thus, the two humans had a good view as they yanked stones out, using their armor's strength to simply pry apart the old mortar and remove the set stones.

"I think this is the last of it," Castellano commented as he reached into the third layer of the wall and began to yank the topmost stones out. Bits of mortar and stone fragments rained down in a miniature avalanche, coming to rest on the pile of such material that had formed at the base of the entranceway.

They needed another few minutes, but soon they had removed all of the stones down the lowest layer, and the doorway now stood as a gaping black hole. Van Horn turned to look at his friends and took in a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing," he said and then turned and walked in, drawing his pistol as he did so.

The good doctor turned his head about, letting his helmet's light play across the various features, though soon that light was assisted by Castellano's, and then by the lights held by Mikula and Alexis as the others followed the anthropologist in.

The room was different from the ones that were in the other buildings of the ruins. It was fairly well sized, though the exact dimensions were hidden by the rapidly shifting shadows. In one corner was a wooden desk, and behind that was a chair made from the same material. Drawn to it, van Horn slowly approached the two furnishings, carefully re-holstering his pistol as he went.

Although the sealing of the building had apparently worked – the floors were clear of forest debris – a thick coat of dust lay upon everything, and van Horn slowly, carefully wiped some of this material off of the desk.

_Real wood alright_, the doctor thought, and he cleared more dust off, careful to avoid mixing it too much with the air. "Odd," he muttered aloud. "This desk is wood, but the cut looks far too rough to be a manufactured piece."

"So what does that mean, exactly?" Castellano asked as he pointed his light and his own sidearm down the short hall that led from the entry room.

"I'm not exactly sure…" Van Horn said quietly as he moved to inspect the chair. Again, he carefully swept part of its surface clean. "This chair's made the same way… Doesn't even have padding."

"So, now what?" Castellano asked as he kept sweeping his light and gun down the hall. "Is there anything here you can use, doc?"

Van Horn checked the backside of the desk before turning around and shaking his head. "I'm afraid not. This thing's very basic, no drawers." He sighed then and pointed his light down the same hall Dan was covering. "We need to go deeper."

Castellano sighed. "I was afraid you were gonna say that," he said with a quick shake of his head. "All right, how do you want to do this?"

Van Horn frowned, but then remembered he still had his helmet on. "Dan, if you hadn't noticed, the ground's clear, 'cept for dust," he said slowly. "This place has been sealed for a few centuries, at least. I don't think anyone's gonna pop out and say, 'boo.'"

Castellano stopped in his sweeping movements, and then slowly chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said and began to holster his weapon. "I think that this whole thing's just given me the willies."

"You're not the only one," Mikula added from behind the two humans, who started a bit before they remembered who else was there. "Jeeze, that took about ten years off of my life," Castellano muttered grumpily, though he then chuckled to show that he was only joking.

"I apologize," Mikula said most earnestly.

"Don't bother," Castellano replied with a wave. "It was my fault I wasn't paying attention."

"In any case," van Horn said in a clear tone. "Let's get back on track. I'll lead, Alexis and Mikula will follow, and Dan, you take the caboose and check our six."

"I thought you weren't worried about surprises?" Castellano said as he moved aside to let van Horn pass. The latter shrugged as he entered the hallway. "Well, there's a big hole in the wall behind us, if you hadn't noticed," he said in passing.

"Yeah, well, just don't tell my mom," Castellano replied jokingly. "Well, lead on, doc."

Van Horn grunted and then moved toward and then past Castellano, and he headed into the hall. The others fell into formation behind him as instructed, and Earl concentrated on studying the walls, floor, and ceiling for any defects that could cause a collapse. Fortunately, the hall was stable, and the four moved past doorways that led into more rooms that held desks, tables, and chairs.

Then they came to the end of the hall, which formed a T-junction with another, curved hall. Van Horn held up a hand to indicate for the others to halt before he carefully stuck his head around the corner.

The next hall, he saw, was not only curved, but indeed, seemed to be entirely circular. _Or so it seems_, van Horn mentally cautioned himself. _Doesn't mean there ain't a blockage somewhere… All, well, don't worry 'bout it now_. With that, he arbitrarily decided to go left, and the good doctor waved his friends on as he moved forward. The hall had a gentle curve, they noticed, and it seemed to run the entire circumference of the large dome.

"Doc," Castellano said after the group had passed two other halls leading away from the dome. "I'm getting' a shitload of ferrous off to our right."

"So am I," van Horn responded calmly. He didn't offer anything more, however, and Dan cleared his throat. "So, you don't seem surprised."

"I'm not," van Horn replied as the hall they followed finally reached its terminus. "And here's why," he said and moved inside the room that the circular hall ended in. The others quickly followed, and then all four soldiers stopped once inside.

It was a large hall, leading straight from the dome section of the building to the outer wall, though the doorway to the outside was, predictably, blocked off. A set of four columns seemed to prop up the room at the corners, while along the sides of the walls were pictures, hung in old-fashioned wood frames. If there was any doubt as to which race had built the settlement, they were now destroyed as the newcomers saw the images of humans peer out at them from traditional, two-dimensional photographs.

The biggest surprise by far, however, was the large staircase that jutted out from the right side of the hall, directly opposite of the outer doorway. It was a simple, straight staircase that went up at a steep, forty-five degree angle into a dark recess within the wall.

"Wow…" Castellano muttered. "This is some serious Egyptian shit here."

"Sort of," van Horn replied quietly, and then he walked for the stairs. The others followed him slowly until they were all standing at the base of the steps, van Horn kneeling down to brush the thick dost from them.

"They're metal," Alexis breathed as van Horn uncovered the first step.

"Metal, with wood planks laid over them," the anthropologist replied. Then he stood up and shined his light up into the doorway that the stairs disappeared into. The dull sheen of painted metal shone back at the small group, and van Horn grunted. "Just as I suspected."

The others all turned their heads to look at him. "Exactly, _what_ did you expect?" Castellano asked half-sarcastically.

"This isn't a building, or at least, it wasn't originally," van Horn replied mysteriously as he began to climb the stairs.

"What the Hell do you mean?" Castellano asked after he took a minute to decide whether to follow the anthropologist or not. Then he started up the stairs after van Horn. "How can it not originally be a building?"

"Simple," van Horn replied as he entered the room atop the stairs. "Before this was a building, it was a DropShip."

* * *

The halls were dark and strangely cold inside the ship, though Alexis wondered if it wasn't just the eeriness of the situation. Van Horn's supposition had been met with confirmation when the group had passed through the narrow airlock and into the cavernous vehicle bay.

They were in that bay now, walking down the center of it as they checked the vehicle cubicles that lined the open space. Each one held either an engineering vehicle or a pair of smaller trucks or jeeps or tractors.

"So, doc," Castellano began after they shone their lights over another multi-purpose engineering tank. "How did you know this was a DropShip, anyway?"

Van Horn just looked over the dusty vehicle for a moment, and then he answered. "In the year 3055, Clan Steel Viper occupied a world I the deep periphery, known as Siroc." He began quietly, just standing and staring at the 40-ton engineering vehicle. "Siroc was discovered by ComStar's Explorer Corps years before, and they had built a supply cache there.

Siroc had been established by a set of colonists who had left the Terran Hegemony over five hundred years before. They slid, technologically, due to diseases that hit their population hard, and they lost much of their history as well." Van Horn paused for breath then, and he shook his head. "I mention this, because the Explorer Corps sent a mercenary unit to drive off the Vipers and rescue the supplies and the team that guarded them. The merc unit, however, unwittingly alerted the clanners, and a running battle ensued, ending in the natives' main city of Châlons.

"The mercs won, but only because they had discovered that the locals' main temple was, in fact, a _Vulture_-class DropShip that had had a building constructed around it. They activated the ship's age-old weapons and used them to surprise the clanners enough so that their allies in the Corps could flank them." Van Horn made a point to look around then. "Once I saw the massive MAD readings from this building, I figured that a similar situation must've occurred here."

Castellano shook his head a bit, causing his light to swing about. "That's one hell of a tale, Earl. Just one thing bugs me about it: How did you find out about that?"

Van Horn chuckled darkly. "Because the CIA is full of sneaky bastards," he said and turned to lead the group to the last set of vehicle bays. "And because I'm an anthropologist with a security clearance, I can get reports that are only slightly classified, so long as they pertain to my field of study."

Castellano chuckled then. "I guess workin' for the Washington Academy opens doors," he said amusedly.

"I suppose it does," van Horn mused aloud as he shined his light into the next bay. "Holy Shit," he said suddenly. "Dan, come look at this."

Castellano and the others hurried to join van Horn, and they all turned to see what had caught the doctor's attention. "Wow," Castellano said quietly. "That's real nice."

"Hell yes," van Horn mused as he looked over the large, 75-ton _Burke_ heavy tank that occupied the last two vehicle bays, which had been combined into one, larger bay so as to accommodate the combat vehicle. "Well, at least we know which era this ship is from."

"Oh?" Castellano asked, turning to look at the good doctor. "Care to enlighten us?"

"Dan, Dan, Dan," van Horn said in a mock reproachful tone. "Didn't you bother to learn your military history?"

"I wasn't plannin' on goin' to OCS anytime soon," Castellano replied in a sullen voice. "So what's up?"

Van Horn chuckled lightly. "This is, obviously, a _Burke_ tank. They were only introduced in 2580."

"'Only,' the man says," Castellano replied with light sarcasm that carried a playful tone inside. "That's still, what? Five hundred years of history?"

"Four hundred ninety-two, to be exact," van Horn answered lightly. "But we can only count half of that, since the _Burke_ was only extensively deployed during the First Star League era. The Successor States never had too many to waste by sending them to guard engineering vehicles," he finished by waving a hand back towards the other vehicle bays."

"I'll take your word for it," Castellano replied dryly. "Still, I wonder if this thing still works?" He said and turned his head around to look over the tank again.

Van Horn chuckled again. "Fell in love already, Danny?"

"Shut your pie hole," Castellano retorted lightly. "I just want it to be a nice, fat target for the enemy mechjocks to shoot while we're sneakin' up behind 'em to rip them a new one."

"I'll drink to that," van Horn replied. Then he sighed. "Well, as interesting as this place is, I don't think we'll find any real answers down here." He turned around, shining his light about until he found what he sought. "Let's take that ladder up to the next deck and see if we can't learn more."

* * *

Mikula followed close behind van Horn as the human led the way up yet another ladder. The group had traveled up nearly a dozen of them, and the lupar, for one, was getting tired, despite the adrenalin that continued to propel him forward.

_I think Earl said that this is the last one, though_, Mikula thought as van Horn disappeared through the hatch in the deck above and pulled himself to the side. Mikula, his flashlight firmly clamped between his jaws, feverously hoped so.

The four newcomers had walked throughout the ship, seeing various infantry barracks, crew quarters, and storage compartments. Van Horn had surmised that, like the ship on Siroc, this vessel was an old, obsolete _Vulture_-class. "Too many troop barracks to be anything else," the anthropologist had said. "Plus, a lot of them were used for colony ships once the militaries stopped using them."

Mikula forced himself to focus on the present as he pulled himself through the same hatch that van Horn had climbed through. Metal-clad hands reached down and got a grip under his arms, and van Horn helped Mikula to the deck. "Thank you," the lupar said.

"No problem," van Horn replied, and then waved for Mikula to stand aside, which the young man did. Alexis came through next, and she was helped similarly to how Mikula had been, and then Castellano pulled himself up and into the room.

Mikula, meanwhile, had been shining his light around the room to get an idea for what it was, and he saw various controls, seats, and monitors arrayed around the hatch in the floor. "I think this is a control room," he said aloud to no one in particular.

"Seems that way," van Horn added casually as he turned and headed for one of the larger control panels. Alexis and Castellano continued to simply check over the other consoles, but Mikula followed van Horn, curious on what the anthropologist would turn up next.

"Hmmm," van Horn hummed aloud, his helmet broadcasting the noise.

"What is it?" Mikula asked as he brought up a hand to cover his nose and mouth as the human brushed dust off of the console.

"This looks to be the communications station where one of the officers would sit… but there's no seat," van Horn replied. "Odd… Wait, what's this?" His voice took on a new tone of surprise as a light flashed on as soon as the doctor's gloved hand touched it.

"Holy shit!" Van Horn exclaimed, causing Mikula's hears to flinch back and the other two in the room to turn around and walk over. "What's up, Earl?" Castellano asked cautiously.

Van Horn just swung his head around to look at the other M.I. trooper. "This thing still has power!"

"You're fucking with me?" Castellano asked in shock, but van Horn just shook his head and turned back to brush more dust off of the console. "I sure the hell ain't, Dan," he replied and studied the writing. "Shit, this is the 'message stored' button."

"Message?" Mikula asked aloud. "Who would leave a message? Or why?"

"I think we can find out," van Horn replied distractedly as he looked over the console's controls. Then he glanced back at Castellano. "You got your recorder ready?"

"Yes," Dan replied quickly with a bob of his head. "Fire away, doc."

Van Horn took a breath as he turned back to look at the console. With a few button pressings, the display screen at the station started to whine as power built up from its mysterious source. A small lamp over the console came on, though it was shaded so that its light would only illuminate the controls, and an LED panel glowed over the legend 'message playback.'

Then the screen flared to life, and the four soldiers stared openly as static faded to show the visage of an older human woman. From the background, she had stood in the same room while recording the message, and the idea gave Mikula the chills. The gray-haired elderly woman, however, radiated a sense of calm warmth, and the lupar focused easily on her words as she began to speak.

"Those of you who are watching this recording are undoubtedly explorers, so let me first congratulate you on reaching this room, despite whatever trials may have been in your path.

"Hopefully, you know who I am, but I cannot assume so, so let me explain." She paused for breath, and then continued on. "My name is Doctor Felicia Garcia. I was born on the planet Dieron in the Terran Hegemony in the year two thousand seven hundred twenty-eight. I received my degrees in genetics and bioengineering from Unity City University on Terra in twenty-seven fifty-six, and since then, I've been working for the Star League Terraforming Corps."

Another pause for breath, and this time, the woman brought up her hands and steepled them beneath her chin. "Hopefully, you will know what that all means. If not, then let me be simple. I was born and educated in the twenty-eighth century, and I learned from the best of the best. Perhaps that sounds arrogant," she paused to shrug then, her hands disappearing again. "But then, false modesty was never my strong suit." At this, she smiled.

"Now that introductions are over with, let me give you the brief story of this place," Garcia said and waved a hand around to indicate the ship and, presumably, the base around it. "I and a team of terraformers, both workers and scientists, were dispatched in this ship – which, by the way is named the _Sable Pine_, in case you were wondering – to help with the recurring environmental extremes encountered on the planet Raldamax in the Outworlds Alliance.

"Things… Did not go exactly as planned," the woman frowned then, and she shook her head. "We don't know, exactly, what happened, only that our transport JumpShip mis-jumped and then suffered a coolant failure in the K-F Drive core. We ended up here, in this star system, and were stranded.

"That normally would have been bad enough, I suppose," Garcia added in an annoyed tone. "But we didn't even know _where_ we arrived. None of our star charts matched the skies, and the system we found ourselves in wasn't like anything on record in this quadrant."

The elder woman paused for breath then, and it became apparent that she was quite tired. "Nevertheless, we decided to stick it out and wait for help. We moved our ships in-system and parked the JumpShip in orbit around this planet's moon. The ship's captain set an automated distress signal to broadcast constantly, and then we all dropped to the planet to build a base and stick it out until help arrived." The old woman snorted at that. "We should've known better, but castaways seldom have need for pessimism.

"In any case, we set up this base, which we called, 'Base One.'" She paused to roll her eyes at that. "So cheesy, I know, but we drew straws, and trust me, you _never_ want to let a mathematician name a place, even if he _is_ a physicist.

"Where was I? Ah, yes, the time of hope and building." The woman's eyes took on a distant look, and a faint smile played across her lips. "We were so busy, working on building a nice little home, safe in the mountains, that we didn't bother to think of our situation." The smile disappeared, and her eyes focused back on the recording device. "It didn't last.

"Thankfully, we weren't the only DropShip. We had some help from the SLDF Corps of Engineers, and they had their own, _Mule_-class ship loaded to the gills with everything we would have needed to fix Raldamax's problems." She paused for breath again. "Not only heavy duty construction material, but also the laboratory equipment we'd need to engineer some living vectors if needed."

Van Horn felt a chill run up his spine as his mind leapt ahead. _Oh God, I was right…_

Uncaring, the recording went on. "Of course, there were some other things that we eventually grabbed from the JumpShip, and we eventually dismantled the _Mule_ as much as we could before it was buried in a landslide." Garcia sighed then. "With these, we managed to get a decent living standard. And, like the scientists we are, we had to figure out what went wrong.

"Doctor Kynes – that physicist I mentioned – came up with this creepy idea, which none of us have proved or disproved, but we latch onto it simply because we have nothing else." She paused then, and anyone watching could tell she was having problems with what she was about to say.

"Now, you may or may not find this unbelievable, but…" She paused to sigh again. "But Jeffery- Er, Dr. Kynes, suggested that the malfunction in the drive core resulted in not only a space jump, but a _time_ jump as well." Her face contorted then, and she shook her head. "It seems ludicrous, but Kynes had all the charts lined up within a few weeks. If he's right, then we traveled not only several hundred light-years off course, but we also went back two _thousand_ years."

"Madre de Dios," Castellano breathed, and van Horn felt almost dizzy. _Time travel? Two _thousand_ years!_ His mind reeled at the implications.

Garcia, apparently, had anticipated the furor that this announcement would have elicited, and she waited patiently on the recording for a few seconds before continuing. "I know, I know, time travel is impossible according to all known physics. However, Dr. Kynes was most emphatic, and, well, it does explain the lack of any deep space transmissions one usually picks up this far into the rim." She sighed again, the idea still apparently irritating her sensibilities. "Kynes had some interesting ideas, something about the nature of K-F Fields and the implication of time travel by some lost theorems of Kearny and Fuchida… But none of the rest of us can follow it. Even captain Byrne, our former JumpShip commander, can't make heads or tails of it.

"Still, without any evidence to the contrary, we've had to adopt this as a working hypothesis." Garcia closed her eyes then, as she seemed to peel back her memories. "We figured, then, that we were stuck here, and we'd better make it a real colonization attempt. Only, there was one, major flaw." Her eyes opened, and in them van Horn saw pits of sadness. "We didn't have enough people for true genetic diversity. After a few generations, the recessives would have built up enough to kill off the colony after only six generations.

"So we had to find new genetic material… And, it so happened that there was already a species on this planet that was half-evolved already into sentience." Garcia's face twisted then into a curious mix of sadness, stoic control, and self-disgust. "They resembled Terran tigers, and had rudimentary language and tool making abilities. They were, roughly, equal to _Homo Habilis_. Please note, the use of the word 'were.'"

Van Horn, Castellano, and Mikula all glanced to Alexis, who was simply staring at the monitor in shock. _What- what is she saying!_ The gatón's mind reeled, but the recording went on. "Using our vehicles, we managed to capture several of these natives, get DNA samples, and then began to work." Garcia bit her lower lip then, and she closed her eyes. "It was slow, at first, introducing retroviruses to rewrite some of the natives' DNA. We improved sight and intelligence by a small margin in the captured natives, but our greatest success was with their offspring.

"I'll admit it, I'm going to Hell," Garcia said, her voice low, and a tear rolled from her right eye as she turned her head away from the camera. "I… I won't go into the other details. There is a written report attached to this message, and hopefully, if the databank held this recording, then it would have held that report, as well. Read that if you want the sordid details.

"Suffice it to say," the old woman continued, her voice becoming stronger. "We began to infuse our human DNA with that of the natives' to create what, I hope, you will see today; a race of small, civilized bipeds with the traits of their native ancestors and those of Terran genes, including some tiger genes we had the coding to, so that they would have the strength to fight against natural predators." She wiped her eyes then, and turned to look straight into the camera again. "But that wasn't the end of it, unfortunately.

"While we loved and cherished our creations - our 'children,' if you will – we noticed that they were still a bit too… Content." Garcia sighed then. "They were the ideal of the 'nature's child' crap that anti-technology cults indulge in. Only this time, it wasn't quite crap. Our new race was happy to live simply off of this planet's bounty.

"This, however, breeds complacency and, potentially, extinction." Garcia tilted her head forward and closed her eyes again as she recounted the story. "We had thought that by creating racial diversity, we'd generate the kind of mutual competition and, ultimately, distrust that would keep our children evolving, progressing, developing well into the future.

"We were wrong," Garcia said and then raised her head and stared into the camera again with open eyes. "I suppose we were too perfect in our design… Or else we didn't go far enough. Whatever the cause, there wasn't the sort of impulse that drives humanity to perfect itself, to move forward and discover. By then our design was complete, and so the Gatos – 'cats' in English, in case you didn't know – were not what we'd want to tinker with anymore, lest we undo our careful work.

"Thus, we started on a new, counterpart to the Gatos. Instead of working with a native species, we decided to work with the few animals we had brought with us for Terraforming. Namely, wolves."

Mikula felt his fur stand on end, as he knew very well she was talking about his people. _So this is why Alexis looks like she's dead on her feet_, he mused with gallows humor as his insides turned ice cold.

"The genome of the Terran Gray Wolf is one that the Terraforming Corps has used extensively to create predators that hunt down and control native pests on many worlds. I know of examples where the intelligence of the species was doubled, making them smart as chimpanzees.

"We, of course, went further. Using not only these aforementioned tricks, but also the same gene-splicing of our own DNA, we managed to work much faster on our neowolves. Again, the details are in our report…" Garcia shook her head then, apparently using the movement to focus her mind and control her emotions. "In any case, these _Novo Lupus_ were more like humans than our Gatos. They were immensely curious, and took to machinery and learning more naturally.

"Unfortunately, we were again a bit too successful. We had the appropriate tension between the species… And then some. The years passed, and we taught our children all that we could about living, society, culture, and morals.

"But it wasn't enough. Fights broke out, resentment built up, and us humans were scorned for not taking sides. Finally, our Gatos and wolves had enough. A small battle ensued in the base, and we had to separate them by force." Garcia again closed her eyes to prevent the tears from flowing freely. "Many died, and we eventually told them all that, if they could not live in peace, then they must leave.

"And leave they did, though some Gatos built a town nearby. With our help, eventually, since we couldn't turn our backs on them since they didn't wish to turn their backs on us." Garcia sighed then and opened her eyes.

"So, that brings us to now… There are but few of us left, those who came in on the ships. And as you an see from my own face, we're not exactly spring chickens." She smiled self-depreciatingly at that. "So we're making preparations. Equipment is being locked, smashed, or simply buried to prevent their misuse from hurting those who may come looking for this place. We have also gotten promises from the Gatos nearby that they will finish our work of closing this place down, permanently, once the last of us are gone.

"So there you are," Garcia said, her voice again becoming sad. "That is our story. I'm sure that, if you are human, then you are condemning us, blasting rhetoric and praying that our souls will rot in Hell. Trust me, you're too late on that front." She smirked then before going on. "And, if by some small chance, you are the descendents of our children…" She took a breath then, and a moment passed as she thought. "I- no, _we_ want you to know, that whatever the reasons for your existence, whatever you make think seeing this… We did come to love you as our own." The tears started then, from Garcia and as well as the soldiers. "Please remember that we did our best, and that we are sorry, so very sorry, for anything we might have done that could have hurt you down through the ages. We did our best to do right by you, but, alas," a faint smile appeared then. "We, and you as well, are only human."


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: I noticed while writing chapter 45 that I had made two chronic and serious mistakes in this, and perhaps other chapters.

1. The LEFT arm of a _Guillotine IIC_ contains the ER PPC.  
2. The name of Myers' 'mech is actually _Corvis_, not Corvus.

This chapter has thus been edited. My apologies, but that is what happens when I try to write too fast so I can get more stuff out.Fear not, chapter 45 is being written. In the words of the Red Alert 2 Apocolypse Tank: "Be patient."

* * *

"SLS _Sable Pine_," Ladavic read off of the terminal in her ready room. "_Vulture_-class DropShip, carried by the independent trader _Unmentionable_, a _Tramp_-class JumpShip." A note of amusement at the interstellar vessel's name left her throat and made its way past the microphones, transmitters, and receivers to be ultimately registered by the listener on the planet below. "Overdue and presumed lost after jumping from Proserpina. Subsequent search of surrounding systems revealed no trace of either ship, nor the SLS _Abigail Leroux_, that _Mule_ that the recording mentioned." Ladavic then closed her eyes and sighed lightly. "Obviously, we know now why that is."

"I suppose," Tanaka said, somewhat suspiciously. "I'm not sure if I can still buy the whole time travel thing. I mean, wasn't that all proved to be a pile of horseshit in the 20th century?"

"Sort of," Ladavic replied cautiously. "Einstein, Dirac and Hawking didn't have the advantage of Kearny and Fuchida's hyperspatial physics when they made those proclamations," she said and then paused to sigh. "But I've asked my engineer, since they gotta take more hyperspatial physics than command track personnel do. He said somethin' about Cassie DeBurke's postulation on the unfinished theorems of Kearny and Fuchida… And then he started mumbling equations that I've forgotten how to do." Ladavic chuckled dryly at that. "Anyway, I managed to get out of him the fact that, since K-F drives work by rotating a chunk of 4-D space through the non-relative hyperspace realm, it's theoretically possible to not only transition through three axes, but also the fourth as well."

"In English, please, captain," Tanaka requested tiredly.

"It's possible, just not damned likely" Ladavic replied flatly. "Hell, we already know that time gets funky around jump drives just from the infrared emergence signatures."

"Oh?" Tanaka asked curiously. "I've not heard anything about that."

Ladavic grunted. "It's not something most people outside of theoretical physicists or JumpShip engineers bother to think about," she admitted. "But suffice it to say, a fully loaded JumpShip can sometimes create an emergence signature in its arrival system up to half a minute _before_ the engines are actually engaged."

"Wait, what?" Tanaka sounded incredulous. "Are you telling me effect precedes cause?"

"In this case, yes," Ladavic replied with another sigh. "Like I said, it's not something that gets around, 'cuz frankly, no one has any bloody idea why that happens the way it does."

"Indeed," Tanaka's voice answered dryly via the speakers in the room. "So I suppose this recording our friends stumbled upon is verified, then?"

Ladavic nodded, despite the fact that the radio connection was voice only. "I am afraid so. The _Sable Pine_'s manifest was recorded diligently by the Star League's Terraforming Corps, and it as all the sort of things one would expect to need to engineer native species, or even the stock animals they brought along with them." She sighed again. "I am afraid, captain, that Garcia's confession is, so far as we can tell, accurate."

Tanaka grunted neutrally. "Well… I suppose this doesn't really change anything. But still… It's one big pile of mojo."

"Indeed," Ladavic returned. "I hope you've not told anyone about this?"

"Not really, no. Just my Lieutenants, van Horn, Castellano, Hurano and Farkas know about this, and the latter two… Well…" This time it was Tanaka who sighed. "I don't think they're in the mood for blabbing."

"That's certainly understandable," Ladavic said as she opened her eyes and began to work the keyboard built into her desk. "In any case, I'm going to have all this sent out to sector command. Hopefully, it'll light a fire under their butts."

"Speaking of which, I've been out of the loop a bit. Has there been any news?" Tanaka asked hopefully.

"Just a brief HPG yesterday saying that some assets were being cut loose for us, but there wasn't anything specific," Ladavic replied even as she typed. "I don't know about the Army or even the Guard, but with my service, that usually means we ain't getting much."

"Pretty much the same here," Tanaka admitted with another sigh. "In any case, captain, I think it's time to see to my boys. Unless you require anything more of me?"

"No, nothing more captain. Thank you for your time, and be sure to call if you need some hammer dropping." Her face twisted in a grin at that.

Tanaka chuckled lightly. "Will do, captain. Over and out."

* * *

Van Horn stood and watched as the Kaytorian lupar walked up the trail that he and several other troopers had spent half the night blazing. He was on one of the rocks that sat astride the last turn before one got to the ruins, and his natural height added to the meter height of the rock caused him to dwarf the lupar.

His perch wasn't for the imposing view to the natives, however, but rather, it was for him to watch the trail of refugees all the way down to where they emerged from the thick of the forest below, all the way to the small patch of ground that had been cleared for them around the main structure. The encapsulated dropship, of course, was off-limits, and two troopers from Foxtrot squad stood guard at the one opened entrance, their fearsome Salamander suits more than enough warning to the locals to not venture close.

_I must confess, though, my mind is not fully on the job_, van Horn admitted to himself as he turned back to watch the natives being directed by Mikula and Alexis. _They look like they've just been dragged from Plato's Cave… And who can blame them, really? Finding out your entire species is just someone's way of keeping their genetics alive…_ The anthropologist-soldier shuddered as he remembered the written report that Dr. Garcia had appended to her 'confession,' as he thought of it. _Thank God that Alexis and Mikula were so stunned and shocked that they didn't even think to ask about it_, Earl thought as he turned back to watching over the Kaytorians and the valley. _What they did… Wow. I wonder how they could do that to themselves, as well as the natives?_ He shook his head then, trying to get the mental images out of his mind's eye.

"Van Horn," his radio emitted, relaying Lieutenant Vickers' voice. "Report status."

"Sir, things are moving smoothly, if somewhat slowly," van Horn replied almost automatically, having given similar reports twice before. _Everyone's getting antsy_, he thought before continuing. "I'd say we're about another twenty minutes, and then we can stop leaving troopers to watch the trail."

Vickers grunted. "Good. Relay to me via Connors once things are finished there. Vanquisher One out."

* * *

It was some time later that Alexis nodded mechanically to a quick thank you from a small family of Kaytorians as they passed her after taking her directions. Then she found herself alone as Mikula was handling the last group of lupar, and the gatón looked around to find herself a seat. Spying a small log that had been dragged from the center of the ruins, Alexis walked over to it and sat down heavily.

_So, what now?_ She asked herself and looked around. _Not just what do I do after pointing people around… But what do I do? What do I _think Alexis closed her eyes and sighed then. _I couldn't sleep half the night… Too much, just too much has happened, too much has changed…_

That thought made her mind stop in its tracks. _Oh, Gods, this is what Father must've felt like_, Alexis thought, but then her mind went off in another direction. _'Gods?' What are they?_ She asked herself with a snort. _Nothing more than humans… No divine force created us; no one watches over us, no one cares…_ She leaned over and cradled her head in her hands. _We're nothing… Nothing but playthings for some stranded scientists…_ The tears began then, and Alexis struggled to keep herself from sobbing aloud.

It was then that the log creaked as someone sat down, and Alexis felt warmth next to her. Strong arms wrapped around her body then, and the gatón felt herself drawn into a tight embrace against a broad chest.

She fought back the tears and managed to open her eyes then, and Alexis was unsurprised to see it was Mikula. Looking into his eyes, she didn't say anything, but instead closed her own again and leaned into Mikula, and he tightened his grip on her in response.

After a few moments of this, Mikula lightened his grip and began to speak. "I know what you're thinking about… Because I've been thinking about it as well," he said quietly.

"Oh Mikula," Alexis managed to speak in a strained fashion. "It's all wrong… Everything we've grown up knowing… It's all wrong…."

"No, it's not," Mikula replied quickly. "Unless you think that caring for the people you know and love is wrong, or that life isn't worth living," he said and gave her a quick squeeze. "I know I was taught those things, and I'm sure that you were too." He paused a moment while Alexis simply nodded her head. "Well, no matter what, Alexis, those things are still true. I know, because I look at you, and I _feel_ that they're right. Because without those things, you'd mean nothing to me… And if you haven't noticed, you mean everything to me."

Alexis couldn't help herself then, and she just let the tears pour from her eyes. _But not only because I'm sad…_ "Mikula," she managed to whisper. "Thank you so very much."

"No, thank _you_ Alexis," he replied. "If anything helps me through this, it's knowing that you'll always be there."

Alexis had nothing to say, so she just reached out and returned Mikula's embrace.

* * *

Hours passed, and the Republic soldiers and the natives from Kaytor soon began to settle into their positions. The latter were mainly wondering where they were, as the decision had been made to keep the ruins' identity secret for the moment, while the former were waiting for the next act to play out.

_As much as that will suck_, van Horn thought darkly as he walked quickly along the newly blazed path leading from the ruins down to the mouth of the valley. _We know the Wobbies have called in reinforcements… Light infantry, from the looks of it_. He remembered seeing the recordings of Blakest transport VTOLs making low-altitude runs that had helped them avoid the Republic's overwhelming aerospace superiority. The treetop flight paths were almost impossible for most aerospace fighters to follow for any length of time, and the few fighters that could do that couldn't be in more than one place as the Blakest pilots had split up.

_Still, they got three of 'em_, the anthropologist-soldier thought with dark satisfaction. _But that leaves at least two more of their own Karnovs, and who knows what else might have slipped the fighters altogether?_

Light infantry, van Horn knew, was, on the face of it, totally outclassed by battlemechs and power armor. _However, in tight confines like these mountains and forests, infantry can take down even the stoutest 'mech. Most especially if their commander doesn't care about loosing men too much_. Given the Blakests' track record, van Horn was worried, indeed.

Then he paused in his thoughts and movement as he left the forest and came upon the lower field that lay behind the valley's entrance. It had been transformed with some work from a lush meadow into a temporary staging camp for the three lances of war machines and the platoon's worth of battle armored troops.

The four battered 'mechs of Oni Lance were the first to cross his vision, standing as they did in a diamond pattern nearest to the trees that van Horn had halted near. Around them were several small tents of the kind that MechWarriors preferred, and in the middle was a small circle of stones that outlined where a campfire had burned the night before. No one stood near the 'mechs, though van Horn guessed that at least one of the Guard MechWarriors would be inside his or her machine, waiting for the inevitable call.

Van Horn mentally shook himself at that. _Stop that, you're beginning to sound defeatist_, he grumbled to himself and began to walk towards the center of camp. For there were the three remaining omnimechs of Whiskey Lance, arranged in a triangle and dispersed a bit wider than the Guard 'mechs. And, unlike the area assigned to Oni Lance, there were several people standing and apparently talking around Lieutenant Williams' _Timber Wolf_. Amongst them the good doctor recognized Tanaka, Williams, Vickers, Peterson, and Sergeant Renard, in addition to most of the MechWarriors and the commander of each tank.

It only took a few moments to walk up to this gathering, and van Horn was tracked all along the way by several pairs of eyes. When he reached the group, he took off his helmet and nodded towards Tanaka. "Reporting as ordered, sir."

"Good," Tanaka replied quickly, giving a bare nod of her own. "Status on the civilians?"

"Everyone's settled in tight and the area is secure," van Horn answered easily. "Corporal Connors has a watch set up around the ruins."

"I don't see why the scout squad is babysitting the rear area," Williams added. "It'd be nicer to have them watchin' for the Wobbies."

Tanaka sighed and shook her head as she turned to look at the Lieutenant. "We've gone over this. We just can't spare any of the heavier forces, and we can't just leave them undefended if the Wobbies do manage to get around the rock walls."

"Even so," Williams Peterson spoke up. "The Lieutenant has a point. We could use a picket force that can fall back faster than the Wobbies can march."

"You volunteering?" Vickers asked Peterson with a smirk. "After all, your tanks can move faster than anything slower than a _Charger_."

Peterson blushed slightly under his dark skin. "That ain't exactly what my Abrams are built for."

"Enough," Tanaka said, her calm but stern tone cutting through the air and bringing everyone to silence. "Sergeant Renard has already volunteered himself and his squad of Marauder-Rangers to be our pickets. They and our fighter cover should provide more than enough lead time on any-"

"Captain!" Nguyen's voice came from the _Hellbringer II_, where he had been keeping a watch on communications. "Blue Six reports that the Blakest have begun moving up the pass!"

"Speak of the devil," Tanaka growled. "All right people, this is gonna be it. Everyone to your positions, now!" With that, she turned and ran for her 'mech, her thee lance mates following behind her, and they weren't the only ones scrambling. The news was sending the entire camp into a frenzy, and van Horn was not immune, as he turned and started back for his assignment of guarding the ruins and the civilians within.

_Oh God,_ the scientist-soldier thought as he snapped his helmet on and ran up the valley. _I have a bad feeling about this._

_

* * *

_

"That's right, captain, enemy forces are moving up the pass at high speed," Blue Six, the pilot of a F-24 _Silver Fox_ reported. "I count at least twenty battlemechs and what looks to me to be several platoons of light infantry. ETA at your position is about forty minutes."

"Copy that, Blue Six," Tanaka replied in clipped tones as she rushed through her 'mech's startup sequence. "Can you slow 'em down?"

"I'll try," the pilot, one Michael Donaldson, replied cautiously. "Me an' my wingmate are a bit low on fuel, and we ain't the fully equipped for ground-attack, but we'll see what we can do."

"Thanks Blue Six," Tanaka replied, the relief in her voice coloring her response a bit. "Oni One over and out."

"Over and out," Donaldson replied. He then sighed as he changed radio channels. "Jessie, you copy that?"

"Sure did, Mike," Donaldson's wingmate, Jessica Wright responded. "How you want to do this?"

"What else? We strafe 'em," Donaldson replied in a somewhat strained tone as he pulled his 25-ton interceptor in a loop that would align it with the pass they had just over flown. "Go in max speed, hope they ain't lookin' up."

"Gee, all this and a paycheck," Wright responded in a disgruntled voice. But she pulled her craft over and set up to follow Donaldson in. "I'll be right behind ya."

"Copy that," Donaldson replied as he put his craft into a shallow dive while still in his turn. Given the high-speed nature of aerial combat, it was necessary of him to make a rather large detour in order to approach at the right altitude and speed. Thus, Donaldson bided his time carefully as he and his wingmate soared over range after range of mountains, before they finally approached their target zone.

_Here we go,_ Donaldson thought as he streaked in, hitting his throttle for maximum speed. The fusion engine buried within the heart of his craft rumbled as its reaction intensified, and the pilot felt himself pressed roughly back into his seat. The ground below became a blur, and the only thing in his consciousness was the pair of mountain peaks that he had selected earlier to align for just such a run. A bare second was all Donaldson had before he was into the pass and coming up on the identified Blakest forces.

The icons had just barely popped up on his screen when his fingers jerked tight against the fighter's weapons triggers. Within the nose and wings of the _Silver Fox_, a quartet of leasers - two each of medium and "micro" sizes - energized and spat out their focused light. As Donaldson had entered the barest of shallow dives just before this, the lasers dug into the valley floor, tracing a one hundred eighty meter path along the Blakest column.

Barely had the lasers finished their discharge when Donaldson pulled back and to the left, yanking his fighter immediately out of his previous flight path and, hopefully, out of the sights of the enemy 'mechs.

Donaldson didn't have much attention to devote to his HUD to check, though, as he worked to keep his fighter from losing control or just plowing into a mountain. However, he spared a glance down in time to see the flashes of Wright's lasers as she made her own attack run. Then her fighter shot clear of the pass and pulled wide and to the left as well, following her wingmate's earlier progress.

Donaldson sighed briefly as he saw that both he and Wright had made it out of their runs without a single hit. Then he checked his fuel, and proceeded to curse profoundly. "Damnit, that run took more of my fuel than I thought it would."

"I don't think it was the run so much, as it was the damn patrol before it," Wright replied cautiously. "You need to have better radio discipline, Mike."

Donaldson blushed a bit before responding. "Could be, Jessie. How're you for fuel?"

"I'm just about bingo," she replied, using the pilot's jargon for the point at which a fighter had just barely enough fuel to return to its base or carrier. "I can't do another fast run like that and still expect to break orbit."

"Neither can I," Donaldson grumped. "Well, I suppose we could make a slow run?"

"And get our asses shot off?" Wright asked incredulously. "Mike, them bastards are alerted now. Likely they'll be havin' a rear guard to blast us if we try that again."

"Indeed," Donaldson added with a sigh. "All right, make preparations to match orbits with the _Cabot_. I'll let the ground-pounders know the bad news."

* * *

"Don't worry 'bout us," Tanaka replied as she marched her _Guillotine IIC_ past the mound of rubble that half-blocked the entrance to the valley she was about to defend. "I don't want you two dyin' for no reason. Get yourselves to orbit, and if you want to make it up to me, bring some friends when you come back."

A tiny chuckle could be heard over the radio. "Will do, captain," Donaldson responded. "We have to wait for the _Cabot_ to swing around in her orbit before we can return, but we'll be back for y'all."

"Thanks, Blue Six," Tanaka replied warmly. "Don't worry too much, though. The _Rodger Young_ is comin' up, and we're gonna get some help from them."

"Sounds like a plan," Donaldson replied. "Well then, captain, my best wishes. Blue Six over and out."

"Oni One over and out," Tanaka said as she stopped her 'mech in the middle of the mountain pass that the Blakests would travel on their way to attack the Republic forces. The other 'mechs of Oni Lance, battered though they were, rallied around her, as did the three remaining 'mechs from Whiskey Lance.

_All according to our plan_, Tanaka mused._ As half-assed as it is, we just might have a shot._ This she thought as the two squads of battle armor under Sergeant Renard moved past the line of 'mechs to find good positions from which they could snipe at the Blakest forces.

_Time to see if all our luck is gone or not_, Tanaka though as she clicked her radio over to the more high-powered bands. "This is Oni One calling Starbase One. Repeat, Oni One Calling Starbase One, is anyone awake up there?"

"Oni One, this is Starbase One," the voice of the _Rodger Young_'s radio officer sounded over the channel. "We're reading you five-by-five, go ahead."

Tanaka took in a breath before speaking again. "Enemy units are moving towards Task Group Echo. Aerospace forces have indicated an approximate two hours until contact. We request backup as forces from USS _Cabot_ are not in position to cover us."

"Copy that request for support, Oni One. Stand by while I kick this upstairs," with that, the radio channel went silent. _I have a good feeling what 'upstairs' means_, Tanaka thought with a small grin as she checked over her 'mech's armor readout again. _Damn, I'm a bit thin for a real battle. Hell, we've all been lucky that none of us have had any real internal hits so far… But the Wobbies only need one or two shots before what's left of our armor is gone_. A weight seemed to fall over her shoulders at that, and Tanaka had to physically shake her head to snap herself out of a fugue. _Come on now, Cassandra, don't go defeatist now._

Suddenly, the channel burst with static briefly and Tanaka heard a familiar voice. "Oni One, this is Juliet Actual, do you read?"

"I copy you, Juliet Actual," Tanaka responded quickly. "You got any good news for me, captain?"

"I hope so. I'm having my aerojocks scramble to their fighters now. We'll be in position to launch in about ten minutes, and it'll be another- What the Hell?" Ladavic interrupted herself as a noise erupted on her bridge. "Stand by Oni One."

* * *

Ladavic swung her command chair around from where the holotank was displaying the map around Tanaka's position and faced the sensor officer's station, where an automatic alarm had interrupted the good captain. "Sensors, report!"

"Sir, large-scale IR readings bearing five five by two one positive!" The woman at the sensor console responded quickly as she input commands rapidly. "Contacts are consistent with JumpShip emergence signatures."

"How many?" Ladavic snapped, her temper wrought thin with this most unwelcome news. _We didn't get any transmission indicating incoming friendlies… Which means these are likely enemy ships_.

"Ten- no, fifteen- twenty- Jesus," the operator finally exclaimed as more and more contacts appeared. "Twenty-eight incoming contacts sir!"

It was a testament to Ladavic's self-control that she didn't let loose the torrent of profanity that raced through her head. Instead, she took a moment to order her mind before speaking again. "Ops, confirm with our other friends in orbit."

"Already on it, sir," the man at ops replied. It only took a moment before he shook his head. "Contacts confirmed. _Glacier Bay_ and _Cabot_ both have our contacts. Triangulation places them at the L2 Lagrange point."

"Damn," this Ladavic let slip before she regained control. Taking a breath, she then began to bawl orders. "Helm, calculate course for the L2 point, full standard thrust. Ops, call the air boss and tell him to hold our birds in the bay." She then took another breath. "And sound battle stations."

* * *

Van Horn managed to reach the ruins just as Tanaka's voice began to sound over the all-hands channel. "Attention everyone. I've got some good news and bad news.

"The good news is that we have a good position, easily defensible, and the enemy has to come up terrain unfamiliar to him while we have the advantage of technology and the lay of the land.

"The bad news, however, is that we won't be having any support," Tanaka paused then, and van Horn tried to simultaneously think, listen, and try to keep from slamming into a nearby house as he jogged towards the position he had been assigned.

Tanaka's voice again sounded in his ears. "The _Cabot_ and her fighters are in the wrong position for help, and the _Rodger Young_ is heading out to engage a series of incoming, unidentified ships. Her fighters won't be helping us, and thought a transmission from Firebase Hotel has their two birds scrambling, they won't be here 'til a good hour after we've engaged. So, for all intents and purposes, we're on our own."

This announcement caught van Horn off guard, and he brought himself to a halt beside the structure that would be his duty post. _On our own_, he mulled over this thought as the silence on the radio stretched on. _Haven't been this way since we got picked up by the Vanquishers all those months ago…_ The sudden realization made him shudder slightly.

However, Tanaka began to speak again, and so van Horn didn't dwell. "Things may seem bleak now, but I'm sure that you all know that the Republic never abandons its own. All we have to do is hold, and help, will, come." Tanaka paused then to gather breath. "I know we will hold, because I've seen everyone here in action before. All of you, from the Mobile Infantry, to the army troopers, the tank crews and the MechWarriors, all of you are some of the best damned soldiers ever to grace the field of battle. That's why I know we'll hold, and that's how I know we'll win.

"So stay cool, stay calm, and remember, no matter what happens, be assured that we're gonna kick some terrorist ass straight to the pits of Hell." This final line Tanaka delivered with fire in her voice. "Now, to your duty, ladies and gentlemen, and God Bless."

* * *

"Air boss reports all birds are away," Ops relayed to Ladavic as the _Rodger Young_ burned hard for the incoming jump craft. "The _Cabot_ relays that she's boosting for an eccentric orbit to bring her into the fight twenty minutes sooner."

_Twenty minute in which we could be ripped to pieces,_ Ladavic thought darkly. However, she didn't give voice to those thoughts, and instead tried to keep her mind from thinking about the terrible pressure that the three-gravity thrust of the ship put onto her body. "Ops, acknowledge Commander Wells on an open channel. Let's see if we can't put a scare into them new arrivals." _Speaking of which…_ "Sensors, have you got an ID on the incoming or not?"

"Sensors are still receiving lots of backlash from so many jumps, captain. However, things are clearing up." The sensor officer continued to move the tuning controls on her board, tweaking every last bit of resolution from the computers and algorithms that processed the incoming data. After a few moments of this, she went stiff and muttered. "Oh, God…"

"Report!" Ladavic snapped, startling the sensor officer a bit, or so it seemed with the high gravity keeping everyone pressed into his or her seats. However, the woman managed to turn her chair around and give Ladavic a look before she returned to her controls and fed the data from the ship's sensors into the main screen at the front of the bridge.

Ladavic's eyes widened as icons and names popped up on the screen, denoting each of the incoming jump-capable craft and their detaching DropShips. "Sweet Jesus Christ…" Was all that she had to say.

* * *

"God, I just want this to be over with," Private Robert Fredericks muttered to himself as he lay down behind a large rock that sat next to one of the pass walls. Like all soldiers from time immemorial, he was becoming fed up with the situation. _Too much waitin', too much runnin' around. I'm sick of this shit!_ He mentally complained as he checked his power reserves again.

_Twelve hours capacity…_ He read off of this HUD. _Which means about two and a half in combat_. Fredericks sighed at that as he closed the function on his HUD and switched it back to battle mode. _After that, I become a big, fat, immobile target that can't even move_. He shuddered as his memory dredged up some of the more outlandish stories from other troopers. _Stuff 'bout guys who went on patrol without checkin' their power, and then had to be dragged back ten hours later after sittin in their own piss an' shit for half the time_. Fredericks felt his skin crawl at the idea. _Man, what a suckass thing to happen._

Just then, a blip appeared on his HUD, and Fredericks dropped all thought of the old stories as he read off what exactly had just closed in enough to be detected. "Oh, Hell," he muttered before using his eyes to open a secure channel to his commander. "Red Dog Two, this is Red Dog One Six, please come in."

"I hear you One Six," Renard's voice replied quickly. "What do ya got?"

"Sir, I have a _Toyama_ battlemech moving up the pass and towards my position," Fredericks reported quietly, as if the enemy MechWarrior could hear him though layers of steel and distance. "He's movin' slowly, kinda scannin' the air a bit as well as the ground ahead. Wait," he added in the last word as more blips came up. "More contacts, sir. A _Vanquisher_ and an older style _Banshee_."

"Sounds like our boys. Okay, Fredericks, stand by for orders." With that, Renard's voice cut out and Fredericks went back to monitoring the enemy. Even as he watched, another three 'mechs appeared behind the first group, and the whole procession moved forward at a leisurely thirty kilometers per hour.

_I guess our aerojocks scared 'em more than I thought_, Fredericks thought with a smile. Before he had any more time to mentally gloat, however, the radio cut into his consciousness again. "Fredericks, get your ass back to nav point alpha," his squad commander called out. "Rally with the squad. You copy?"

"I hear you, bossman," Fredericks replied as he scooted behind his rock and began to stand up. "I'm movin.'"

* * *

"Captain, I'm havin' my boys pull back," Tanaka heard Renard's voice roll into her ears via her helmet earphones. "They' movin' to Nav Alfa, then we'll see about layin' our friends a nasty surprise."

"I copy that, Red Dog Two," Tanaka replied curtly. "I advise caution, though. The Wobbies can't know that our support is away, so they must have a trick up their sleeve if they're movin' up now."

"I figured that," Renard answered matter-of-factly, despite the fact that Tanaka heard the sound of his jump jets over the radio. "Don't worry, we'll just do some hit and fades 'til we get to Nav Bravo."

Tanaka nodded automatically as she replied. "Sounds good, Sergeant. Call if'n ya need help."

"Will do. Red Dog Two out." With that, Renard's voice disappeared and the active channel went out. At that, Tanaka closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _Dear God, please watch over them_, she prayed silently before opening her eyes to look over her tactical display once again.

The display was on the cockpit's primary multi-function display, a computer monitor located straight in front of Tanaka and above a keyboard that didn't fully resemble a standard Qwerty setup, having extra keys as it did. On this high-resolution display was a map of the surrounding area compiled by the campaign computers located aboard the USS _Fist of Fury_ - the _Apollo_-class transport located at Hercor – using orbital surveys and local readings taken by the Republic battlemechs. Although not as accurate as a true survey, it gave Tanaka and the Republic soldiers a critical edge in that they at least knew the lay of the land.

Looking on this map now, Tanaka saw the icons representing the two squads from the 3rd Platoon coalesce from their dispersed positions and form up into two staggered lines that ran parallel to the mountain pass' walls.

_Must be hard to hide in there_, Tanaka mused. _Lord knows those walls are just this side of classifying the pass as a canyon_. Still, the two squads managed to become still as the first icons representing the Blakest force appeared on their sensors. _Which means they have good hiding spots, else they'd be charging in to minimize their exposure to enemy fire_.

It was then that static appeared on the display. Confused, Tanaka frowned and opened her lance frequency. "Can anyone else feed me the picture from Red Dog Two? I'm getting static on my feed."

"You ain't the only one, cap'n," Stein's voice answered her. "My console's startin' to go a bit wacky."

Tanaka frowned even deeper then as not only did Stein have bad news, but his voice was even staticy as well. "Myers, Carmike, what about you two?"

"I've got some big-static here captain," Myers responded next, her voice also marred by the unprecedented static in the Republic radio net. "Can't seem to get anything beyond a few hundred meters."

"Captain," Lieutenant Williams' voice came over the radio next, as garbled as the others.' "Are you getting heavy static on your sensors and radio as well?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Tanaka responded in a frustrated tone. "I suppose you've got the same problem?"

"I do, and I think I know why," Williams replied darkly. "Towards the end of the campaign for Terra, the Wobbies realized that we're communications heavy, and they started modding some of their fusion-powered tanks to be high-capacity jammers."

"But our radios are frequency agile and use a twenty forty-eight encryption key, how can they be jammed?" Tanaka asked, her frustration turning to concern and worry.

"I'm not sure you understand, captain," Williams responded carefully. "They took high-speed fusion-powered tanks and converted them so that almost their entire energy output was fed into an array of antennae that were scavenged from Guardian ECM suites." He took a breath at the mentioning of the Star League-era ultra-jamming system. "Basically, it's like Guardian, but on steroids. They flood every channel with random noise and keep our radios from working. At the range we're at now, it's just static, but as they get closer…"

"No talkie," Tanaka finished the thought. "Alright, laser comms then… Shit! Someone needs to alert the 3rd Platoon!"

"As I figured, captain," Williams replied calmly. "I can send Nguyen. His _Hellbringer_ has an ECM suite and an Active Probe, so he can set the former to counter-counter measures while his probe adds in as well. He ought to be able to cut through the crap enough to help extract the Red Dogs."

"Good thinkin'" Tanaka replied quickly. "Git him going yesterday."

"Yes sir," Williams replied quickly.

* * *

"Ge- -ur ass- -ere yo- -ker!" The heavily garbled transmission was barely understood by Fredericks as he fired his machine gun and particle cannon. The former sent tracer-tracked rounds into the first line of infantry coming up the hill, which tore out Frederick's heart as much as it tore out the infantry's hearts, as the reinforcements had turned out to be lupar fighting for the Blakest forces. However, these were not the same kind of infantry at Hercor, who had been pressed into service, but these apparently were trained and trusted soldiers, for they returned fire with assault rifles, lasers, and even a few rockets.

Fredericks didn't bother to think too much, however, as he clutched to the side of the rock wall with one arm and fired his particle cannon into the chest of a Blakest _Stalker_. Sergeant Renard had identified it as the Red Dogs' primary target just before the jamming hit, and for good reason. The 85-ton war machine was slow, but heavily armed and armored, often to the point where even a lower-tech version could overwhelm the battered 'mechs of the Republic force.

Pulsing laser fire slammed into the rock in front of Fredericks, and he immediately pulled himself back behind the strip of rock that he and another trooper had been hiding behind until the Blakest had gotten into range. Looking down, Fredericks was relieved to see the he squadmate was still alive and pulling himself back behind cover as well.

"Damn, we're in a tight spot!" Fredericks' friend, Jason Alvarez yelled via his suit speakers. The two had immediately taken to using their external speakers and microphones once the jamming had started, and it afforded them clarity that even jamming couldn't block. "Bobby, about those ten bucks you owe me…"

"Callin' off the debt in the face of your imminent doom, Jase?" Fredericks replied as he leaned out again and took another pair of shots, sending both this time into the rounded nose of the _Stalker_, his fire being quickly joined by three LRMs from the other squad from across the pass.

"Hell no! I'm just sayin' that when we die and get to the Pearly Gates, I get to cut in line in front of you!" Alvarez shouted back as he too leaned back out and took his own pair of shots. Then he ducked back to stand on the rock he had chosen and looked up at his friend, who stood about three meters higher on a ledge. "Got a deal?"

"Go fuck yourself," Fredericks replied as he leaned out to fire again. This time, however, he paused as the previous radio call was repeated, this time with a bit more clarity. "-Edericks, Alv- -you- -t your asses ba- -here NOW!"

"I think Sarge is pissed," Alvarez added in the unnecessary fashion in which people tended to repeat the obvious. "I don't got his beacon, Bobby, can you see it?"

Fredericks took a more detailed look on his HUD, and he studied it for a moment as blips of friends and foe alike faded into and out of existence. "Yeah, he's about three hundred meters back, along with a few others… Shit, I think we're the most forward guys here."

"If that's the case, then," Alvarez began. "I think we ought to rectify that."

"Damn straight, skippy!" Fredericks called out before he turned and threw himself from his ten-meter-high perch and hit his jets. Using his suit's propulsion system, Fredericks moved a good ninety meters before he hit the ground, and then he ran for a rock that lay in the pass, hoping to find cover behind it. Via his HUD, Fredericks saw Alvarez follow along, although his friend managed to turn around a bit so he could fire his own machine gun towards the advancing enemy.

However, luck wasn't with the pair. The pilot of the _Stalker_ in the lead managed to get a decent bead on them and he fired his two ten-tube long-range missile racks, sending a score of the missiles downrange. The semi-ballistic munitions fell down amidst the two troopers, and the explosions from their warheads shook the ground. Fredericks himself was hit by two of the projectiles, and he fell over as the high-explosives tore off over fifty kilograms of armor and imparted a good deal of momentum into the soldier's back.

"Fuck!" Fredericks yelled as his head rang from the noise of the blasts. Quickly, though, he realized that his armor had protected him, and he leapt up and began to run forward. That is, until, he saw that Alvarez was down and not moving.

Turning almost on a dime, Fredericks changed direction and raced for his friend, even as a large laser bolt rippled the air above his head. "You missed, fucker!" He screamed towards the advancing enemy, despite the fact that the Blakest almost assuredly didn't hear him.

Then he was at his friend, and Fredericks quickly dropped to the ground next to Alvarez in order to present a harder target. He also fired his shoulder-mounted particle cannon as he dropped, sending a bolt downrange, though the hastily aimed shot simply made a scar in the rock walls of the pass.

Fredericks ignored his shot's lack of effect, and he crawled the last few feet to his friend and checked over the armor. _Took three missiles, must've knocked him for a loop_. "Jase!" He yelled over the suit speakers and slammed his fist into the shoulder of Alvarez's armor. "Wake up you poker-cheatin' bastard!"

"I won that money fair and square," Alvarez replied weakly, and stirred. "Jesus H. what the Hell hit me?" He asked as he began to prop himself up.

"The thing that's about to squish us into paste," Fredericks replied as the _Stalker_ ran forward, clearly intending to claim its two kills. Alvarez flipped himself over and cursed in Spanish.

But before either soldier could do anything, two particle streams reached from behind their heads and slammed into the left side of the _Stalker_'s chest. The hellish energy ripped away armor already weakened by air strikes and the 3rd Platoon's ambush, and the cerulean beams cut deeply into the torso.

Even as the streams faded out, a new light illuminated the torso of the _Stalker_ from within. Superheated by the incoming particle streams, the ammunition bins for the 'mech's LRM and SRM racks began to detonate. The size of the dirty orange explosions grew exponentially until the entire left side of the 'mech was wreathed in flame, then a final, massive explosion ripped the left arm and leg away and disintegrated the left half of the torso. The remaining pieces of the _Stalker_ were propelled away, the detached arm and leg flying off towards the walls of the pass, while the somewhat-intact right half flew about ten meters before it crashed to the ground in an unrecognizable heap.

"Fredericks, Alvarez!" Renard's voice came in on the pair's radio then, clear enough that they both started and turned around as they stood up from the ground. To their surprise, the imposing bulk of Nguyen's _Hellbringer II_ stood amidst the other troopers from the 3rd Platoon. "Fall back now or I'll leave your asses here to rot!"

"Comin' Sarge!" Alvarez replied and he bounded away on jump jets, and Fredericks soon followed behind, just barely missing being impaled by a particle cannon from a Blakest _Marauder_.

Fredericks felt his heart beat fast at that, though not just with fear; he felt good at being alive. _And I plan to stay that way!_

_

* * *

_

"That's right, bitches, I smacked your friend down!" Nguyen yelled over a channel he knew to be used at times by the Blakests. "Come ride the lightning!"

"Infidel, you dare-" The heated reply was cut off by Nguyen as he flipped a control on his console. _I don't care to hear his reply_, the Asiatic MechWarrior thought with a wry grin as he pushed his 'mech into a backwards walk. _I'm just happy knowin' I pissed 'em off_.

The sudden wails of multiple weapons locks interrupted his train of thought, and Nguyen saw a _Vanquisher_, a _Toyama_, and a cluster of light infantry – _natives? Damn!_ – Approach his position while the rest of the Blakest force began to reform behind them. The _Vanquisher_ wasted no time and quickly sent a pair of light gauss rifle slugs down range, the two half-sized shots slamming into Nguyen's mech's left arm and right torso.

The shots were hardly anything that the Republic MechWarrior had to account for, as his 'mech's gyro easily took the shift of momentum in stride. _Gonna regret the loss in armor, though_, Nguyen thought as he brought up his ER PPCs and spitted their crosshairs onto the squat form of the _Vanquisher_. The reticule barely pulsed with the gold of a hard lock before he pulled hard on the triggers.

The view was impressive from both the holographic and physical view that Nguyen had from within his cockpit. Both streams reached out and slammed into the torso of the 100-ton target 'mech, ripping and melting slabs of armor off and causing the enemy MechWarrior to jog his machine to a halt, lest he lose balance and fall.

"That's my cue," Nguyen muttered to himself as he turned his _Hellbringer II_ around and began a run towards the rear, following the path of the withdrawing Red Dogs. Shots from the other Blakest longer-ranged weapons began to land around the retreating 'mech, causing Nguyen to jog left and right in his path to avoid being hit.

_Time to turn the enemy's advantage against them_, the Republic MechWarrior thought with a smirk as he quickly turned off the ECCM functions on his electronics suite. Within seconds, a sudden wave of the overall jamming, turned up by the Blakests to try and hinder with the newly arrived _Hellbringer_, began to interfere with the targeting systems on the Blakests' own 'mechs. Thus, the enemy's shots suddenly began to fly wild and slam into the valley walls before the Wobbies realized their ineffectiveness and stopped in their attacks.

Grinning from ear to ear, Nguyen watched his HUD as the enemy 'mechs tried to dash forward in an attempt to catch up to his own. Unfortunately for the enemy, however, the majority of their Level III consisted of slower heavy and assault designs, thus limiting their speed.

Nguyen saw this easily, and as he began to catch up with the retreating squads of the 3rd Platoon, he couldn't help but chuckle and speak a favored childhood line. "Meep meep!"

* * *

Tanaka didn't breath an easy breath until she saw Renard's squads and Nguyen's _Hellbringer_ come around the last turn in the twisting mountain pass. _Thank God_, she thought, until she saw that there were only thirteen out of the fourteen soldiers that had left.

_Damn_, the good captain thought, but then forced the emotion to the back of her head. _You'll have time to mourn later, the living need you now._ "Sergeant, report," she called to Renard.

"Sir, enemy forces are strong, and they've been reinforced with light infantry, as we've suspected," Renard began easily enough. Then he took a breath and paused, and Tanaka realized that he had some bad news. "The light infantry are, apparently, natives."

"What?" Tanaka asked, surprised. "You mean, like at Hercor?"

"Negative, sir, these guys have assault rifles," Renard replied quickly. "I've got the dings in my armor to prove it."

Tanaka growled at that, though she had the presence of mind to keep the radio turned off while she did so. Thus, it was with calm that she spoke again to her subordinate. "All right, see to your men."

"Yes sir," Renard replied before signing off the command channel. Sighing, Tanaka was about to switch to the force-common channel herself when a new voice tried to break in. "-Ka, th- -Ladavic- -ead?"

Despite the static-broken transmission, Tanaka easily recognized the voice. "Captain Ladavic, this is Oni One, what's the situation?" The MechWarrior called, wondering what would cause the naval officer to bother transmitting when she was about to have a battle herself.

"Ta- -you- -e?" The broken words barely registered as a question by their tone to Tanaka's ears, though the guard officer couldn't understand the content. However, before she could try and transmit back, Tanaka heard more words being spoken. "Our- -gets ar- -y're- you-" A burst of heavy static then scrambled the rest.

"Captain, can you read me?" Tanaka half-shouted. _Oh God, what's wrong now?_ She mentally asked, but the radio held nothing but static from then on.

* * *

Laying down on the upper floor of one of the ruins' abandoned houses, van Horn watched carefully the area through the windows that admitted light into the second level. The scene he looked out on was almost pastoral, given the lack of activity and sullen silence.

_A bit too quiet, isn't it?_ He asked himself, but then shook his head a bit. _Don't be jittery, Earl. So the forest is a lot thinner than you realized last night, almost pastureland, it's still an easily defensible position_. Still, even as he thought this, van Horn worried about the lack of word from the mouth of the inhabited valley. _And all this static, we can barely talk to each other up here. Could it have something to do with the enemy at the gates?_

As if bidden by his thoughts, van Horn's radio erupted in a burst of static before the familiar voice of Corporal Connors was relayed to him. "Doc, we might have a situation with the civvies. Could you get yourself to the town hall?"

Van Horn smirked at the nickname for the main structure in the ruins as he stood up carefully. "Will do, corporal. Be there in a jiff," he replied as he began to make his way out of the building.

A few minutes later, van Horn was approaching the front of the central building, the area adjacent to it being a makeshift command post. _Though in this case, 'command post' is almost a mockery_, the doctor thought as he began to walk around a house full of Kaytorian Lupar. For the area itself held no specialized buildings or communications equipment; it was simply the area where Corporal Connors, Mikula and Alexis stood guard at to provide a central rally point if needed.

However, as he rounded that crowded house, van Horn saw that the "CP" also had several lupar standing and chattering towards both Alexis and Mikula, the latter two interposed between Corporal Connors and the small crowd.

Frowning, van Horn sped up and approached the gathering with long strides. Mere seconds later, the sound of his approach caused the Kaytorians to pause in their verbal assault and pull back a bit, unsure of what to make of another human approaching them then.

Connors, however, quickly snapped his helmeted head around and nodded towards the approaching soldier. "Doc, these folks are in a tizzy 'bout somethin,' and our friends here ain't had a chance to let me know what it is."

Alexis took that as her cue and looked up at the two humans and cleared her throat. "Earl, Corporal, there seems to be some problem with the buildings that are being used to house our friends," she began in English. "The Kaytorians are all crowded in and they want to take up some more dwellings further away from the central building."

Van Horn just sighed and Connors shook his head. "Well, that's not gonna happen," the corporal spoke for the both of them. "It's hard enough to maintain a perimeter as it is, and even more so when I have to pull someone off every time there's a goddamned hissy fit." Connors shifted his sniper rifle about, showing his annoyance. "Now, I don't care who tells 'em that, but one of had better do it 'fore I decide to drag 'em back to their assigned shelters myself."

The three interpreters stood silent for a second, but only for a second, as Alexis quickly spun about on one foot and began to address the crowd of Kaytorians. "We've explained your complaints to our commanding officer," she spoke in Lupari, though van Horn, of course, understood her. "However, I regret that the situation has not changed. We are still very much in danger and we cannot afford to stretch ourselves thin for the sake of comfort."

Van Horn felt a curious mix of pride and surprise at the way Alexis spoke. _So different from that young lady I befriended months ago_, he thought with a smile behind his helmet. Then, however, he heard his radio come on. "Doc, get back to your duty post," Connors said quietly.

"Yes sir," van Horn replied easily as Alexis began to argue with one of the refugee lupar. However, before he could move off, another radio call came in.

"Choppers!" The voice of Private Stuger rolled into van Horn's helmet. "Karnovs cresting the valley west wall!"

"Fuck!" Connors cussed over the channel. "Everyone, we have bogeys! Prepare for close combat!" He then turned towards Alexis and Mikula and spoke to them as well. "Farkas, Hurano! Get them someplace safe, NOW!"

It was a testament to their training and intelligence that Alexis and Mikula both reacted quickly and without question, yelling for the other natives to run for cover. Van Horn felt another twinge of pride, but it was fleeting, as he had already bolted for his own post, choosing to run instead of jumping to avoid advertising his position.

It only took seconds for the anthropologist-soldier to reach the building that was his station, but even in that short amount of time, the noise of rotary-winged aircraft could be heard. Tilting his head up, van Horn saw one of the Karnov transport VTOLs pitch backward, its tilt-rotors pitching up simultaneously so its pilot could make a completely vertical landing.

The familiar 'crack-whoosh' of a missile launcher could be heard, and van Horn barely saw the trail of smoke from a LAW rocket race up and slam into the nose of the 30-ton craft. The explosion of the warhead carved a good chunk out of the armor, but it did nothing to dissuade the pilot as he began to settle his craft down.

Van Horn cursed and ran to where the level ground of the ruins began to gently slope away to the forest. There, he dropped behind a bush and brought his Heavy Gyrojet Gun to bear on the side of the Karnov, waiting to shoot anything that would emerge.

The VTOL settled quickly to the ground, just as another appeared over the trees to the west. He was trying to decide which would be a better target for his heavy weapon when the familiar cracking noise of a gauss rifle slug split the air, and a silvery blur raced out from the ruins to slam into the port rotor of the second Karnov.

The gauss slug wasn't a full vehicle-sized weapon, but it was potent enough as it ripped into the delicate shaft of the rotor, just above the engine housing, and tore straight through it. The rotor, suddenly free of any attachment, spun up and away in a chaotic pattern, even as the left side of the Karnov dipped down and the whole craft dropped like a stone. Had the pilot been exceptionally good and the craft at altitude, a crash-landing might have been possible. However, so close to the ground, the 30-ton craft barely had time to tilt perpendicular to its previous flight plan before it slammed side first into the ground. The horrendous noise of metal shearing and engines tearing themselves apart was soon masked as the fuel exploded, causing the wreckage to erupt into a large fireball.

So astounding the sight was that van Horn almost missed the moving shapes pouring out of the landed Karnov's rear access hatch. He quickly rectified the quandary, however, and brought his weapon to bear on the brown and gray shapes moving out of the tilt-rotor.

_Wait, gray?_ Blinking, van Horn punched up the magnification on his visor and half-stared as he saw lupar running out of the craft. _What the fuck? Is this topsy-turvy week!_ His mind reeled a bit, until he saw that they were carrying various light infantry weapons made across the Inner Sphere. Assault rifles, mainly, though there was a good assortment of older-style bolt-actions and semi-automatics, as well as an occasional laser weapon.

Then from out of the Karnov emerged several humans, each moving quickly and with more caution and care than the lupar. Van Horn recognized them immediately as professional soldiers, and he realized that they were commanding a unit of natives who had thrown in with the Blakests.

"Enemy infantry, leaving the Karnov," Stuger's voice reported over the radio for those who weren't in direct line of sight of the new battle. "Infantry are natives, repeat, infantry consists of natives armed with rifles."

"All forces fire at will," Connors replied over the frequency. "Eliminate all threats to the civilians with any means necessary."

_Such a terrible waste_, van Horn thought sadly as he aimed and fired his gun. The miniature rocket flew from the barrel of his Heavy Gyrojet Gun to soar down and into one of the many natives, impaling the hapless man and blasting him apart as the tiny warhead went off. The blood and gore from the lupar's demise caused his fellows pause, enough so that a burst from a Republic assault rifle tore into another, cutting him down as well.

This and some yells from the few humans with them prompted the other natives to resume their movement, and they quickly dashed forward, towards the ruins, ducking and bobbing along the way, showing that the Blakests had, indeed, given them some training.

Then, bullets began to be fired towards the bush where the good doctor had found cover behind. _Guess a rocket trail isn't all that easy to hide_, van Horn mused before he sent another rocket downrange to kill another enemy soldier, before he rolled to his side and then stood and ran back for the next abandoned house. There, he decided it was time for a bit of show, and he quickly jumped to the roof, his jets sending their roar to roll across the ruins.

Even as he landed, van Horn saw in his HUD that the native infantry were rushing forward, despite the fact that they were taking murderous fire from the three other troopers within range.

Van Horn quickly turned and brought up his own gun and added to the carnage, sending a round to crash into a small cluster of three enemy lupar, who dropped to the ground as fragments tore into them.

The scene was quickly becoming an image from hell, as blood and guts from those killed or wounded started to litter the trail that their comrades were blazing as they rushed forward. Despite this, however, the lupar kept coming on, and van Horn realized their goal. _They're heading straight fro the civilians!_

Part of him wanted to know just how the Blakests knew where in the valley the Kaytorians were, but the rest of van Horn simply screamed for him to move, and so he did. Running to the edge of the roof, he leapt off and hit his jets. Soaring on a column of superheated air, he drew the natives' attention, and they again slowed or paused in confusion at seeing a battle armored trooper.

However, this confusion didn't last long, and soon bullets began to fly towards van Horn even as he landed next to a tree and dashed towards the houses where the civilians from Kaytor were being housed. "They're pressing forward! I think they mean to charge the civilians!" He called over his radio.

"Copy that, enemy forces are not repeat not engaging us directly," Stuger added in. "I'm falling back."

"Damnit! Everyone rally thirty meters west of the town hall!" Connors' voice came over the channel next. "Move it!"

A flurry of affirmatives rang out, to which van Horn added his own just as he rounded the last of the empty houses, running as he was to interpose himself between the incoming band of soldiers and the civilians.

He was a bit too late, as he came upon a scene of the first wave of Blakest-allied lupar rushing forward, their objective an obviously occupied house, the upper-level windows of which showed frightened faces of the civilians that the Republic forces had striven to protect.

Before he could think of something to do, van Horn saw and heard a trooper in scout armor jump up and over from behind the occupied building, coming to land between it and the incoming enemy soldiers. The small bars on the trooper's shoulders and the icon on van Horn's HUD showed that it was Corporal Connors himself.

Connors wasted no time as he brought up his own M-9680 Pulse Laser Rifle and smoothly pulled the trigger. The rifle whined and dozens of bolts rippled from its barrel, the tiny microelectronic motors twitching the lasing cavity within to provide a saturation effect. As a result, the bolts of laser fire spread out and ripped into and through several lupar. Screams of the wounded could be heard, but the yells of their allies competed with them and tried to drown them out.

Then the Blakest-allied lupar began firing with their rifles, aiming for Connors and the house. Although lacking tracers, van Horn could easily see the dozens of impacts as the bullets slammed into the building, the ground, or even Connors' armor.

Connors, however, simply stood his ground and continued firing his own weapon, and van Horn finally moved forward and shouldered his weapon. Firing as he ran towards the enemy lupar, the good doctor send a pair of rockets into the nearest bunch of natives, and their bodies were torn apart by the brutal explosions.

The sudden attack from the rear put the enemy off balance, and several turned around and yelped in surprise as they saw another armored human running towards them at full speed. Van Horn took advantage of this sudden pause, and he raced into and amongst the enemy lupar. There, he began to swing his arms about in patterns engrained into his mind by training. The sudden chops, punches, and kicks from his strength-augmented limbs crushed arms, windpipes, and skulls, but van Horn didn't stop until he had plowed a bloody trough through the enemy formation.

Once on the other side, Earl stopped himself and spun about, bringing up his weapon to point towards the enemy lupar. The numbers of the natives had taken a rather deep cut, and the few remaining started running away, heading back the way they came.

Van Horn felt a small sense of elation as the enemy retreated, but this emotion soon died as he saw a second wave of lupar coming up the path, their numbers being reinforced with the survivors of the first wave. However, the lupar didn't charge, but instead, they moved to the side of their previous path, seeking the shelter of houses and trees that lined the way to their goal.

Deciding that he had a minute, van Horn turned around and looked towards the building he and Connors had defended, and was shocked to see the corporal himself kneeling down on the ground, his left arm out to support his torso and his right clutched around his midsection.

Worry and concern washed over van Horn's mind, and he dashed the few meters to where Connors sat hunched over. "Corporal, are you okay?" Earl asked as he reached Connors' side.

"Hell no," Connors replied, the pain in his voice a tangible thing. Then he managed to pull himself upright, and van Horn saw that, amongst the terrible ravaging that the armor had taken from the enemy's assault weapons, there was a gash where several rounds had managed to chew through the weakened armor plating over the corporal's belly. Blood flowed from the opening in the armor, and it stained the normally black suit red.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Van Horn heard from behind him, and he wheeled about to see Stuger and the other two troopers from the western section backing towards the scene, their eyes watching the lupar who now, for some odd reason, sat still in their semi-concealed positions.

"Somebody get a medic for the corporal!" Van Horn called over the squad's frequency. "He's been gut-shot!"

"Don't mind me," Connors replied quickly. "The armor's medical systems are kicking in." Even as he spoke, the assertion was proved as HarJel flowed over the opening in the corporal's armor, covering the wound, protecting it from further damage and stopping the blood loss. "Just get the civvies to safety before the enemy charges again."

Van Horn hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. "Yes sir," he said and then turned and jogged around the house, heading for the one ground-floor opening. Behind him on the HUD, he saw the two soldiers with Stuger helping Connors stand, while Stuger herself was crouching and aiming her Gauss rifle towards where the enemy waited.

_What the fuck are they waiting for_? Van Horn wondered quite naturally, but he soon pressed this question to the back of his mind as he reached the door and slowly stuck his head around the empty frame.

Inside, he saw a pair of Kaytor militiamen standing with their swords drawn, though when they saw the familiar shape of one of their protectors, they relaxed a bit.

"You two, get everyone in this house out now," van Horn quickly spoke in Lupari.

"What?" One of the militiamen asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Because you almost got overrun! Now move it out and head for one of the buildings further back!" With that, van Horn pulled himself back from around the doorjamb and quickly retraced his steps to reach the other side where he had left Connors and the others.

Upon reaching that side, van Horn saw Connors walking at a slow pace around the opposite corner of the concrete building and half supported by one of the other troopers, Both Stuger and the third trooper were crouched next to the house, and van Horn quickly moved over and joined them in their stance.

Stuger managed to look up. "You got 'em movin?'" She asked quickly.

"Yeah," van Horn replied as he checked his weapon. _Damnit, only one more round in the clip?_ He briefly wondered whether it would be better to change clips now, or to not waste that one extra shot. "How's Connors doing?

"He's hurt pretty bad," Stuger replied quietly. "The medical systems in his armor are keepin' him alive and awake, but he's not gonna be winnin' any gold medals. He says that you're in command of the squad now."

"Me!" Van Horn half-shouted, clearly surprised. "I'm not even regular corps!"

"Yeah, but the bossman said so, so that's how it's gonna be," Stuger responded casually. "Now, you got any ideas?"

Van Horn had to physically shake his head before he answered. "Jeezus… Well, we need to keep protectin' the civvies, that's obvious enough."

"Yeah," Stuger replied softly. "About that: I know you an' the officers don't want us in that main building, but it might be the only safe place here."

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to agree," van Horn replied with a small sigh. "Can you wait here and watch those bastards," he waved towards the enemy lupar, "while I call the troops and start roundin' up the civvies?"

"No prob, doc."

* * *

"Heat level is critical" the electronic warning voice spoke calmly into Tanaka's sweat-covered ear. "Myomer efficiency down twenty-five percent."

"Fuck you!" Tanaka growled back at the computer as she dodged her 'mech to the right, despite the sluggishness that came from her near-constant use of her energy weapons. A pair of light gauss rounds whipped through the space just vacated by the _Guillotine IIC_, and Tanaka breathed a quick prayer of thanks through her parched lips.

The engagement had started bad, and had gotten progressively worse. The Blakests, knew somehow that the Republic forces couldn't run any further, and so they had approached slowly in a broad line, their heaviest and most-armored 'mechs at the forefront. Although the Republic 'mechs had a range advantage, it was soon nullified as they could not maneuver out of the way of the approaching juggernaut.

Thus, Tanaka and the other six MechWarriors had moved out a bit to engage the enemy, and slowly had moved back to increase the amount of time they could use their advantage. Sadly, they had precious little time, and now the Blakests were pressing in.

_I've got to stop alpha-striking_, Tanaka thought as she hit her jump jets, pouring more heat into the cockpit but sending her further away from the incoming Wobbies. _Can't overheat this early, girl, unless you want to die_. However, she also knew that only overwhelming force was going to stop the Blakests, and thus Tanaka had moved in and started hammering an enemy _Vanquisher_.

_A rather stupid idea, that_, the captain thought as she turned the 'mech around as she landed it, bringing it to face the enemy. Her movement and the overbearing jamming managed to keep her 'mech from taking a particle barrage from an enemy _Banshee_, and Tanaka breathed a quick sigh of relief.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Tanaka again hit her jets, this time jumping backwards and away from the enemy line to come to a landing near her allies. To her left, Myers' _Corvis_ stalked left and right, trying to bait the enemy to break ranks for a supposedly easy kill, while Stein's _Grizzly_ sent a one-two punch of Gauss slug and LRM barrage downrange, the former missing but the latter spreading dirty-orange explosions all over the right side of the enemy _Vanquisher_. Carmike then added in his own ER Large Laser and LRM rack, and he managed a hit with the former on the _Banshee_ that had fired on Tanaka earlier.

"Damnit, target the other one!" Tanaka yelled, though with the jamming in full effect, the sound had no way of reaching across to her lancemate. Instead, she decided to lead by example, and she fired her ER PPC towards the _Vanquisher_. The heavy cannon ripped into the 100-ton Blakest 'mech with hellish fury, and a virtual river of molten armor streamed down from the gaping wound that the cannon created in the 'mech's left torso.

Shaken by the repeated hits, the Wobbie assault 'mech teetered a bit on its massive legs before its pilot could steady it. This, however, bought Tanaka enough time to move her 'mech back even more, and she angled to protect her damaged torso.

As she did this, the enemy _Vanquisher_ replied to the damage it received, and its paired light gauss rifles spat their shells out, sending one to slam into Tanaka's right arm while the other burrowed a large gash in the valley floor. Then the two ER Large Lasers in the enemy 'mech's chest opened up, one slagging armor from Tanaka's rear right torso, the other slagging part of the right leg's protection.

Tanaka fought to control her _Guillotine IIC_ as the multiple weapons impacts and the loss of armor tried to unbalance the 70-ton war machine. However, she managed to keep herself upright and she spun about as her lance and the 'mechs of Whiskey Lance opened up together, sending a hail of fiery death to rain on the _Vanquisher_.

The attacks were devastating, and chunks of armor flew off or melted down, exposing the 100-ton 'mech's internal skeleton. More shots of lasers and particle cannons ripped through these open wounds, and the _Vanquisher_ seemed to evaporate from the inside out as its internal structure was turned into a lake of molten metal.

Bereft of its support, the enemy 'mech's torso collapsed in on itself, and the falling material punctured the fusion reactor, causing the super hot plasma to explode outwards and consume the remains of the torso.

Tanaka felt like she wanted to cheer, but the feeling only lasted as long as it took for another heavy 'mech, this one a _Toyama_, to take the _Vanquisher_'s place. "Damnit," the captain cursed as she switched targets to hit the newcomer.

Before Tanaka could fire, however, Myers dashed forward. Confused, the captain broke off her aiming as she tried to decide how to get Myers back without a radio. Then she saw the reason for Myers' run, and she started forward herself, for the movement of the _Toyama_ had managed to open a gap in the Blakest formation enough for Tanaka to see one of the heavy jamming vehicles.

_If we take one of those out, we might be able to talk again_, the captain thought as she pushed her 'mech hard. Lasers from the _Toyama_, particle and autocannon fire from the _Banshee_, and missiles from another Blakest 'mech – this one a _Longbow_ – all rained down towards Tanaka and Myers, though by some good fortune, most of the shots that did hit only blasted armor from their 'mechs' legs and torsos.

Some movement on the HUD caught Tanaka's attention, and she quickly concentrated on the part of the 180-degree display that showed the rear view. She was surprised to see the other 'mechs from the task force charging ahead as well, their pilots apparently having decided that Tanaka was up to something.

_Stupid bastards,_ Tanaka mused, but she smirked as she dodged her 'mech side to side. _But God Bless 'em, it's nice to not have to be blasted to Hell alone_. With that grim thought, she focused her attention on the _Toyama_ and settled the targeting crosshairs over its torso. The sights pulsed gold for only a second before she fired all of her lasers, the large pulse lasers melting huge gashes over the enemy 'mech's center and left torso, while the ER Mediums managed to hit low and slag armor from both legs.

The _Toyama_ pilot proved himself game, as he easily kept his 'mech on an even keel and returned fire. His ER Large Lasers send megajoules of photonic energy streaming into the right arm of Tanaka's _Guillotine_, melting away the last of the armor and exposing the arm's inner workings.

Next to fire was the 75-tonner's LB-10X autocannon The pilot had apparently selected solid shot for this attack, and the fierce weapon sent a stream of the projectiles to slam into the center torso of Tanaka's 'mech.

Tanaka fought to control her reeling 'mech, just barely succeeding in time to see Myers hit her jump jets and soar up and over the Blakest front line. Cursing, Tanaka hit her own jets and the _Guillotine_ leapt into the air after Myers. Hurtling over one hundred twenty meters, Tanaka landed behind the enemy front line just as Myers began her attack.

The target appeared to be a Galleon light tank, though it had obviously been modified heavily, as antennae jutted out all around, and nowhere were the weapons such tanks usually carried. Unfortunately for the tank crew, the heavy jamming that their ECM systems produced couldn't stop Myers from unleashing a full barrage of pulse lasers and autocannon shells. Unfortunately, the double-burst from the cannon missed, the stream of shells tearing up a cloud of rocks and dust. However, both lasers managed to hit, and their stuttering beams tore apart half the antennas on the enemy tank and carved long gashes in its armor.

Tanaka then decided to add her own fire, and she triggered all of her weapons, save the ER PPC. The large pulse lasers managed to match their smaller cousins from Myers' _Corvis_, and they ate through the last of the tank's armored hide and turned the interior into a burning hellstorm that consumed the vehicle's electronics and crew. The ER Medium Lasers and SRM rack simply added to the growing fireball that erupted from the ECM tank, but did nothing that would help the situation.

Before she could even think about what to do next, Tanaka felt her 'mech shake excessively as missile and laser shots impacted the right side of her 'mech. Sheets of armor were ripped or melted off, and a blast from a Blakest _Starslayer_ amputated the right arm at the shoulder where the armor had been slagged away.

The sudden loss of so much mass threw the _Guillotine_'s balance off, and Tanaka fought the sudden shift in the 'mech's center of gravity. Unfortunately, it was a loosing battle, and the 70-ton 'mech fell forward to crash into the ground with such force that Tanaka felt herself wrenched about as if she were in a paint can shaker.

Stunned by the fall, the captain sat in shock for a moment before the sounds of an autocannon on full auto broke through her daze. Looking to her HUD, Tanaka realized that Myers had quickly moved to cover her downed comrade, the Ultra AC-10 in her _Corvis_' right arm spitting out hundreds of shells at the second line of Blakest 'mechs.

"Shit!" Tanaka yelled as she began to work her 'mech's left arm underneath the torso. Despite the situation, she forced herself to move cautiously, lest more hurried movements cause her to make a mistake and fall again.

As she wrestled her 'mech upright, Tanaka checked her HUD again and realized that, despite the plethora of enemy 'mechs, none of them were shooting back at Myers or even taking potshots at herself. _Why aren't they firing?_ Even as she wondered, the answer became apparent as she saw the Blakest front line trying to maneuver around the pair of Republic 'mechs.

_They can't fire without the risk of hitting their own_, the good captain realized even as she hit her throttle and backed the _Guillotine IIC_ towards where the other 'mechs of the Republic force were firing into the Wobbies' front liners.

Suddenly, the radio came alive. "Captain, you okay?" The static-heavy transmission tortured Tanaka's ears, but she recognized the voice of Lieutenant Williams.

"Yeah, just battered a bit," Tanaka replied easily. "Myers, you there?"

"Yes sir," Myers responded quickly, though the sound of her cannon firing interfered with the transmission almost as much as did the remaining jamming.

"I'm gonna kick your ass," Tanaka quipped carefully. "But now, fall back." With that, she turned her _Guillotine IIC_ around and hit her jump jets again, this time falling back and away from the swarm of Blakest 'mechs.

Myers backed up and unleashed another volley of shell and lasers before she hit her own jets and soared in an arc that nearly paralleled Tanaka's, and like the captain, Myers managed to use the jets' thrust to spin about in mid-air, thus allowing both 'mechs to come to a landing that let them face the enemy.

However, now that the Republic 'mechs were no longer amongst their own, the Blakests began to fire again. Fire from ten different 'mechs reached out from the enemy lines and tore into the front plates of the Republic forces, savaging armor and in some cases, ripping into the internal structure.

"Jesus!" Tanaka heard someone swear over the common frequency, though the heavy static prevented her from identifying who it was. _Not that it matters now_, she thought and narrowed her eyes as she aimed her weapons and returned fire.

She wasn't alone, as each Republic 'mech dished out raw vengeance from the favored weapon of the army, the PPC. Seven of the deadly energy streams crackled through the narrow pass, the noise from their passage causing the entire valley to reverberate in the thunder-like vibrations. Even more impressive, however, was the sheer marksmanship displayed by the Republic MechWarriors, as every shot connected with an enemy machine. Tons of armor vaporized off of five 'mechs, and one – the older model _Banshee_ – took a direct hit to the head, killing the Blakest pilot instantly and causing the 95-tonner to collapse to the ground.

Then came the remaining weapons on the Republic side, as Stein and Carmike added in their LRMs, lasers, and a gauss slug that send a cascade of explosions across the enemy lines, while Tanaka and Myers were close enough that they could add in medium lasers and SRMs.

A brief lull accompanied the dying out of the barrage, and Tanaka used these precious few seconds to check her 'mech's status diagram. _Sweet Jesus! My armor's thinner than Katherine Steiner's morality!_ She grimaced at the image displayed on one of her cockpit's MFDs before keying her radio. "Oni One to all 'mechs, fall back to Nav Charlie," she said, using the designation for the valley entrance. "Best possible speed, now move!"

A chorus of acknowledgements rolled in, and almost as if guided by a single hand, each 'mech turned about and made a speed run for the mouth of the valley they sought to defend.

The next few moments weren't too clear for Tanaka, as she and the other Republic MechWarriors dodged and ran their warhorses, all the time coming under fire from the pursuing Blakests. All she remembered later was that her force had made it to the narrow opening between the pass and the valley and had begun to deploy automatically.

Tanaka felt a brief surge of pride at how the other soldiers quickly worked without the need for communication, seemingly working as one. Then a particle cannon blast from an enemy _Lightray_ screamed behind her 'mech's broad shoulders, illuminating the area in a hellish blue light and scaring the good captain for a moment.

"Checker Lance, can you read?" Tanaka called as she turned her 'mech around to face the enemy. The disheartening sight that greeted her made Cassandra want to scream at the unfairness of being outnumbered, but she forced the thoughts back.

Luckily, that was when Lieutenant Peterson replied. "I hear ya cap'n. Looks like y'all could use some help."

"Damn straight," Tanaka replied quickly as she fired her own particle cannon again, missing but causing her target – the _Lightray_ – to dodge instead of making another shot. "We're gonna move behind the wall, so you get yourselves ready to cover us."

"I hear ya, boss," Peterson responded. "You mech jockeys have gotten their attention pretty good, so if y'all will just get outta the way, we'll do our part."

Tanaka half smirked as she replied. "Just don't get yourself killed, bud. The paperwork for that is a bitch."

"Copy that. We're ready to engage whenever you begin your parade." Peterson spoke quickly, his voice becoming more businesslike.

"Good, stand by," Tanaka said and then switched channels back to the common frequency. "Whiskey Lance, begin your fallback behind the wall, move to join Checker Lance. Oni Lance will cover you until you're through, and then we'll jump over.

"Vanquisher One, I hope you're listening," Cassandra went on. "'Cuz we'll need you to ambush the fuckers as soon as they get in range."

"I hear ya, Oni One," Vickers replied quickly. "Us an' the Red Dogs are just waitin' for to go ahead."

"Good. Now, as Prescott said, 'don't fire 'til ya see the whites of their eyes,'" Tanaka spoke hurriedly as she backed her 'mech to follow behind Williams' own _Timber Wolf_. Vickers began to reply, but it was lost as a barrage of missiles reached out and slammed into the ground at her 'mech's feet.

Tanaka and her lance fired back, while Williams and his two comrades ran their 'mechs at full speed through the narrow opening between the small stream leading from the valley and the rock fall wall. Tanaka had already splashed through the shallow watercourse, and she briefly wished that it were a much more substantial barrier, as it crossed the pass to ultimately flow downhill, away from the incoming Blakest force.

More missiles began to fall around Tanaka's position, and she returned fire with her particle cannon to score nearly a ton of protection from the _Longbow_'s chest that was targeting her. Stein added in his _Grizzly_'s Gauss Rifle, as well, and it slammed into the left leg of the enemy 'mech. Unbalanced by the dual impacts, the 85-ton design fell forward and crashed into a pile of armor debris.

"We're through!" Williams nearly yelled over the radio. "I'd suggest you get your ass outta the fire, captain."

"Duly noted," Tanaka retorted and hit her jump jets. The rumbling of superheated air filled the valley, and it took a second for Tanaka to realize that it wasn't just her 'mech, but that it also came of her lancemates' mechs as well.

The sight was a spectacle, as all four of the Guard 'mechs rose on their jets and came to a landing on the other side of the wall, each turning to face the direction they had come.

Tanaka breathed a quick sigh of relief as the valley entrance, at a right angle as it was to the pass' own path, covered her forces for the few moments it would take the Blakests to move up. _And when they do, we'll have a nice surprise for them_, she thought with grim satisfaction.

It was then that the first sounds of battle erupted from the other side of the wall, and battle-armored troopers began to make quick jumps to the protected side as they exposed themselves. Then a bright light reflected off of the walls of the pass that the Republic 'mechs had just vacated.

"Yeee-haw!" Vickers' voice rang over the radio. "Captain, we got 'em good, even managed a reactor breech on one 'o them." A sudden burst of static then cut off Vickers, and Tanaka saw the blue light of a PPC flash at the same time. "But they're also pissed off, we're falling back to Backup positions."

"Good work, Vanquisher One," Tanaka said almost excitedly. "Prepare for a back stab as well."

"Just like the plan, gotcha," Vickers replied breathlessly as hit his own jump jets. "Jus' keep 'em distracted, and we'll rip 'em a new one."

"Good to hear," Tanaka responded with a smirk. "Okay, Whiskey and Oni lances, fall back to Checker Lance's position now!" Even as she spoke, Tanaka took her own order to heart and ran her 'mech at full speed up the inclined floor of the valley, towards where the Abrams tanks were concealed within the tree line of the nearby forest.

"Oni One, do you read?" The sudden, loud voice ripped into Tanaka's ears and she barely managed to keep her hands on her 'mechs controls. "Jesus, who the fuck is this?"

"This is Sierra Eight, captain, and we're up shit's creek without a paddle," van Horn's voice came through again, a bit softer this time but still with a loud volume. "The Blakest know where we were keepin' the civvies. They have us pinned down in the ruins with light infantry and support machine guns."

Tanaka felt her blood run cold at the transmission. "Sierra Eight, if you don't mind repeating that and authenticating."

"Roger, wilco. Two Blakest Karnovs crested the upper valley walls, and while we got one, the other was full up with native infantry, and these guys ain't no victims," van Horn began, his grammar suffering under a load of adrenalin. "We've been attacked with modern firearms and support weaponry manned by Blakest troopers. We've moved all the natives into the central building, but they have us pinned here. Authentication whiskey uniform delta five three, and we need help."

"Goddamnit," Tanaka muttered under her breath so as to not trigger her microphone. She then took a breath and spoke louder. "Doc, where's Connors?"

"Connors is down, took a few hundred rounds to the torso, and it ate his armor up enough that some got through," van Horn sighed audibly over the frequency. "He's alive, but out of it. For some odd reason, he gave me command."

Tanaka smirked at the comment. "In any case, doc, I'll send help. But don't expect too much, we're in sad shape down here." She paused to sigh a bit then. "By the way, how the hell are you cutting through the jamming?"

A detectable pause made Cassandra think that the good doctor had lost his connection, but the small sound of a breath being let out made her realize that he simply had something bad to say. "I told you, we had to retreat into the central building… And we're using the _Sable Pine_'s transmitter."

Tanaka frowned, but she was calm when she replied. "That's okay, doc. Just keep those folks alive. Oni One out." With that, Tanaka turned her 'mech around and made sure she was facing Carmike's _Wyvern IIC_. "Carmike, unless you've gone deaf, you heard that. Git your pasty white-boy ass up to the ruins now!"

"Yes sir!" Carmike replied energetically, sending his 45-ton 'mech into a flat run into the nearby forest. Tanaka watched him go for a moment, but only for a moment as a new radio call came in. "Oni One, enemy commin' past the hill!" Yelled out Vickers.

Tanaka sighed again, and she turned her 'mech to face the mountain pass. "Gonna be a long day," she muttered to herself. Then she spoke again with more volume. "Checker, Oni, and Whiskey Lances, fire at will!"

* * *

Van Horn breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the Kaytorians rushed through the opening that van Horn and Castellano had smashed open the night before. _They're gonna be safer in there… From physical harm, anyway. Dunno 'bout their mental health_.

The lull in the fighting turned out to be from the fact that the human soldiers amongst the enemy lupar had called them to a halt. Or so van Horn reasoned, given the fact that the Blakests had brought up a support machine gun and had set it up whilst hidden behind their native allies. Then the Lupar had parted at a word, and the heavy bullets from the enemy weapon had nearly chewed a hole through van Horn's depleted armor.

_Good thing these suits have jets_, the good doctor thought briefly as the very last Kaytorian went through. With that, van Horn opened his radio and called out to the other Republic troopers that were hopping about, keeping the Blakests from moving forward fast enough to catch up to the evacuating civilians. "All civvies are inside. Everyone fall back to the entrance now." He waited for everyone to answer before he himself went through the opening and entered the anteroom.

Inside, van Horn was surprised to see Alexis and three of the Kaytor militiamen standing inside, weapons drawn, though only Alexis carried a firearm. "What is this?" He asked in Lupari.

"They don't want to leave," Alexis replied with a subtle half-shrug. "They want to help defend the place."

"We know that we have not your great weapons," one of the lupar, whom van Horn finally recognized as Acryu, said. "But we are in close quarters now, and our swords can be as effective as any of your weaponry."

Van Horn frowned, despite the fact that he knew the lupar couldn't see it. "I know you want to protect your families and friends," he said softly to the three there. "But this isn't the spot for you. The enemy doesn't need to come into this room to kill you, they can just throw 'grenades.'"

Acryu frowned. "What are, 'gra-nades?'" He asked suspiciously.

"Weapons that can be thrown and are especially deadly in an enclosed room like this one," van Horn answered patiently. "So please, go wait with your fellows deeper in the building, and pray we do not need your help."

Acryu continued to frown a bit, but he nodded. "Very well, we shall wait at the metal staircase then." With that, he turned around and gathered his two fellows up by eye, and the trio walked off down the dark hall, their way lit by a flashlight that Alexis had set up at the far end to face towards the ceiling, thus causing its light to dimly light the immediate area.

Van Horn sighed as they rounded the corner. "Dear God, please don't let us need their help," he said aloud in English.

"A worthy sentiment," Alexis added in respectfully. "What about me, Earl?"

Van Horn smiled a bit within his helmet as he turned his head to face the gatón. "Go with them and make sure that they don't go wandering about," he said. Alexis nodded and turned to move off, but van Horn spoke up again. "And Alexis?"

She turned her head around and looked at the armored human. "Yes, Earl?"

He took a quick breath before going on. "In case anything bad happens… I just want you to know, that it was an honor knowing you."

Alexis stood for a moment before she nodded her head. "Th- thank you," she said, and van Horn thought he saw her eyes tear up. "And it has been as much an honor to know you, as well." With that, she turned and hurried down the hall.

Van Horn closed his eyes, which threatened to fill with salty water as well. _Not now, damnit_, he thought. _You still have a job to do_.

A moment passed while he was regaining control of his emotions, but soon van Horn recognized the sound of approaching jump jets. Deciding to be ready for anything, he turned to face the entrance and backed into a corner and brought his weapon up to bear on the entranceway, though he purposefully kept his finger off of the trigger.

It was a fortunate move, as the sound of gunfire began to accompany the roar of battle armor jets. Then, a black shape landed amid a cloud of smoke and steam and backed inside, and van Horn breathed a sigh of relief as the short-ranged transponder on the other man's armor identified him as one of the soldiers from Sierra squad. "Shit hit the fan, Lopez?"

The man started a bit, but he soon calmed down and turned to give a brief nod to van Horn. "Damn straight, doc. I'm' the first, but Mike and Josh are right behind me. Where do you want us?"

Van Horn took a moment to think, during which two more black shapes appeared at the door, saw that the small room was occupied, and then crouched next to the entrance. After another second, he made a decision. "Dubrovskiy, Ito," he said aloud, calling the two men who had just arrived. "You two have assault rifles, so you move back and defend the junction." Van Horn paused to jab a thumb towards where the hall ended. "Make sure you turn off that flashlight.

"Lopez, that SMG of yours I want at the main staircase inside. Just go back, take a left at the junction, and follow the hall 'til you see it. There are four native friendlies waiting there, so identify before shooting. Everyone got that?"

Three 'yes sirs' came over the channel and van Horn nodded. "Good, now move." With that, the three troopers moved back and past Earl's line of sight, and he paused for breath before he stood and triggered his radio again. "Stuger, you there?"

"I hear ya doc," the familiar feminine voice answered. "Y'all ready in there?"

"Yeah, just wait 'til I jump out to cover you, and then do your thing," Van Horn responded as he changed clips from the near-empty one to a full clip he wore on his armor's side. He put the almost spent clip on the old wooden desk and then leaned a bit against the entranceway. "Ready?" He asked over the channel.

"As I'll ever be," Stuger replied calmly. With that, van Horn took a deep breath, and then he turned and hopped outside.

No sooner had he done so than a flurry of bullets from a nearby cluster of approaching lupar reached out at him. Van Horn felt several of the slugs impact his armor, but he ignored them as he brought up his Heavy Gyrojet Gun and fired.

His first shot blasted one lupar in half, his bloody torso flying up and over to land behind his comrades. The other lupar, however, continued firing, and thus van Horn jumped up and _toward_ the enemy.

Confused, and perhaps remembering what an armored trooper could do at close range, the enemy soldiers began to scramble back and towards the house they had just passed. Van Horn, however, didn't hit his jets, and instead he dropped to a crouch and unleashed another rocket into the cluster, this one tearing through an arm before detonating and sending shrapnel to tear into the wounded lupar.

Just then, the resounding 'crack' of a gauss rifle sounded yet again, and the noise of metal being smashed could be heard from somewhere behind the nearest row of concrete buildings. Van Horn ignored it, however, as it was expected, and he sent another rocket hurtling towards his foes.

The lupar, for their part, had managed to retreat around the stout habitation, though the man van Horn had just wounded just lay on the ground moaning. The Republic soldier, however, forced himself to concentrate as he waited for Stuger to arrive from her sniping position.

She didn't disappoint, and soon the black of her armor was soaring over the very same building that van Horn's immediate foes had taken refuge behind. No sooner had Stuger landed, however, than light and noise erupted from behind the building, and van Horn jerked upright.

"No worries, I dropped a grenade on your friends," Stuger spoke casually. "Now, how about we go back to your place?"

"You're a lecherous wench, ain't ya?" Van Horn retorted. Then he turned and ran for the main building, and Stuger followed right behind him. Thus, the pair crossed the intervening space in seconds, and they dodged inside the central building.

Once inside, the two paused, and van Horn triggered his external speakers. "Stuger, move down and join Dubrovskiy and Ito at the end of the hall. I want you set up between them so that that monster gun of yours can mow down anyone tryin' to make their way through."

"Yes sir," Stuger replied and then moved off quickly. Van Horn let her go and then turned to check outside the entrance again.

He was rewarded with a flurry of hastily aimed shots, and the good doctor quickly ducked back in. "Shit," he muttered. _There's a whole passel of those infantry out there. How many can one damned Karnov hold?_

_More importantly, what do we do now?_ This sudden thought made van Horn stand and think for a minute. At the end of this time, he snapped his head up, turned, and strode purposefully towards the end of the hall where his comrades crouched at the ready.

"Runnin' away doc?" Ito asked in a jocular manner. "It's only a small horde."

"No, Josh," van Horn replied easily as he passed the trio. "I just got a fairly good idea, for once. Y'all stay here and welcome our friends if they decide to visit."

"No problem, man," Ito replied simply and he shifted his rifle a bit. "Just let me know when it's nap time."

Earl couldn't help but chuckle lightly at that as he followed the curved hall. _Gotta love the irrepressible nature of soldiers_, he thought as he entered the so-called 'main hall.'

Once inside, van Horn was a bit surprised to see no one there. Then he heard someone move a bit and soon Lopez appeared from behind one of the columns. "Sorry, doc. Didn't want to be lazy."

"No problem," van Horn replied almost casually as Alexis the Kaytorian lupar soon emerged from behind their places as well. "Just passin' through. Holler if ya need anythin.'" With that, van Horn quickly moved over to the stairs into the DropShip and he ascended them in seconds as he strode towards his destination.

The entrance into the ship wasn't too different from the last he remembered, though there was a distinct lack of a dust covering on the floor. Following the path, van Horn quickly reached the vehicle bay, and he paused to take in the sight that greeted him.

Sitting in groups around the bay were the Kaytorians, their huddled shapes made visible by chemical lanterns that had been brought out from 'MechWarrior/tank crew field packs. The dim orange light barely allowed anyone to see around the cavernous bay, though the sound of the human's arrival quickly brought many heads around jerkily. When they saw that it was another Republic soldier, the natives tended to relax, save a few who obviously didn't care for the humans in the first place.

_No matter, that_, van Horn thought as he walked towards the ladder at the far side of the bay that would take him to the ship's upper levels. Once there, he quickly began to ascend, and he soon left the bay behind.

Passing through the various rooms of the _Sable Pine_, van Horn didn't quite expect to run into anyone, but he soon saw Mikula standing outside a rather large double door on one of the crew decks. As he approached, he saw Mikula turn and half-aim his rifle before he realized whom it was. "Earl, you startled me," the lupar said breathlessly. "I thought you were a spirit."

"And I thought you were down with the other natives," Van Horn responded. "Why are you here?"

Mikula turned and nodded his head towards the door he stood adjacent to. "Dan remembered that this room was a sick bay, so he brought the corporal here in case they had anything."

"Not bloody likely," van Horn muttered under his breath. Although not intended to be heard, Mikula's ears nevertheless picked up the comment, and the lupar nodded. "You're right, unfortunately. Dan said the place was empty, but he didn't want to move Connors any more, so here we stay for now."

"Hmm," van Horn mumbled noncommittally. "So how is he doing, anyway?"

"I do not know," Mikula replied quietly, his ears lowering a bit. "I haven't seen Dan since they went in there."

"Well, let's find out then," van Horn said and then grabbed the doorknob and then opened the door quickly.

The room inside was dark, save where Castellano's headlamp shined down on a form that lay on a table. Van Horn took a moment to realize that it was Connors laying on a table, apparently still in his armor. Then he saw the stains of blood on the black armor, and van Horn took a breath in to steady his nerves.

Castellano, meanwhile, looked up from where he was applying a MediJel bandage to Connors' wound. "Who's there?" He asked.

"Just me, Dan," van Horn replied quietly and then walked softly up to where Castellano continued to work. "I came to see how things are going."

"Goin' well enough, I suppose," Dan muttered as turned back to his work. "I gave him some neomorph, so he's out now, though that will only last 'til the supply runs out." He sighed then. "As for his wound, he won't die right away, but if we don't get him to a real sick bay or infirmary soon enough, then…" His voice trailed off reluctantly.

Van Horn nodded. "How soon is 'soon enough?'

"Depends on the receiving station," Castellano temporized. "If it were an aid station, I'd give him about two hours, maybe twelve for an honest to goodness field hospital." He paused to sigh then. "Although, a well-equipped WarShip sick bay ought to be able to help for about twenty four hours after he got hurt."

"Like the one aboard the _Young_?" Van Horn asked hopefully.

Castellano nodded a bit, though he soon stopped as the light bobbing up and down in the room proved distracting." Yeah, though from what the captain said, we shouldn't expect their help soon."

Van Horn didn't say anything at that. Instead, he just stood for a moment before speaking up. "Well, I had an idea earlier, about breaking through the jamming…"

"Oh?" Castellano asked, clearly curious, despite the fact that he didn't move his head from paying attention to his work.

"Yeah. This bird still has power from somewhere… And I doubt that batteries last that long," van Horn replied in a knowing voice.

"You think the reactor's still good?" Castellano asked, finally pausing in cleaning Connor's wound to look up at the anthropologist-soldier.

"Yeah, I do," van Horn said with a nod. "I don't think it'll have enough power to get 'er flyin' again, but it should cut through some of this radio soup that's been in our ears."

"Sounds like a plan," Castellano said as he retuned to his work. "You don't need my help, do ya?"

"No, thank you though." Van Horn shook his head then. "Anyway, I need to go now. Call if you need help," he said as he turned and began to walk out of the room.

"No problem, doc," Castellano replied easily. "Just get a real doctor down here, that's all I ask."

* * *

Mikula had heard everything, even despite the fact that he hadn't entered the darkened room. _Thank goodness for my people's hearing_, he thought as the two humans talked, though the depressing nature of the conversation made the lupar wish that he were in a dream, _or a nightmare_.

He heard van Horn walking out, and Mikula quickly stood more erect as his friend appeared through the doorway, turned, and headed away towards a service ladder without a word spoken. Frowning at this strange behavior, Mikula turned and leaned into the still-open doorway. "Dan, do you need me here?"

"No, Mikula," Castellano replied with a sigh. "Not much you can do, and I don't think I need a guard, so feel free to find a more useful thing to do."

Mikula nodded. "Okay, but I will check back later if that is all right with you?"

"No problem," Castellano said with a barely-detectable shrug. With that, Mikula turned back into the hall and then headed off after van Horn.

Several minutes and a few ladders later, Mikula was pulling himself into the dark command center of the _Sable Pine_, having tracked the sounds of movement to the room. Inside, the lupar saw van Horn turning to look down at his visitor, his sidearm already free of its holster.

"Mikula?" The human asked as he re-holstered his weapon. "You shouldn't be wandering, it's dangerous to do anything like that."

Mikula frowned and shook his head as he finished bringing himself into the compartment and standing. "I'm not wandering. I came to see what you were doing, maybe see if I could help?"

Van Horn paused for a moment, and then he sighed. "No, nothing you can do, my friend," he said as he turned back to the console he was working with, and the light of his headlamp cast swirling shadows on the wall. "Not unless you managed to learn electronic repair while you were with us on New Honshu." This latter comment he said half-jestingly.

"Unless it involves food, I'd say no," Mikula replied back in the same jocular tone. Then he walked over to where his friend stood, carefully watching the floor as he went. "But may I ask what you are doing?"

"You may," van Horn replied neutrally as he fidgeted with the various controls on the communications console. "I'm trying to figure out this communications station. Hopefully, if the ship still had power for…" He paused as the obvious reference floated unspoken between the two friends. "For what we saw last night, then there might be enough power for the transmitter to cut through the radio jamming that's preventing us from calling in help."

"I see," Mikula said with a nod. "So… Do you know how to work a this machine?"

"I haven't got a damn clue," van Horn said as he jabbed a few buttons violently, and then made a disgruntled noise when nothing happened. "I'm a doctor, not an engineer, but even poking around blindly seems better than just sitting here and waiting to be attacked."

"Indeed," Mikula responded. _Help… Gods, we could sure use that_, he thought. Then his memory kicked in at the words, and the lupar shuddered as he remembered the message he had seen in this very room. _I feel like a hypocrite, comforting Alexis and yet having the same reservations as her_. He turned and looked around the dimly lit room, eyeing each control console in turn and finally stopping at the captain's command chair. _How can we all go on from this point, knowing that we're nothing more than the creations of a laboratory, and not of the divine creator of all things?_

Then a new thought entered Mikula's brain, and he turned to look at van horn as the human worked to figure out the controls. _Well… Are not humans also created by the divine? I mean they cannot be made in a laboratory, because Earl said they know exactly how their own species came about… Is not something created by a creation not also of the original creator?_

It was at that moment that lights started to come on the communications console, and Mikula quickly put his thoughts aside as van Horn let out a whoop of joy. "It looks like you have it figured out."

"Not really," van Horn admitted sheepishly. "But I got it activated now, so maybe there's a tutorial…" He pressed a few buttons on the side of the console's screen, and soon the monitor lit up with a series of colored boxes. "Even better, it's a touch screen with a user-friendly interface."

"Uh… Okay…" Mikula managed to say, unsure as he was of van Horn's tech-speak. For his part, however, the human chuckled and then took a moment to remove his helmet. "Sorry, Mikula, I'm just a bit hopeful now that I'll be able to use this thing."

Mikula frowned, but he said nothing as he watched van Horn begin to press some buttons on the screen and off. Earl became rather involved with his task, and so Mikula turned and started to walk around the compartment and look over the various controls to keep himself from getting in the way while van Horn muttered "looks like it needs more power for the transmitter... "

It was during this period when Mikula noticed that a particular light had come on that hadn't been lit before. _Odd_, he thought and then walked over to the console.

It was large, easily half again as large as the communications console, and its controls looked far more formidable. As he approached, Mikula nearly tripped over the stanchion that would have supported a dedicated seat for the position, and this alone told even the relatively ignorant lupar that this was an important console. Carefully, he leaned over the edge of the panel and squinted to read the lettering that was now illuminated by the light. "Earl…" He began.

"Wait a moment, Mikula," van Horn replied. "I'm still trying to see if I can weasel more power out of this."

"But, doesn't power come from 'engineering?'" Mikula asked and turned back towards the human.

Van Horn nodded as he replied. "Yes, it-" He suddenly paused, raised his head, and then lightly smacked his forehead. "Duh! I can access engineering controls directly from the bridge." He then turned to Mikula with a self-depreciating smile. "I really should dye my hair blonde to match my brains, sometime."

Mikula frowned. "I do not understand, what does the color of your hair have to do with intelligence?"

Van Horn sighed then. "It doesn't, it's just an old joke that blonde-haired people are dumb. Of course, it's not true, but it still persists."

Mikula grunted. "Well, don't let Alexis hear about them, then," he said in half-hearted jest.

"Don't worry, I shan't," Van Horn said with a nod. Then he began to peer around the dark room. "Now, where's engineering?"

"Uhm," Mikula raised a hand and then pointed it to the lit console he stood next to. "I think it's here."

Van Horn blinked a bit before he smirked softly again, grabbed his helmet, and walked over to where the lupar stood. "Again, I need to start paying attention to what's going on," he said as he reached Mikula's side, the latter taking a step away from the console to give his friend enough room.

Earl, for his part, brought his helmet up and managed to trigger the lamp in it, which then spilled illumination over the dark controls. Mikula watched silently as his friend poked at a few more buttons before he finally grunted and stood upright. "Well, I _think_ that might do it…"

"What did you do?" Mikula asked as he looked over the dials on the board. He noticed that a pair of said devices was twitching up from their resting state now, though he had no idea what they meant.

"I just fed more power from the reactor to the communications system," van Horn replied easily. Then he scrunched up his face a bit and brought up a hand to scratch his head. "At least, I think that's what I did… I mean, that report that Dr. Garcia left said that they cut off all leads to the reactor, save that for communications and data storage to reduce the chance of decay, so I'd assume that ramping up the reactor a bit ought to give more power to the comm. panel."

"I… Believe I see," Mikula said, his face showing that his mind was racing to catch up, and for the most part, winning. "So, we can call in help now?"

"Well, let's find out," van Horn replied and then turned and headed back for the communications console. Mikula followed along, and soon both were standing next to the panel and van Horn began to work the touch screen again. After a few moments of this, Earl looked at Mikula and took in a breath. "Cross your fingers."

Mikula nodded, having heard the expression before, and he did so. _It cannot hurt to do so, now can it?_

Van Horn, meanwhile, had adjusted the transmitter to the right frequency and then pressed the 'transmit' key as he leaned into the microphone built into the console. "Oni One, do you read?"

* * *

The brief conversation with Tanaka had confirmed van Horn's worst fears, and yet had given him some hope as well. _At least we can expect some help in drivin' the Wobbies off_, he thought as he turned off the transmit function and gave Mikula a small smile. "Well, looks like we won't have to worry too much longer."

Mikula just gave him a look. "I certainly hope so," he said quietly.

"Well, in any case," van Horn began. "We should get back downstairs befo-" He was suddenly cut off then by the sound of electrical arcing, which was itself quickly followed by sparks that spat out from the communications console.

"Shit!" Van Horn yelled as he grabbed Mikula and jumped back, bringing them both out of range of the searing hot sparks. He then started to look around desperately for a fire extinguisher before the whole console went out like a light, and with it, the sound and sparks. The smell of burnt insulation and metal still hung heavy in the air, though, and van Horn was loath to move until he could figure out what to do next.

"What just happened?" Mikula asked, his voice betraying his surprise.

"I'm not too sure," van Horn replied quietly. Then he glanced at Mikula briefly. "Stand here," he said and then turned and slowly inched towards the now-still console. Despite his innate curiosity, Mikula was only too eager to obey the order, and he stood rock still while van Horn walked up to the console and barely touched it.

Van Horn waited for a moment, tensed for a shock that didn't come, before he relaxed and started tapping at the controls. It only took a few tries to confirm his suspicions. "Damnit!" He muttered loudly.

"What is it?" Mikula asked as he started walking towards the console himself, now that it seemed safe.

Van Horn just glanced back ad Mikula with a look of despair before he turned back to the console. "The extra power I diverted to communications console burned it out," he said, and then sighed. "It was just too old, couldn't handle the strain any-" Suddenly, his eyes bulged open. "Oh, shit," he said and then bolted across the dark room, nearly knocking down Mikula as he raced for the engineering console.

"Hey!" The lupar exclaimed as he was roughly pushed aside. "What was that for?"

"Wait a minute," van Horn spoke quickly as he pressed another few controls. After a moment, he sighed with relief. "I just had to make sure that the reactor wouldn't blow up," he said and then turned back to look at Mikula. "I was worried that the sudden lack of power drain would cause a feedback loop and melt the power relays."

"What?" Mikula asked, somewhat dumbfounded at the jargon.

Van Horn just smirked slightly and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "It's fine, so there's nothing to worry about."

"If you say so," Mikula responded dubiously. "So, what now?"

Van Horn shrugged as he walked over to where he had left his helmet. "Now, we go downstairs and wait for help," he said as nonchalantly as he could manage. His thoughts, however, were a bit darker. _Wait for help… Or for our imminent doom._

_

* * *

_

Carmike felt his heard thud almost as loud as the footfalls of his _Wyvern IIC_, so worried he was that he would arrive too late. "C'mon, baby, a little faster now," he muttered to the machine as he held his throttle against its stops, pressing slightly past the 'full speed' position. It was a trick every MechWarrior knew, that the throttle would press past its designed limit and give a few extra tenths of km/h to the 'mech's top speed. _I just hope it's enough_.

He pressed on along the path carved into the forest by the procession of Kaytorians earlier in the day, following it up to where Sierra squad was besieged. However, even as he pressed on, part of Carmike wanted to stop and turn back and help his friends and comrades against the storm he knew they were enduring.

_Still, I have my orders_, he thought to reinforce his resolve. _That, and I didn't spend half the march up here getting' shot at just so the Wobbies can go killin' civvies!_ The mere thought made him want to move even faster, but he was constrained by his 'mech's top speed of about 65 km/h.

Finally, after an interminable amount of time, Carmike burst through the line of trees that denoted the forest's furthest reach, and ahead only the occasional tree stood before him and the ruins, which he now saw for the first time. Carmike slowed his 'mech down and tried to take account of the view, and he quickly picked out the central building where he knew that his comrades had taken shelter.

He also noted, for the first time, the Karnov VTOL sitting to the left of the ruins, as viewed from his perspective, and around it he saw a small set of Blakests dressed in their robed battle garb.

Sneering a bit, Carmike checked the range and, seeing it within the engagement envelope of his Large Laser, he aimed and fired. The Series 6b ER Large Laser built into his 'mech's right arm took only milliseconds to discharge, and it sent megajoules of coherent light straight into the right side of the Karnov.

As it was never intended to engage enemy units directly, the Karnov had little armor protection against heavy weapons. Thus, it was no surprise to Carmike as he saw the searing red shaft of his laser carve into the VTOL's side as if it were a lance hurled into a warhorse in ancient times. Unlike those old beasts, however, the Karnov exploded as the heat of the laser set off its fuel tanks.

The sound of the explosion reached back to Carmike, who smiled grimly as he hit his throttle again, sending his 45-ton war machine into a loping sprint for the main building.

* * *

The noise of the exploding Karnov startled van Horn as he walked down the steps from the _Sable Pine_ and into the large hall at her entrance. He crouched instantly and looked around in case the enemy had blasted a hole in the encasing building's walls, but he saw nothing amiss.

"What the fuck was that?" Lopez asked, his SMG following his sweeping gaze as he, too, made sure that the Blakests hadn't tried something new.

"I don't know," van Horn replied truthfully. "Stay here," he said to the other trooper and then turned to run down the hall and towards the entrance. _Thank God I managed to convince Alexis and her friends to take up positions inside the ship_, he thought as he ran.

Coming around the bend, van Horn saw that the three troopers he had left at the junction to the entrance were still there and, indeed, were firing a few rounds down the hall and into the open air beyond the doorway at the far end of the hall they faced down. Stuger, however, didn't fire, but instead looked up to nod at van Horn. "Doc, I hope y'all're alright in there?"

"Yeah," van Horn replied with a nod. "Ya got any idea what the hall made that boom?"

Before Stuger could answer, however, they all heard and felt the telltale vibrations of a 'mech's footfalls, and the four troopers looked to each other. "Oh shit, what now?" Ito asked with an exasperated voice.

The sudden sound of yells from outside made everyone start, especially as those yells changed into screams as the noise of machine guns and a flamer roared. Through the narrow slice f the outdoors that the building's entrance afforded them, the four Republic troopers watched native lupar running past, many on all fours as they abandoned their weapons in a mad dash to escape. Van Horn had a sickening sense of déjà vu, and he closed his eyes and prayed that whoever was clearing the enemy from their midst would avoid excessive killing.

Then the noise suddenly stopped, and the only sound that came from outside were the footfalls of the new arrival. It was then that the radio cackled to staticy life. "Sierra squad, this is Oni Four, are you guys okay?"

Van Horn breathed a deep breath of relief, and he heard his fellow troopers doing so as well. "Aye, Oni Four, we are now."

* * *

A stream of charged particles raced by the _Guillotine IIC_'s head, and Tanaka flinched as the PPC bolt cast a blue pallor over her vision. She blinked her eyes clear just in time to see the offending Blakest 'mech get slammed by four gauss slugs from Checker Lance, each one of the shots ripping sheets of armor off of the enemy _Marauder_'s hide.

Tanaka added to its misery by firing her ER PPC and Medium lasers, and she again bemoaned the loss of her pulse lasers. Then she dropped the thought as she watched the PPC rip the left arm of the _Marauder_ off while both lasers missed and turned soil behind the 75-ton 'mech into glass.

With that, Tanaka hit her jump jets, soaring up and away from the approaching Wobbie 'mechs. _Have to concentrate with an arm missing_, she thought as she brought her heavy 'mech to a jarring landing, a landing that took her an extra moment to balance out without the right arm.

The second half of the engagement wasn't going well, she knew, as the Blakests had pushed into the mouth of the valley, overrunning the Republic bivouac and forcing the combined mech, tank, and battle armored forces into the forest. There, the cover of the trees allowed the Republic troops to stage a bit of a rally, but now the enemy was pushing forward again.

As if to exemplify this, the Blakest _Marauder_ brought itself back under control and began to move forward again, its PPC and autocannon mix sending a hail of fire that ripped into the front glacis of one of Checker Lance's Abrams tanks. Unfortunately for its crew, the tank had already taken severe damage from enemy fire, and the particle stream ate through it and into the heart of the 70-ton battle tank. There, it destroyed the vehicle's reactor controls, and the Republic tank exploded from the inside out as the fusion reactor released its plasma.

"Fuck!" Tanaka yelled, her heart sinking at the loss of three good soldiers that the tank's death represented. The sensation of sadness was soon replaced by anger, and Tanaka wheeled her 'mech into line with the enemy and fired an alpha strike.

Her PPC hit first, and it tore into and through the _Marauder_'s left breast, erasing structural members before its fury petered out. However, Tanaka's SRMs soared in next, and two of them found the gaping wound in the enemy 'mech's chest, and they exploded within. The explosions were soon added to, as the _Marauder_'s autocannon ammunition was set off by Tanaka's missiles, and within seconds, the enemy 'mech seemed to half disintegrate as the detonating ammo consumed it internally.

Tanaka blinked her eyes clear of the explosions' after images in time to see the husk of the enemy war machine fall to the ground with a resounding thud. Then, the area became strangely quiet, and the captain checked her tactical display to see why.

Although an as-yet unseen jamming vehicle was still affecting it, Tanaka could still make out the icons that denoted the Blakests as falling back somewhat, and she realized that they only intended to regroup to make a final push. With this thought, Tanaka quickly checked her 'mech's armor diagram and uttered a foul Japanese curse word as she saw that her protection was all but gone. _And I'm sure that everyone else is as screwed as I am_, she thought and made a decision.

Sighing, she walked her 'mech back a bit and triggered her radio. "This is Oni One to all Republic forces," she began. "Authentication Alfa Alfa echo one. Everyone is to fall back to nav point Zulu immediately."

"Say again, Oni One?" The voice of Lieutenant Williams came back through the headset.

"I repeat, we're falling back to the ruins," Tanaka said more forcefully. "The enemy is just too numerous, and our armor hasn't been fixed in a week. If we stay here, we're toast, so I'm callin' a fallback. All commanders confirm receipt of orders."

"Whiskey One copies, Oni One," Williams spoke first, he apparently needing no time to trigger his radio.

"Checker One reads," Peterson came on next, his voice emotionless, though Tanaka knew that, with the loss of a crew, of friends, he was anything but. "We're moving now."

"Oni One, this is Vanquisher One," Vickers spoke next. "I need time to check over our casualties, to see who's really dead or not." Although his voice was somewhat detached, anyone and everyone could hear the genuine pain that rode his words like an undercurrent.

"I read that, Vanquisher One, but we don't have much time," Tanaka replied, her heart heavy. "You need to move fast."

"Roger, we're movin' now," Vickers replied. "Stand by."


	45. Chapter 45

Alexis stood on top of one of the concrete habitations, her gaze angled down to watch a group of lupar infantry whom had surrendered to the Republic forces rather than be cut down. Disarmed, they now sat on the ground between the house Alexis stood on and the main building, while to the left and right of the gatón stood Carmike's _Wyvern IIC_ and several troopers from Sierra squad, respectively.

The sounds of massive footfalls coming from the south made Alexis turn her head briefly, and she saw the first, battered 'mechs of Whiskey Lance making their way up towards the ruins. To each clung a full seven battle-armored troopers, all of them hitching a ride with the omnimechs to conserve energy, both electrical and physical.

The 'mechs began to spread out as they approached, and Alexis turned her head away and back to her duty, as she already had a fair idea of how they were going to deploy. _They will fan out and deploy in an arc around the southern approach, just like Earl asked them to do._

She suppressed a shudder as she looked over the lupar below her again. _It's only been an hour, and already things feel like they've changed irrevocably._ Alexis had been with van Horn when Tanaka had managed a to get a radio transmission through the jamming and distance, and she knew that the battle in the valley below had gone badly for the Republic.

_It seems that whatever we do, no matter how many problems we solve,_ Alexis thought, _there always seems to be something worse waiting in the wings._ She sighed as she glanced over the prisoners below. _The jamming is too heavy for us to call for help, the enemy is too numerous to beat back, and we're trapped in a mountain valley_. Part of her wanted to just curl up and sob, but her strong sense of duty and right pushed Alexis to continue on. _I owe it to my friends to do nothing less_.

The sudden noise of jump jets startled the gatón then, but Alexis soon calmed herself as she saw that it was only Lopez alighting to the roof of the house she stood upon. The Mobile Infantry trooper took a moment to look around before he ambled over to where Alexis stood and nodded towards her. "Miss Hurano."

"Private Lopez," Alexis said, nodding back. "Something I can do for you?"

"Not me, but doc wants you down on the ground," Lopez replied, and then shrugged. "Didn't say why, but in any case, I'll take over from here."

Alexis frowned slightly, but she nodded. "Very well," she said as she moved off towards a specific side of the building. "I'll see you later, then, Tony."

"Be seein' ya," Lopez replied as he took up Alexis' old position. The gatón, however, simply went to where some climbing plants had crawled their way up the side of the house. There she paused to sling her rifle over her back before she turned around and began the process of climbing back down to the ground.

Alexis hopped the last foot to the ground, easily landing with her cat grace. She took a moment to regain her bearings before she started off for the entrance to the central building, where she knew van Horn would be.

It only took a few moments before Alexis reached her goal. Rounding the corner of the main building, she paused to see van Horn conferring with two of the newly arrived troopers. Deciding that discretion was best, she walked up slowly and quietly to about a meter's distance from the trio of troopers, who were eerily silent as they used their radios.

Finally, however, van Horn turned to look past the two men in Marauder suits and at the gatón. "Alexis, how long have you been standing there?" He asked aloud, prompting the two other troopers to turn and look at her as well.

Alexis blushed slightly. "A few minutes," she said neutrally. "Lopez said you wanted me?"

"Yes, I did," van Horn replied with a nod. "Just wait a moment, okay?"

"Okay," Alexis said with a nod, and the three humans apparently went back to talking to each other. This didn't last more than a few seconds, however, and soon the two newcomers turned and walked off at a brisk pace.

"Those were Sergeants Renard and Farnholt," van Horn said to Alexis, naming the senior enlisted men of the Red Dogs and Vanquishers, respectively. "They wanted to know the situation, so I was explaining it to them." He paused to sigh then. "And they told me a bit more about the battle below."

Alexis felt her ears slide down a bit at the tone in his voice. "Is it as bad as Tanaka made it sound?"

Van Horn hesitated for several seconds, which in and of itself told Alexis a thing or two. "It is," he said finally. "They lost a tank and some troopers… Seven are dead, another two troopers hurt from small-scale armor breeches." Earl shook his head then. "And everyone's armor is worn away. All the Wobbies need now are a few solid hits, and they can take out our entire force."

Although she had tried to mentally prepare, Alexis still felt a wave of despair flow over her as she heard the recounting. She closed her eyes tight and began to whisper a prayer, until she remembered the previous night, and her mind came to a crashing halt. _How can I pray to false gods for a comrade's life?_ She thought acidly.

Van Horn seemed to notice the shift in her thoughts. "Alexis, what's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone. "You look pained."

"I'm… I'm fine," Alexis managed to say quietly. She then rubbed her eyes clear and managed to look at van Horn steadily "I was just… Thinking about those who've gone…"

"Okay…" Van Horn said dubiously, apparently knowing that there was something else, but clearly not willing to push his friend. "In any case, the reason I called you down here is that I want you to head over to Shubasu and alert them if they haven't already been alerted from the noise."

Alexis frowned a bit. "Pardon me if I sound uncaring, but… Why?"

"Because the Wobbies aren't known for their generosity in avoiding civilian casualties," van Horn replied dryly. "I want to make sure that they're okay, and hopefully warn them to head for the hills if they see a Wobbie comin' their way."

A moment passed before Alexis nodded. "Of course," she said calmly. "I don't suppose I'll have someone to come with me?"

Van Horn nodded back. "Yes, you will. I'm sending Dubrovskiy with you, and he'll carry you there and back to speed y'all up," he said quickly. "So, any questions?"

Alexis paused for a moment before she spoke again. "Where should the Shubasuii go if the Wobbies do attack?"

Van Horn paused to think about this. "Well, like I said, into the hills… Over the valley wall if they can, to another valley or elsewhere. Just… Just tell them to get the hell away from here."

Alexis heard the slight choke in Earl's voice, and for the first time, she realized just how bad it must be for the human to know that he should offer protection to the defenseless, and yet is unable to provide it.

_As it is with me_, she thought. Then she nodded sagely. "All right, then, I had better go."

* * *

Tanaka sat in her _Guillotine IIC_, her mind racing to try and think of some way out of the mess her soldiers were in. _A mess _I_ led them into_, she thought guiltily. _I couldn't just find a spot for a forward base and_ then _set out to raid the Wobbies. No, I had to be a goddamned white knight like some kid's fantasy!_ The anger that now rose in her gut was different from the anger that she had felt during the battle, for this time she directed it at herself.

_No, stop_, Tanaka thought and shook herself mentally and physically. _This is no time for self-pity! Screwups happen, and you're just as human as everyone else. So soldier, shut up and soldier!_ The old saying from her earliest training helped to calm Tanaka, and she began to order her thoughts.

_First off, I need to stop bein' so introspective when I'm at the helm_, she thought, self-chastising, noticing that Vickers and the last of his platoon were already past her position along the trail up to the ruins. Glancing at her HUD, Tanaka quickly ascertained that she and her two remaining lance members were the last ones just inside the edge of the forest. She also saw faint sensor echoes of the Blakest 'mechs as they reformed just on the near side of the valley's blocking wall.

This was more than enough for Tanaka to be jostled from her mental slump, and she quickly opened a radio channel to her lancemates. "Okay, Stein, Myers, let's start up to trail. George, you got the best armor getup of us, so you take caboose. Amanda takes point, and I ride rocking chair."

"Always gotta pick the easy job, eh?" Stein teased half-heartedly, though he knew very well that Tanaka was placing herself in the middle so she could move and help out whoever would come under attack. "Anyway, ready to move out, captain."

"Same here, boss," Myers added in. "Just give the word."

Tanaka nodded to herself. "The word is given, then," she said, letting a note of amusement creep into her voice. "Move out."

* * *

Alexis tensed instinctively as the ground rushed toward her, seemingly reaching up to greedily grab the gatón. However, the trooper holding her – Private Dubrovskiy – hit his jets on time, and the pair came to a gentle landing about fifty meters from the walled town of Shubasu.

_Actually, Dubrovskiy made the landing_, Alexis thought as the trooper set her down on the ground. _I was just along for the ride_.

Straightening out, Alexis stretched a bit before she looked up at the closed gates of the town while Dubrovskiy glanced about. _Scanning the area no doubt_, Alexis thought wryly as she did the same with her own senses.

The day was growing old, and already the sun was fast approaching the western horizon. T_hough from the looks of it, we have a few more hours of light left_, Alexis thought as she swept the terrain with her eyes, while her ears swiveled a bit on their own to listen to the various, small noises that come from any forest. _Nothing sounds out of place… But then, I don't know how this place is supposed to sound, exactly_. The idea that Blakest infantry could be watching her at that very moment made Alexis' tail twist up a bit in disgust. _Even their eyes upon me would make me feel dirty._

Turning back towards the town, Alexis saw that the three small towers were manned visibly, and gatón stood on their tops with bows raised, while at various points at the tops of the walls were more archers, though these apparently recognized Alexis and one of her human friends, for they started to lower their own weapons.

"They seem pretty alerted to me," Dubrovskiy muttered lightly to Alexis. She nodded back before replying. "Yes, but we should make sure that they know what to do if trouble should come."

Dubrovskiy shrugged. "You're the boss," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm just along to be handy."

Alexis smiled a bit at him before she nodded and then set off for the nearest gate to Shubasu. Behind her, she heard Dubrovskiy walk after her, and the pair quickly approached the gates. Unlike before, however, there were no guards to meet them outside, and Alexis wondered just how she was going to handle the request to talk?

An idea soon grew in her head, and Alexis brought herself and Dubrovskiy to a halt about three meters beyond the gate doors. Looking up at the gatón watching her curiously from the ramparts, she cleared her throat and spoke loudly. "I am Alexis Hurano, and I seek to converse with Shaman Garkayo. May my friend and I be granted entrance?"

The gatón atop the gate looked at each other for a moment before a voice sounded from behind the walls. Although indistinct to Alexis, the guards replied to it by repeated what she had spoken just moments before.

The voice sounded again, and a plainsman guard turned back to Alexis and spoke up. "He will be coming to speak to you, please wait."

Alexis frowned a bit, worried that the shaman would actually need to come out and speak with her, given his advanced age. _Still, I suppose the sounds of battle have them nervous… More so that the battle is of a type that they don't understand_.

She explained the situation to Dubrovskiy, and then settled herself to wait. Dubrovskiy, meanwhile, simply walked around lazily. Alexis knew it was just a trick, however, as she had been told about it by her friends in the Vanquishers. _What better way to make you enemy underestimate you than to appear bored and relaxed, when you are neither?_

Finally, after about ten minutes, the gates opened, drawing both of the soldiers' attentions to the parting doors. The ornately carved wood soon revealed the small courtyard just beyond the gate, and standing there were several guards arrayed around Garkayo.

Alexis took in a breath and then slowly began to approach, careful to keep her weapon secured behind her back. _Most especially since I didn't have it the last time I was here_, she remembered. _They didn't like me when I was just acting independent; imagine their reaction when they know I'm a soldier as well_.

She soon put these thoughts out of her mind, however, and bowed to the shaman as she reached an appropriate distance. "Shaman, I apologize for bringing you out here. I would have gladly come to your house, but I was not granted admission."

Garkayo nodded a bit to Alexis. "It is alright, child. I am not inconvenienced much, and my guards are more relaxed when the town does not have visitors. Especially visitors that come after such terrible sounds have been coming from below."

Alexis nodded at that. "Yes, and that is why I came to speak with you," she said carefully. "The enemies we were fleeing, the ones we told you about, they caught up." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "There was a battle, and unfortunately, our soldiers could not prevail. Thus, we have had to fall back to the ruins."

Garkayo and the others around him blinked in surprise. "You… You will fight them there?" He asked, surprised.

Alexis felt guilt rise in her as she nodded again, slowly. "I am afraid so. The enemy is too great in numbers, and our soldiers are not invincible." She paused to sigh then. "So we cannot keep the enemy from this valley. Which is why I have come here to warn you."

"Warn us?" Garkayo asked, puzzled. "About what?"

Alexis took in another breath before going on. "Our enemy is, as we've told you, dishonorable. They may decide to attack you out of spite, or even for sadistic amusement. Our warning is that, if you see them heading purposefully for Shubasu, then you should all run. Fighting them with your weapons is futile, and it will only get your people killed." She paused as the other gatón gave her disbelieving looks.

"How can such things be?" One of the large armed guards asked from his position near Garkayo. "We've defeated barbarians and raiders in the past, and our history tells that Shubasu defeated armies before!"

Alexis turned and just stared quietly at the guard for a few moments. This continued until he began to fidget, at which Alexis spoke again. "You have no concept of what horror lies beyond your town, do you?" She asked doubtfully. "You've not seen men sliced open, torn apart, or burned alive by the weapons that the two fighting armies possess." As she spoke, Alexis slowly moved towards the guard who had spoken. "I know this because, if you had, you would be willing to run away this minute," she said as she stopped right in front of the slightly taller gatón and stared up at him. "However, I have seen these things, and I can tell you right now, that unless your ancestors have been hiding the ancient weapons of the Gods somewhere, then you will not stand a chance against the invaders."

Silence reigned for a bit before Garkayo cleared his throat, thus bringing Alexis' attention back to him. "You certainly speak with much passion on the subject. Almost as if you had first-hand knowledge…" His voice trailed off then.

Alexis blushed and frowned at Garkayo before she turned away from the group. She took a few steps away and then halted before she spoke again. "Look, you can listen to me or not. I came here to give you knowledge that could save your lives, not to-"

The sudden 'wheet' of a rifle's bullet passing by Alexis' head interrupted her and made her blood run cold. Instantly, she threw herself to the ground, beating the sound of the bullet impacting a tree in the distance by a millisecond. "Dubrovskiy! Sniper!" She yelled out as loud as she could. Her yell was rewarded with the glimpse of the M.I. trooper dropping to the ground in a blur of black metal.

"What in the world are you doing?" The big guard that Alexis had confronted only a few moments ago asked confusedly. This prompted Alexis to snap her head around to look at the natives of Shubasu who, to her sudden panic, were still standing, apparently confused with the sound. Before Alexis could open her mouth and explain, however, the guard who had spoken suddenly had the right side of his head shorn off as another sniper rifle shot hit its mark.

"Get down!" Alexis screamed at the others even as the now-dead guard's bloody corpse fell to the ground. However, the sudden and quite inexplicable – to the natives – death simply stunned the others, and Alexis realized that she had to act. Before she even knew what she was going to do, she had twisted around on the ground and gathered her limbs underneath her body. Then, with a sudden burst of movement, she pounced like her predator ancestors towards the other gatón.

Alexis' move was shocking to the others, as evidenced on the natives' faces. However, she moved too fast and, with arms spread wide to knock down as many as she could, Alexis plowed into the others. Grunting at the impact, she managed to knock over Garkayo, Joru, and two others, and the five gatón fell to the ground in a heap.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Alexis slid off of the others and then glared at the gatón who were still standing. "What the Hell are you waiting for! Get inside the damn gate!" She yelled at them, snarling her upper lip as she did so. Surprised by the sudden feral nature of the stranger, the others quickly ran back inside the gate, just in time to avoid being hit by another rifle round, which instead impacted the wood of one of the gate doors. The heavy hardwood managed to stop the shot, though splinters flew everywhere, further startling the natives into stampeding into the safety of the walls.

"What is wrong with you?" Joru asked as he sat up, glaring at Alexis. "Are you trying to hurt the shaman?"

Alexis didn't answer right away, but instead crawled over and yanked Joru back down to the ground by grabbing one of his ears. "Listen to me now, because thing will get very bad soon and I will not have a chance to repeat myself," she growled into his captive ear. "We are under attack by a weapon that can reach out and kill you if you stick your head up. Just look at your friend there." She let go of Joru's ear then and pointed across his face towards the now-dead guard. "Now, if you and your friends don't crawl into Shubasu and take the shaman with you, I will personally beat you senseless so that I can do it myself. Am I understood?"

Joru stared at her in shock, his sensibilities apparently shattered by Alexis' actions. But after a moment, he finally nodded. "Yes… Alright…" He managed to reply.

Alexis nodded back. "Good, now get moving," she said and then crawled to the edge of the gate. _Judging by the angle of that last shot in the door, the sniper is at an acute angle to the gate entrance_, she thought as she pulled herself up to sit against the gate's arch. There she unlimbered her laser rifle, checked its charge, and then turned on her radio, all within the span of a few seconds. "Dubrovskiy, can you hear me?"

"You're commin' in clear, Hurano," The M.I. trooper replied via the radio. "Everyone okay up there?"

"One is dead, but others are unharmed and moving under cover," Alexis said. She then realized her English was becoming skewed with her increased adrenalin, and she spent a moment to take a couple of deep breaths. "I can't see the sniper, though from the angle of attack, he cannot see into the gate area at all."

"So I noticed from the heat trails," Dubrovskiy replied. "I think I got a bead on him, but I need him to pop up for one more shot. I don't want to put you on the spot, but can you be a distraction?"

Alexis took another deep breath, which gained a glance from where Joru and the other gatón were now crouching inside the walls. "Yes… Yes I can," she finally said into the radio. "What kind of distraction?"

"Lean out, pop off a few shots with that laser of yours, and then get back in," Dubrovskiy responded quickly. "Don't go bein' a hero and tryin' to counter-snipe the bastard. Just get him to take a shot, and that's all."

"Got it," Alexis replied. "Let me know when you're ready."

"One minute," Dubrovskiy said, sounding distracted. "I'm gonna call in some help, just in case this fucker's got friends."

"Okay, standing by," Alexis replied as the radio made the little clicking noise that happens when someone switches off of a channel. Then she looked back to the native gatón, and blushed when she saw them staring at her. "What?" She asked.

"Whom are you talking to?" Joru asked, his face showing clear suspicion that Alexis had lost her mind. She blushed deeper and shook her head briefly. "My friend out in the field, he has a device that lets him communicate with others over distances." She then reached up and tapped her helmet. "There is also one built into my headgear, so I was speaking with him about how to eliminate this threat."

"Are you sure you're not just insane?" Another gatón, a forester, asked sneeringly. "Perhaps the stress has gotten to you, little girl?"

Alexis just turned and glared at him for a moment before looking back at Joru. "In any case, you might want to get the guards on the ramparts to get behind cover. If the attacker gets bored, he may just start shooting people to get our attention."

Joru and the others looked at Alexis incredulously. "You're kidding?" He asked. "Who would kill so off-handedly?"

"People who are seldom people at all," Alexis replied hotly. "They are fiendish, hateful people who only wish to control everyone and everything within their sight." As she spoke, a growl entered her voice and the fur on her shoulders bristled under her uniform. "They are the epitome of everything that is evil in the world."

Stunned at her vehemence, the other gatón just stared at Alexis some more. She was about to say something else to them when her radio clicked on. "Okay, Alexis, I called Tanaka and she's comin' with one of her lancemates," Dubrovskiy said over the channel." So whenever you're ready, well see 'bout takin' out this guy and then catchin' a ride back to the rest of the force."

Alexis took in another breath before responding. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay, just let me know when you're about to pop out, and I'll take it from there," the M.I. trooper replied.

Alexis nodded to herself and then looked over at Joru. "Promise me one thing," she said while covering her helmet microphone.

"What would it be?" Joru asked suspiciously.

"If I die, make sure that my body gets to the town of Hercor," Alexis replied, her voice choking up briefly. "My family would want it that way." _No matter how bad our argument, I know this about father_.

Joru blinked, surprised and stunned at the request. Finally, he just nodded his head. "Y-yes, I promise."

Alexis nodded back and gave him a small smile. Then her face dropped into an impassive mask and she triggered her radio again. "One the count of three, okay?"

"Gotcha," Dubrovskiy replied.

Alexis took one final breath, then. "One… Two… Three!" With that, she spun on her hands, leveraging herself into a kneeling position that pointed her towards the general area of the enemy sniper. It also exposed her, but Alexis didn't think about that as she brought up her rifle and fired first one, then a second shot into the underbrush.

An answering salvo came from the forest beyond Shubasu's fields, and a bullet fly up and smacked through Alexis' right ear. "Augh!" She screamed and pushed herself backwards and into the cover of the gateway.

The sound of rifle fire came from the fields, and it was soon followed by more shots, but Alexis was too busy scrunching her face in pain and reaching down for her first-aid kit. "Ow ow ow ow OW," she muttered as her right hand reached up and felt along where the bullet had torn a small chunk out of the cartilage. She felt blood pouring from the wound and down the side of her head, but Alexis forced herself to ignore it and the pain while she felt out the wound. _Smallish, about the size of a quarter, I think_, she thought, referring to the Republic coin due to the first-aid training she had received on New Honshu.

By now, she had gotten the first-aid kit out and had managed to pull out a gauze bandage. Putting it to her mouth, Alexis gripped the edge of the package in her teeth and quickly pulled it open and soon after had it pressed against the painful gash in her ear.

"Are you all right?" A voice asked from her side, and Alexis snapped her head around to see Joru kneeling next to her.

Alexis frowned at him. "It's a flesh wound, I'll be fine," she said and then winced in pain as the movement of her mouth set a new round of pain blazing through her head. "But I'll be damned if it doesn't hurt like hot iron pressed to my skin."

"I'll bet," Joru breathed as he stared at the wound. "Do you need a doctor?"

"I don't know yet," Alexis replied quietly, hoping that a lower tone of voice would reduce the pain when she spoke. However, it didn't, and she continued on in a louder voice. "But you can help. See that package?" She pointed with her free hand to another gauze package. "Tear it open like I just did, and give me the white cloth inside."

Joru looked confused, but he quickly reached down and pulled out the bandage, and like Alexis, he put it in his mouth to tear it open. That almost made Alexis smirk, until she felt the pain that came from using any muscles to smile, and she resigned herself to just accepting the new gauze wrapping, which she used to replace the now-blood-soaked one over her wound.

A sudden movement in the corner of her eye caused Alexis a moment of panic as she snapper her head around and looked for where she had dropped her rifle. Then she saw that the movement was from Dubrovskiy, who was jogging over from his position in the field.

"Jeez-us!" The human blurted as he came to a stop and kneeled next to Alexis. "Looks like he got ya good, Alexis."

"Yeah, no shit," Alexis muttered, her manners forgotten in the pain. "Can you bandage it up? It's not exactly a convenient place for me."

"No problem," Dubrovskiy replied, and he went to work.

* * *

Tanaka smashed through the last trees between her 'mech and the town of Shubasu only minutes after Alexis had been wounded, and the captain stopped her battered _Guillotine IIC_ on the outskirts of the forest to scan the area. Behind her, Myers brought up her _Corvis_ and stopped it thirty meters away from Tanaka.

"Sierra Five calling Oni One, do you read me captain?" The voice of Dubrovskiy came in over Tanaka's headphones, and she quickly flipped on her own set to reply. "This is Oni One, I read you Dubrovskiy. Where are you and Hurano at?"

"We're at a gate on the town's western wall," Dubrovskiy replied quickly. "Hurano got hit in the ear, but she'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound, but I'm gonna need a few minutes to finish bandaging her up so it won't keep bleeding all over the place."

Tanaka grimaced at the succinct report. _Head wounds are always bleeders_, she remembered from training and one experience seeing a tech get sliced across the face by accident. "Well, glad to hear she's okay. Did you find anything else but the sniper out here?"

"Negative, captain. From the looks of his body, I'd say he was a scout." Dubrovskiy replied a bit stiltedly as he tried to do two things at once. "He had a radio, dunno if he managed a call out, but he certainly had time."

"Greeeaaat," Tanaka muttered under her breath. Then she spoke again, loud enough this time to trigger her microphone. "You take the techno goodies?" She asked, referring to the weapons and radio that the enemy soldier undoubtedly carried.

"Yeah, sittin' next to me," Dubrovskiy replied. "Also with one hurt lady, so if you'll pardon my uppitiness, captain, I'd like to focus here."

Tanaka smirked a bit. "Understandable, private. Call in when you're ready to move."

"Yes sir," the M.I. trooper responded quickly, and then his carrier clicked off of the channel. Despite that, however, Tanaka heard chuckling. "A bit tense, isn't he?" Myers asked via the radio.

"He was just being shot at by a sniper and he's trying to patch up a friend," Tanaka replied neutrally. "I think that entitles him to a bit of snippiness."

"Yeah, I guess so," Myers replied dejectedly. "I'm just a little worried myself, and you know I can't help but joke to lighten up."

"Yeah, I know Mandy," Tanaka replied as she turned her 'mech to face the south. "But worry comes with the job, and sometimes it ain't right to joke."

Myers sighed. "I know. Sorry."

"It's okay," Tanaka replied. "Just don't let anyone else hear you joke badly, and you'll be fine."

A sudden blip then appeared on Tanaka's HUD, and she let out a most profane curse in Japanese. "Heads up, looks like we got company."

"I see 'em," Myers responded. "Damn jamming won't let me get a good reading."

"Join the club," Tanaka muttered just loud enough for her radio to broadcast. "Stay here, I'll go to the town and see if we can't get him in a crossfire."

"Him or them?" Myers asked quickly. "I'm getting' an amorphous blob here, cap'n. If there's more than one, you'll be up shit's creek without a paddle and the boat'll be leaking."

Tanaka had already begun her move towards the town when she responded. "Just stay here, Myers, and guard our exit path," she spoke with her command voice as she marched her 70-ton 'mech towards Shubasu.

"Roger, wilco," Myers replied brusquely. Tanaka ignored the tone of her voice, and instead just concentrated on piloting her 'mech delicately enough to avoid squishing anything more than small patches of farmland. She also took a moment to send a new hail. "Dubrovskiy! We got baddies to the south, movin' up quick. Time for you to get your ass in gear."

"Copy that, captain," the M.I. trooper replied, businesslike. "I'm done with Hurano, so we'll be movin' out after she warns the natives."

Tanaka frowned as she replied. "Well, tell her to get moving then," she said hotly as she primed her weapons. "Things are 'bout ta get ugly."

* * *

"Already?" Alexis asked in surprise, despite the aching pain that still cut through the light painkiller she had taken. "But I thought we had some time?"

"We also thought that there wasn't a sniper sittin' in the trees," Dubrovskiy replied curtly as he quickly packed the first aid kit. "But that's the way the armor crumbled, so you need to tell your friends to be ready to skee-daddle."

Blinking a bit in surprise, Alexis nodded after a moment. "Yes, of course," she said and then turned on her feet to wave towards Joru, who had stood by with the other gatón from Shubasu a good four meters away beckoned, however, he quickly jogged over. "Yes?" He asked Alexis as he arrived.

"Joru, our enemies are approaching," Alexis said quickly and quietly. "They may be just after us and our friends in the fields, so do not immediately panic and run, but you should get everyone ready to leave if the enemy does not follow us when we move out."

Joru's eyes went wide at her words. "But… How? How can we possibly get everyone ready in time?"

Alexis turned away at that, and she looked down at the ground as she spoke. "You won't," she said with flat finality.

Joru gasped lightly, and Alexis tensed for a scathing rebuttal. However, when the other gatón was silent for a moment, she looked back up to see that he had a sad look in his eyes. "You are right, of course," he said with a small sigh. "I will tell the shaman."

Alexis nodded slightly. "Good. Now we must go," she said, taking a step back. "Farewell." At that, she turned and jogged over to where Dubrovskiy was waiting outside the gates.

"May the gods protect you," Joru called after her. The words made Alexis break stride for a moment, but she soon was moving quickly again. _Now is not the time, Alexis, to be worrying about Gods_, she thought as she headed for her comrade.

* * *

"Here he comes," Tanaka muttered to herself as the enemy 'mech stepped into view from behind the southern line of trees. The interference died enough for her sensors to lock on a bit, and her battlecomputer quickly picked through its warbook program before it found a match.

"Shit, it's a goddamned _Thunder_!" Myers yelled over the radio, naming the fast, 70-ton heavy 'mech. "Captain, we should get the fuck outta here."

"That has my vote," Tanaka allowed. _That fucker carries an autocannon that weighs as much as a small tank!_ She thought as she began to back her 'mech away from Shubasu. "Dubrovskiy! MOVE!" The good captain called even as she fired her ER PPC at the enemy 'mech.

The menacing particle beam reached out and slashed a deep gouge over the _Thunder_'s right torso, capitalizing on damage apparently done by one of the Republic's many aerospace attacks. For it slashed through the last of the armor on that side and then proceeded to work on the enemy's internal structure, though it hurt nothing of importance inside.

Still at range, the Blakest returned fire with the only weapon available to him; an LRM-5. The small missile rack, normally not of much use, was far more deadly now given Tanaka and Myers' 'mechs' battered condition. The five missiles reached out and slammed into the left torso of Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_, eating the last of the armor and working on her 'mechs own skeleton.

Tanaka heard the warning alarms of an armor breech, and she was not pleased "Goddamnit!" She uttered as she saw her 'mechs armor diagram redrawn on its small MFD-based display. _What a fucking situation_, the captain thought as she turned her mech and started running off towards where she had left Myers after seeing Dubrovskiy leave the town via jump jets.

_What a damn situation, almost like the training scenarios the academies like to stick you in_, Tanaka continued to muse darkly as her PPC recharged. _Here we are at range, each only having one weapon to strike each other with. I can do more damage, but he can take it, while he does less damage, which is enough to smack through my weakened armor_. Her anger at the situation rose as she pivoted her 'mech's torso and brought up the PPC. _Fuck you irony!_

The Mark XVII ignited and fired within milliseconds of Tanaka's trigger pull, and its coruscating beam flashed through the distance between her 'mech and the enemy _Thunder_, where it ripped armor off of a pristine left leg. Tanaka cursed at this, even as she braced for the return fire.

Again, the enemy MechWarrior only had his small LRM rack to respond with, and his sudden shift into a forward run threw off his aim well enough that the five small missiles flew past Tanaka and plowed into a field of crops, where they exploded and sent fountains of dirt flying into the air.

"Captain, another contact comin' through the south tree line!" Myers called out, bringing Tanaka's attention to her own tactical display, and then back up to her HUD, where she saw the second enemy 'mech.

It was a _Maelstrom_, another fast heavy 'mech with excellent firepower. However, unlike the _Thunder_ it followed, this design boasted en ER PPC and ER Large Laser, _both of which will tear me apart if I stick around_, Tanaka thought. "Myers, let's get the Hell outta here," she said and then hit her jump jets, sending her 'mech soaring into the air.

"Damn straight cap'n," Myers replied quickly, and Tanaka saw her 'mech already backpedaling into the western forest. "Dubrovskiy and Hurano are already gone to nav Zulu, just you an' me left."

"Then it'd be a damn shame to miss the tea party," Tanaka managed to quip. Then she focused entirely on her landing, again taking extra care with her 'mech's amputated limb. Even as she touched down, however, the enemy 'mechs fired then. The LRM rack on the _Thunder_ managed to land three missiles on her left leg, while the _Maelstrom_'s ER Large Laser slammed several megajoules of light energy into her ravaged left torso.

Tanaka gasped in surprise as the sudden impacts, combined with the loss of a heat sink that exploded violently, threw her 'mech off balance. She tried to compensate by sticking out the right arm, but her conscious mind only managed to register the mistaken move just as the _Guillotine IIC_ began to fall.

"Fuck!" Tanaka yelled as she rode her 70-ton war machine on its short trip to the ground. The impact shook her immensely, and Tanaka found her head swimming for a moment. _Fucking H. Christ, Not again!_ She raged while her senses returned. Then with a flash of fear, she realized that her 'mech was still laying on its side and open to attack.

Just then, the sound of jump jets roared over the area again, and Tanaka checked her HUD long enough to see Myers' _Corvis_ leaping in a flat arc that took it from out of the woods and towards the enemy. Myers then displayed a bit of fanciful shooting, as she managed to aim, fire, and hit with both of her pulse lasers. Her shots landed onto the _Thunder_, one slagging armor over the left arm, while the other managed to bore deeper into the hole in the enemy 'mech's right torso. A flash of light and a dramatic increase in the 70-ton 'mech's heat signature told of an engine hit, and Tanaka would have cheered, had she not already been pushing her 'mech upright for the second time today.

However, the two Republic MechWarriors' good fortune was not to last, as the _Maelstrom_ changed targets and fired on Myers with its PPC and large laser. Again, the pilot's aim was half effective as the large laser missed. The PPC, however, made up for that fact by slashing into the _Corvis_' left leg, where it tore off the remaining armor protection there, but just barely failed to damage anything critical.

It was enough, however, to affect Myers' movement, causing her to stagger her 'mech to the side. This proved semi-fortuitous, as it brought her _Corvis_ out of the _Maelstrom_'s sights, and that enemy's next set of shots missed.

However, her movement also brought Myers straight in front of the _Thunder_, which wasted no time in aiming its massive autocannon at the hapless Republic 'mech. Tanaka opened her mouth to radio a warning, but it was too late, and the class twenty autocannon roared out a blistering salvo of depleted-uranium shells that reached out and tore into the _Corvis_' left side.

The 40-ton Republic 'mech was not designed to take so much damage in one location, and the damage it had sustained earlier in the day now compounded the assault, as the shells streaming from the Blakest 'mech ripped past the thinned armor to detonate deep within the Republic 'mech's torso. In only two seconds, the voluminous cannon fire had blasted the entire left torso from Myers' 'mech and the left arm fell to the ground in a heap. The _Corvis_ shuddered heavily, and Tanaka was amazed that it didn't go down.

Then the pulse lasers on the _Thunder_ erupted with their emerald fire. Two missed, but the other managed to slam into the _Corvis_' head, compounding damage done there earlier by a short-ranged missile.

A tortured woman's scream rang out over the radio, and Tanaka felt her blood freeze, then boil as she turned her 'mech around and dashed forward to bring her weapons to bear. Edging just into the range of her medium lasers, Tanaka tied them in with her primary trigger and then fired at the _Thunder_.

The ER PPC in the _Guillotine IIC_'s left arm reached out first, and its scathing shaft lanced into the _Thunder_'s center torso, lashing off half the protection there and sending rivulets of molten metal streaming down the white paint job of the Blakest 'mech. Then the two ER Medium Lasers spat out their deadly light, one beam managing to gain revenge on the hit to the _Corvis_' head by ravaging the armor over the Wobbie's cockpit.

The other laser, however, was far more effective, as it reached deep into the _Thunder_'s already damaged right torso. A flare of emerald light was reflected by the interior, and it was soon joined by a brilliant white light as the last structural members in the _Thunder_'s right torso were eaten away, leaving their stubs to collapse on the extra-light fusion reactor's expanded shielding. Beams that once supported the massive weight of armor and engine now speared through the over-sized shielding to release the hot plasma within, and the multi-thousand degree matter blasted out of the 70-ton enemy's torso with impressive force, ripping away the right arm as it did so.

Even as the blasted remains of the _Thunder_ collapsed to the ground, Tanaka triggered her radio. "Myers, report!"

A light cough sounded on the other end. "Fuck, that really hurts…" Myers said weakly. Then she coughed again, and Tanaka could hear the wetness of it. "Captain, that last shot… Glass shattered… Not gonna…"

"Damn it Amanda!" Tanaka yelled. "Don't you fucking give up on me! You get your ass back here now and we'll get ya patched up!"

"Ain't gonna happen… Cassy…" Myers managed to sputter out, her voice growing weaker. "I don't… Have a… Left side…" She coughed again and, despite her obvious pain, managed to turn her _Corvis_ around to face the _Maelstrom_, which was moving around to get a better angle on both Republic 'mechs. "Just go, I'll keep this fucker… From chasin' ya…"

"Get back here, that's an order!" Tanaka yelled again, even as she pressed her 'mech's throttle to the stops and angled for the two 'mechs on the far side of the native farmland. "I'm not loosing anyone else!"

"Sorry cap," Myers managed to speak through her pain. "Death ain't in… The chain of command…" She managed a wet half-laugh/half-cough at that. "Just go…"

Tanaka wasn't exactly sure what happened next, but she would later swear that she saw Myers' _Corvis_ raise it's right arm and then charge towards the _Maelstrom_, firing its last weapon on full auto.

The _Maelstrom_ was bathed in hail of fire and death, its armor shedding like a snake's skin under the constant punishment. The Blakest tried to return fire, but his shots inexplicable went wide, and Myers continued rushing her mortally wounded 'mech forward, her cannon beginning to glow red from a rate of fire it was never intended to support for long.

Then the two 'mechs collided, and as they did, the autocannon in the _Corvis_' right arm exploded s the heat set off its shells before they could be fired. The explosions set off a chain reaction that spread along the ammo feed and into the storage bins, and they detonated with such force that they tore past the Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment to rip into the _Corvis_' reactor.

Tanaka screwed her eyes shut as the light from the conflagration threatened to blind her, and her ears were assailed by the horrendous noise, despite the layers of armor that stood between her and the blast. Then the light and noise stopped, and the good captain opened her eyes.

Where once two of the most deadly war machines ever created once stood was now a smoldering pile of wreckage. Tanaka brought her _Guillotine IIC_ to a slow stop as she tried to scan the area with her eyes and sensors for any trace of an ejection seat, hoping against hope that Myers had bailed out at the last second.

_Nothing_, Tanaka thought after a few moments. Her eyes filled with tears, and she screwed them shut to keep from sobbing. _Damnit… Damnit…_ "GODDAMNIT!" She screamed and slammed her fists against her command console. _It's happening again!_ Her mind raged, thinking of her lost friend from years ago. "First Paul, then the tankers, now Mandy…" _How do I keep failing my friends?_

_You're not_, a small voice sounded in Cassandra's head. _You know that this is war, and in war, people die. Such is the way of things._

_But I'm the one in charge!_ Her grief argued back. _I'm supposed to keep that from happening!_

_And what are you supposed to do?_ The other part of Tanaka's mind argued back. _You're not prescient, omniscient, or omnipotent. You're not God, nobody expects you to be 100 perfect all of the time._

_But when I make mistakes, it's my friends and comrades who suffer!_

_You think they don't know that?_ Tanaka felt the heat of the words in her own internal dialog. _You think that they're stupid kids or conscripts, rushing out to die? They knew what they were getting into, they knew that death can come at any time for them, that officers are fallible and plans go to hell._ The voice began to take on a male timbre, and Tanaka started to recognize the familiar words as belonging to one of her instructors in Officer Candidate School. The memory soon came back fully of his last speech to the graduating class.

"You have, by now, been told all about the duty that you owe to the soldiers under your command," the man, one Major Sinclair, said as he slowly paced back and forth across the front of the amphitheater-like classroom. "It cannot be stressed enough, the responsibility you have to the men and women that the Republic trusts to you, their families, and indeed, society itself. Their lives are precious, their skill needed, and their loss almost irreplaceable.

"However, while that responsibility weighs heavily upon your shoulders – As it should! – You must learn to balance that responsibility with the knowledge that war is a most unpleasant, horrendous activity. You must always remember, that no matter how good you are, no matter how confident of your plans and abilities, that you are still _human_." He had stopped then and snapped to face the class of twenty-six men and women. "You are not infallible, you are not perfect, and you are most certainly _not_ going to go through a battle without someone under your command dying.

"'War is Hell.' Remember that adage? There's a reason that it has survived more than seven thousand years of organized warfare, and you can be assured that the soldiers of Gilgamesh probably weren't the first to coin the phrase. We use that adage for a reason, and that reason is because War, is, _Hell_." He emphasized, with his hands, each of the last three words. "We can talk about how training prepares you, how all this learning you've received will let you triumph, but when the time comes, and you start to see people dying, then you will truly know the full depth and meaning of that old phrase.

"It's because of this that I speak to you now," Sinclair had said as he walked to the very center of the stage like teacher's area. "In any prolonged battle, or campaign, almost everyone who isn't busy trying to keep themselves alive is going to question their choices, their roles, and their actions. This goes double for any officer, and the feeling only increases in power the further up the ladder you go. You will see good people die, and you will wonder, 'what did I do wrong? How could I fail them?'

"These thoughts are the natural extension of the responsibility we place on you when you leave this academy, and they will shake you to your very core." Sinclair paused then for breath, as well as for effect. "Such thoughts can also be disabling. You may very well question your abilities and choices.

"I can't say that you will never make a mistake, that all the bad things that happen won't be your fault. Nor am I saying that every life that is lost is due only to you and your choices. What I _am_ saying is that you cannot let the feelings of failure overwhelm you, for three reasons.

"Firstly, it's not fair to you, because it destroys your confidence and will. Secondly, it's not fair to your soldiers, because they're probably still getting shot up while you're wallowing in self-pity.

"And the final reason is because your troops aren't the ignorant rabble that empires of the past have had to rely on," Sinclair said more stridently. "They know the risks, they know that some of them won't be coming back, and most importantly, they know that you're not some infallible creature. They know this and yet they will still follow you, trust you, and perhaps, even die for you. Not because of who you are, though that may play a part in it. No, by far, they will fight and die because of what you represent. And what you represent is the Republic," the professor said with iron in his voice. "When you're in command, you are more than just an officer, you are the living embodiment of the heart, soul, and brains of the state and the society it represents. What you are is a representative of the entire Republic, doing the job that others would do if they could be there.

"But not everyone can be there. Just as we elect congressmen, judges, and presidents to represent us in the halls of government and law, we appoint you to be our representatives on the battlefield. Just as a congressman will work to protect his constituents, you work to defend the lives of your men, and indeed, the lives of every man, woman, and child on every world in our society. As the judge must inflict harm on a man to punish him for wrongdoing, so you bring punishment to our enemies for their transgressions against the innocent.

"And, like our duly elected commander-in-chief, you must sometimes take actions that may or may not turn out to be the best choice," Sinclair said, and then paused to look over the class for a moment. "But such decisions must be made, and unless they're so obviously stupid, such decisions are followed.

"So it will be with your men," he said with a sigh. "Just as we follow the people we elect, so the soldiers will follow you. Not because you're an omniscient avatar of Good, but because you are the representative of their hopes, dreams, and desires. Just as you trust your men to do their duty to the Republic and represent its ideals, so they will trust you in doing the same. Trust is what holds armies together, and it is what will keep your men following you into the very depths of Hell itself."

Tanaka opened her eyes then, and she checked the time display built directly into her command console. _Only twenty seconds? It felt like an hour_… Then she shook her head. _But the lesson remains the same, Cassandra. Myers trusted you enough to die for you. And like the Major said, it isn't because you're infallible, it's because they trust you… Trust that you will continue to represent them even when they're gone_.

With a sharp intake of breath, Tanaka spun her 'mech about and started it off in a loping gait towards the path that would lead back to the ruins. _I promise you, Amanda, that I will do what you no longer can do; protect the innocent, and punish the wicked_.

* * *

Alexis felt the jarring impact of landing, and as Dubrovskiy set her down, she hoped that it would be the last time today that she would have to be carried. _Not exactly the most dignified way of travel, certainly_, she mused as she looked around the outskirts of the ruins. Then she winced at the throbbing in her ear as it grew in intensity from the quick movements of her head. _Of course, having part of an ear shot off would make any form of travel unpleasant_.

"You okay?" Dubrovskiy asked, clearly seeing her wince of pain. Alexis looked up at his faceplate and nodded slowly. "I'm fine, just moved my head a bit too fast."

"Okay then," the human trooper said with a nod of his own. "Why don't you go and see Dan 'bout that wound of yours? I'll be stayin' out here for a while yet."

Alexis frowned slightly, thinking she was being dismissed. _Then again, you're hurt and he just wants to make sure you're taken care of_, she realized then. "All right, I will go see him," she said with a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern."

"You can thank me by not getting' shot again," Dubrovskiy replied with a light chuckle. Then he turned and jogged off at a power-armored trot that took him towards the south end of the ruins.

Taking a moment to gain her bearings, Alexis turned and headed for the central building, where she knew Castellano was watching over Corporal Connors. Along the way, she passed troopers in armor prowling about the abandoned buildings, and though she drew looks from them, none spoke to her.

That changed, however, when she got to the main entrance. There stood a pair of troopers clad in Marauder armor, and from the way they watched the gatón approach, Alexis figured that they were guards.

One of them waved her left hand and then spoke. "Alexis," said the woman, whom Alexis recognized as Marks. "Looks like someone didn't like you very much." Despite the situation, Marks' words held a jocular tone.

Despite herself, Alexis smiled faintly. "Believe me, the feeling was mutual," she said in a tone similar to Marks' own.

Marks chuckled lightly. "Well, I guess you're goin' to see Dan 'bout that?"

"Yes," Alexis replied with a slight nod.

"Well, he should be upstairs in this thing," the human said with a quick wave of her hand towards the building she guarded. "At least, that's the chatter."

"Thank you," Alexis said and then walked past the two humans.

"See you later," Marks called after her, which prompted Alexis to pause and nod back towards her friend. Then she turned and continued on.

Back at the entrance, the other trooper turned and looked over at Marks. "She doesn't seem too friendly today," he mused aloud.

Marks shook her head. "You try getting shot and see how it settles your disposition," she said.

* * *

Alexis had made her way past the various peoples in the dropship's belly, garnering stares from the lupar, and nods from two more human guards she had passed before she finally managed to pull herself up the ladders that led to the infirmary. She had, of course, called ahead for directions, and so Dan was waiting outside the room when she arrived, his helmet already taken off.

"Man alive," Castellano said as Alexis drew near. "That looks like it hurts," he said, obviously referring to the bloody bandage in Alexis' right ear.

"It does. Lots," Alexis managed to grit out. "And the painkiller I took is not working as well anymore."

"Well, let's get you patched up then," Dan said good-naturedly, stepping back to open the way up for Alexis to move past. She did so, and then paused when she entered the ship's sickbay.

The room had been illuminated a bit more since van Horn's earlier visit, thanks to some of the last chemlights that had been broken out. However, the eerie green light only showed the form of Connors laying on one of the sturdy tables in the small, rectangular room, his armor apparently not enough to crush it. Around this were several other tables, each looking as sturdily built as the one Connors lay on, while beyond these were cabinets built into the bulkheads.

"I know it's not much," Castellano said, bringing Alexis out from her reverie. "But it's all that they could fit into this old bird," he said as he laid an armored, yet gentle hand on Alexis' shoulder and began to steer her towards the table where he had set up all the medical kits that had been pooled together in the past half hour. "Even so, you gotta wonder at the forethought of the Star League scientists in putting in some tables that could take a few hundred kilograms of weight."

"I suppose," Alexis said noncommittally as she stopped by the table Castellano had guided her to. Dan, meanwhile, fiddled with his gloves and after a moment, he had them off. He gently set the armored gloves down and then turned to Alexis. "Well, lemme see your ear then."

Alexis just nodded a bit, and she stood patiently as Dan picked up some gauze and then kneeled down to bring his eyes to the level of her own head. Despite the gentle way he reached out for the wound, Alexis still jerked in pain when he touched it.

"How bad does it hurt?" Dan asked as he slowly peeled the bandages off of the cut in her ear. Alexis winced, but she was more prepared, and thus didn't move. "Very. Hurts to talk," she managed to grit out.

Castellano nodded. "Yeah, that's 'cuz the vibrations of your voice are settin' off the nerves," he said as he swabbed the wound clean of the scabs that had grown there. "Looks nasty, but after I clean this out and bandage it up better than you had it, the pain should subside a bit."

"That would be good," Alexis managed to say. Then she was quiet for the next ten minutes as Castellano went through the actions of cleaning her wound, spraying it with various medical mixes, and then bandaging it up again. After he was done, Dan picked up a small mirror he had found in the room and showed Alexis the wound.

The white of the bandage, she saw, followed the contour of the hole in her triangular ear. Confused, Alexis asked the human how he did that.

Castellano waved over to one of the tiny, almost insignificant spray bottles he had used. "That's a biological bonding agent. It acts like a glue to hold the bandages over the raw parts of a wound for a time. Unfortunately, it doesn't last forever, so you'll probably have to have that bandage changed a few more times."

Alexis nodded slightly. "Amazing that something so small could cause so much pain," she said with a sigh.

"Well, head wounds are naturally painful," Castellano said as he turned to packing up some of the supplies he had used, as well as gathering the waste into a small plastic bag that had come with one of the medikits. "And bloody as hell. You'll probably want to wash your face as soon as you get a chance."

"What? Alexis asked, confused a bit. "But I was hit in the ear."

Castellano looked over at his friend. "You didn't notice yourself in the mirror?" He asked. Alexis shook her head in reply. "I was paying attention to my ear," she said, blushing a bit, though the action halted halfway due to the pain of moving her ear.

"Well, look again," Castellano said cautiously.

Alexis frowned, but she picked up the mirror from where the human had placed it, and she made sure to tilt it so that she could see her entire face. Then she started a bit as she saw that the entire right third of the fur on her head was stained red with her own blood. "My Gods, I look like I was bathing in it," she muttered in her slight shock.

Castellano's dark chuckle brought Alexis out of it, and she looked over to see them shaking his head as he went about cleaning his work area up. "Don't worry about it, Alexis. No one's going to complain," he said gently. Then his voice began to grow more distant. "At least, not when there's much worse than a messy face on the casualty list."

Alexis blinked at the sudden change in topic. Then she nodded soberly. "Of course," she said quietly. "I hope I've not distracted you from more important work, then?" She asked, fearing that she had done so.

Castellano, however, just shook his head again. "No, you didn't," he said friendlily. "The nature of modern combat is that soldiers seldom get wounded anymore…" He said, his voice trailing off.

Alexis followed Castellano's gaze to see Connors lying on the table to her right. _It's all too true_, the gatón thought, reflecting on how easily people had died in her sight. _So potent the weaponry is in modern war, that people are usually killed than wounded_.

After a moment, Castellano sighed, bringing Alexis' attention back to the active trooper. "Well, no offense, Alexis, but unless you aren't feeling up to it, I'd suggest you should go talk to Earl, see about what sort of job needs to be done."

Alexis nodded at that. "Yes, I shall," she said and then began to walk out.

"Wait a sec, though," Castellano said, and Alexis halted and turned around to face the human. Dan was fiddling with a container, and after a moment, he turned and handed a pill to Alexis, who took it gingerly from his hand. "That should help with the pain, though it'll also make you drowsy and slow your reflexes. So I'd see what kind of work that Earl wants you to do before you take it."

"That sounds wise," Alexis replied with a nod as she took the large capsule and placed it into the breast pocket on her flak vest. "Thank you, Dan."

"You're welcome," Castellano said with a small smile. "Just do me a favor and try not to see me again in a professional manner."

Despite herself, Alexis smiled. "I'll try not to," she said and then waved goodbye as she left the sickbay.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but things are still too hectic now," Mikula found himself saying to yet another group of lupar men. "There are very large, very cumbersome machines out there that can crush you simply because the one controlling it is too busy trying not to be blown apart by the enemy."

"But the air in here is stifling!" One of the men said. "The smell and the heat will not go away! My children cannot breathe without coughing half the time."

Mikula winced a bit, but he shook his head. "Would you rather them turned into a red paste?" He forced himself to ask acidly. "Because that is what could happen, either from the enemy or simply because they didn't know when not to walk near something the size of a small temple."

The man was taken aback long enough for Mikula to gather his thoughts up. "Of course, none of us want that to happen, which is why we can't let you out just yet," he said in a consoling tone. "That, and our enemies grow near. The more walls between you and the enemy, the less our warrior friends have to worry about stray attacks hitting you."

The men in front of him mumbled, but they looked around more at the others in the main bay of the dropship. Mikula decided that this was a good time to push them just a bit. "So please, go back to your families and sit down, rest, conserve your energy. It was a long march up here, and you should be ready to have another one back if we cannot get help to carry you back."

Although a bit confused over his wording, the other lupar grumbled a bit and started to walk off. After a moment, the area around the exit to the passageways that led to the outside was clear of natives, and Mikula sighed with relief, though he made sure to keep it from being too loud, given the proximity of some Kaytorians. However, none of them paid any attention to him, and so the lupar simply closed his eyes and leaned against the bulkhead that separated the passageway into the main bay into a pair of doorways. _So tired_, he thought. _I'm so tired…_

Just then, he heard mutters, and he opened his eyes to see Alexis walking towards him, the right side of her head stained in blood and her ear bandaged, but a smile on her face nonetheless. The contrast was so striking that he simply stood in shock until Alexis came up and hugged him, which finally encouraged him to move, and he returned the embrace. "Are you okay?" He asked of the top of her head.

"I'm fine," Alexis said quietly, in English rather than Lupari. This of course prompted him to switch over as well. "What happened?" He asked.

"I was shot," she said so matter-of-factly that he froze for a second. "What?" He asked and drew back to look at her again, to make sure she was all right. "How?"

Alexis smirked slightly. "Didn't duck fast enough," she said with an attempt at mirth. Then her smile faded and she shook her head. "But I shouldn't be joking, a poor gatón lost his life due to the sniper that shot me."

"Sniper?" Mikula asked hotly. "Where?"

"He's dead now," Alexis said, and she rubbed a hand along Mikula's muzzle to calm him. "Dubrovskiy shot him after he had snuck up on us at Shubasu when we were warning the villagers there."

Mikula grunted. "Shooting is too good for him…" He muttered. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, are you in pain?"

Alexis sighed a bit at that. "Yes, but it's not too bad," she said and then looked around the cavernous bay. "Given our situation, I cannot complain."

"Perhaps," Mikula allowed. "In any case, shouldn't you see Dan?"

"I already did," Alexis replied with another faint smile. "I suppose you were too busy to notice me coming in earlier."

"Yes, I suppose so," he replied with a faint smile of his own. Then they both turned serious as Mikula spoke again. "So, where are you off to now?"

"I'm going to see about getting some water to wash my face," Alexis replied. "Then I'm going to ask Earl if there is anything I can do to help."

Mikula's face darkened then. "You've been hurt, can't you take it easy for a little bit?" He asked, concerned.

Alexis shook her head. "No, not now, Mikula," she said, her voice sad. "I know you just want to look out for me, but this isn't the time. We're trapped in a valley, outnumbered, and about to be attacked at any time." She paused and then sighed. "I can't, I just _can't_ 'take it easy,' not when lives are at stake."

Mikula was silent for a moment, and then he blushed and nodded. "Of course. I am sorry, Alexis, if I sounded as if I thought less of you," He said. "I am-"

"Just concerned, like I said," Alexis interrupted. She smiled a bit then. "I understand, Mikula, and I appreciate it," she said and then drew him into another, quick hug. "You're a caring individual.

"But now we need to be ready for anything," she said as she drew away from Mikula yet again. "And so none of us can truly rest yet."

"Of course," Mikula replied with another nod.

Just then, sounds of 'mechs shifting and running around outside vibrated into the dropship, and the radios in both of their helmets came on as a new, priority transmission that activated their monitoring chips. "This is Oni One to all soldiers, the Wobbies have been sighted approaching the ruins. Take up positions and prepare for combat."

* * *

Van Horn stood in a half-crouch by the entrance into the main building as Marks and her compatriot had left to take up positions with the rest of the Vanquishers on the outskirts of the ruins. Thus, he and Stuger had been assigned to hold the entrance, while inside Lopez, Ito and Dubrovskiy had again taken up the same positions that Earl had assigned them earlier in the day.

_And a long day it has been_, van horn mused darkly as he looked towards the west and saw the sun approach the horizon. _Only an hour or so 'til sundown… Won't night combat be fun?_ He asked himself sarcastically, knowing full well that nighttime only made combat even more dangerous and chaotic. _Like tryin' to shave in the dark… With a machete_.

"Hey, doc," his radio suddenly sputtered, and van Horn recognized the voice of Lopez. "Alexis and Mikula are both at my position, askin' what they should be doin' at the moment?"

Earl frowned, and then took a breath. _I suppose that there's no place truly safe here_, he thought before opening a return transmission. "Send 'em here, and we'll see 'bout havin' them watch the prisoners and free up the guys from Delta squad who're doin' that."

"Okay, if you say so," Lopez said, his tone communicating his dubiousness. However, he said nothing else, and van Horn was grateful for the brief silence. _It'll be in short enough supply once the shooting starts_.

After a moment, he saw two figures emerge from the building on his HUD, and he turned and nodded towards his two friends. "Alexis, Mikula," van Horn said. "I take it you two wish to add in your help as well?"

"Of course," Mikula said resolutely. "Did you think that we would shirk our duties?" He asked, hurt.

Van Horn winced and shook his head. "No, of course not," he said and then sighed. Then he looked over at Stuger. "Dianna, I'm gonna take these two to where we moved the prisoners. Think you can hold the fort 'til I get back?"

Stuger shrugged. "No problem, doc. Just you git your ass back here soon, okay?"

Van Horn chuckled slightly. "Sure. I'll be back in three shakes," he said and then turned to face his native friends. "Okay you two, follow me." With that, he walked off, heading north, away from the expected attack and towards where the prisoners had been herded. Alexis and Mikula followed him after only a moment's hesitation, and soon the trio was moving past houses that were even more dilapidated than their cousins to the south.

Only a few moments passed before the small group reached the area where the lupar prisoners were being held. Although the Republic force didn't have anything to create a corral, the prisoners were kept in an area formed by two abandoned houses that sat at a right angle to each other. The small, square-like area opened up to a thin patch of forest beyond where no underbrush grew, so none of the lupar would have the ability to hide should they run. _Not like there's anywhere to go from here_, van Horn mused as the trio walked up to where one of the troopers was watching the prisoners from the ground. _Only higher up the mountain and into the frozen cold of the snowcap_.

"What's up doc?" A bemused question came from the ground-bound trooper as he turned around in his Elemental suit. Van Horn just flipped him the bird briefly and began to speak. "Funny. In any case, I got two replacements here for you and your bud to watch these folk."

The trooper looked over at Alexis and Mikula then. "Ah, the celebrities," he said with a soft chuckle, causing both of the friendly natives to blush. "I hope you're gonna be here with 'em?"

Van Horn shook his head. "Can't, I've gotta guard the main buildin' and the civvies inside."

This seemed to give the other trooper pause. "Dunno if'n that's a good idea, doc," he said and then turned back to the mass of fifteen or so lupar. "These guys are cowed a bit by our armor, but I dunno if that's going to work with just two folks who don't have the same."

Van Horn shrugged. "It's this, or you can sit out the fight."

"That's not exactly a tempting offer," the other trooper replied wryly. "Still- Wait a second," he said suddenly and jerked his left arm up, manipulating the battle claw to form a simple gesture of holding up a finger in a manner that said 'give me a minute.'

Confused, van Horn looked over his HUD for a moment to check his sensors. Then the other trooper gestured quickly. "Doc, channel thirteen."

Van Horn realized that the other trooper must have received a radio call, and he soon switched over to the mentioned frequency. As soon as he did, he heard the baritone of Lieutenant Vickers. "-And get up here on the double. You got that?"

"Yes sir," the Elemental armored trooper replied. "However, there's somethin' you should know, sir."

"Well, make it snappy son, 'cuz we're all gonna be busy soon." Vickers replied, his voice gruff.

"Aye sir. See, doc van Horn is here, and he brought along our two native friends to take over guard duty," the trooper said. "He's on the channel now, sir."

"Ah, I see," Vickers said, a bit of surprise coloring his words. "Well, doc, the gist is this: We can't watch them prisoners. Even if you're havin' your friends there, it's a division of resources. So we're cuttin' them loose so we can have all fight-capable troops on the front-line."

"Sir?" Van Horn asked, confused. "But they were enemy combatants. Isn't it a bad idea, in general, to have them runnin' around in our rear?"

"Only if they're in the rear," Vickers replied quickly. "Y'all're gonna escort them to the front, whereupon we'll send them on their merry way down the valley."

Earl frowned then. "But that's akin to giving reinforcements to the enemy, isn't it?"

"Not when we'll be keepin' their weapons," Vickers said quickly. "And the fact that the Wobbies seem to be movin' faster than their supportin' native infantry. I'm guessin' they won't care too much 'bout these guys, one way or the other given their history.

"In any case, time is short, so get your asses movin' on the double. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Tanaka watched the blips on her terrain display march closer, and she sighed sadly. _Twelve left, at least_, she guessed. _Almost all of them heavy or assaults, with a sprinkling of mediums for flank protection_.

Her own forces, she knew, were at the limit of their capabilities, _Physical, martial, and emotional_. She sighed again and closed her eyes to help control her own feelings. _Damnit, I can't let myself loose it, not now_, she thought, letting her anger at the Wobbies burn down the wall of sadness that had started to build again.

Tanaka opened her eyes then, and she checked her HUD for any new contacts. She was about to give a prayer of thanks that no more had shown up when another three blips appeared on her screen. "Goddamnit," she cursed in an annoyed tone.

Then movement to the side caused her to spare a glance to her right, and Tanaka saw the first of the prisoner lupar being herded beyond the last of the abandoned buildings by several troopers in power armor. Her curiosity was piqued, and she focused a magnification box over the area to see the details more fully.

The lupar walked carefully, their arms held up in a manner they clearly understood to be the best way of not getting shot. After a moment, their numbers topped coming from between the buildings of Basun, and behind them came five soldiers, three of which Tanaka recognized instantly. Working her console by hand, Tanaka quickly opened up a narrow-beam transmission to the one in the scout armor. "Ain't it a bit dangerous for non-armored folk to be here, doc?"

She saw van Horn turn from his position several meters distant, and he nodded. "Yes, sir. But try tellin' them that," he said with a faint note of amusement in his voice as he gestured with his head towards Mikula and Alexis.

Tanaka smiled slightly, despite herself. "Indeed," she said, letting a light note enter her voice for a moment. Then she sighed again, and her tenor became morose. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if you meet your death inside a building or not."

"Getting defeatist, captain?" Van Horn replied with a teasing tone. "Don't you know that the M.I. are special in their ability to kick ass?"

"You're 'special' all right," Tanaka responded, her voice lightening a bit at the wordplay. "Takes a genuinely ignorant person to jump out of a perfectly good spaceship and fly through the air at several hundred kilometers an hour straight down."

Van Horn chuckled. "Well, it takes all kinds," he said and then turned to look over the lupar who were still standing, waiting tensely at whatever would come their way next.

"It certainly does," Tanaka replied. "And doc?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks," Tanaka said quietly as she turned her 'mech to face the nearest of the blips approaching the ruins.

"My pleasure."

* * *

Alexis winced a bit as the pain in her ear again rose sharply, though briefly. It had done so at irregular intervals, and though they were decreasing in number, it still irritated her to no end. _As if the constant throbbing wasn't enough_, she thought.

"Are you all right?" Mikula asked of her in English, and Alexis turned and gave her love a wan smile. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a bit of pain that comes and goes."

The lupar frowned. "Maybe you shouldn't be here," he said and glanced over across the narrow stretch of relatively open land between the ruins and the southern forest. Then he turned back to her and blushed a bit. "I mean, because you're hurt."

"I know what you meant, Mikula," Alexis replied softly. "And perhaps, if the situation were different, I wouldn't be here." She paused to sigh then. "But now, given how things are… I don't think it really matters, does it?"

"Probably not," van Horn said from their side, startling them as they had thought him in conversation from his previous stance. Now, however, he had turned from Tanaka's _Guillotine IIC_ and nodded towards the two natives. "Given, we're cut off from help, don't have anywhere to run to, and outnumbered and outgunned, I'd say it doesn't matter much where you are when the Blakests come for our hides."

Alexis frowned at her human friend. "I never thought I'd hear you sound so… Defeated," she said quietly.

"Defeatist, maybe," van Horn said with a shrug. "But we have business to attend to." With that, he turned to the prisoners, changing languages and raising his voice. "Attention!"

The lupar turned and looked at him, their faces showing a mix of fear, anger, and undercurrents of curiosity. Van Horn ignored their expressions, and he went on. "You are all being released," he said, which only prompted looks of surprise and confusion. "A battle is coming up, and we cannot hold you while we fight. Therefore, you are all free to go." He then turned and pointed towards the south. "Your allies – I hesitate to call them your friends, given what I know of them – are coming up the valley. You can go their way, or not, as you wish. Simply start moving now, and you probably will not be caught up in the fight that is about to take place."

A moment's silence came and went while the ex-prisoners slowly dropped their arms. When no one raised a single finger against them, one near the front spoke up. "What of the weapons we had?"

"You'll not be getting them back, if that's what you're asking," van Horn replied sternly. "We may not wish you any ill will, but nor do we wish to arm people who were our enemies until recently.

"Now, any more questions?" Van Horn asked. When no one else raised their hand, he nodded again. "All right, now all of you get going!" The words were like the triggering of a floodgate, and the lupar all turned and raced away, heading as they did for the relative safety of the forest.

Van Horn sighed then and turned to the two human troopers standing with him. "Thanks for the escort guys, but we're okay now."

"No prob, doc," one of them said. Then they both turned and dashed off to the west, _probably heading for their squad_, van Horn mused.

"Earl?" Mikula asked from his side, and he turned around to look at his two friends. "What is it?" The human asked.

"So, what are we to do now?" The lupar asked, his ears twitching with the query.

Van Horn thought silently for a moment before he replied. "Frankly, I don't know," he admitted. "I guess you two should get back under cover after all. There's a chance, however remote, that the Blakests will overlook the natives inside the main-"

He never got a chance to finish that sentence as thundering footfalls came from the south. The three spun about and saw the first Blakest mechs emerging from the cover of the valley forest, their white paint making them stand out against the canopy of green.

It was then that the hell of combat was unleashed again.

* * *

"All units, fire at will!" Tanaka yelled into the common channel, taking barely a split second to tag it as a priority transmission. Then she raised her 'mech's left arm and fired the ER PPC it contained, sending a bolt of pure destructive energy downrange and into the front of a Blakest _Warhammer_.

The other 'mechs in her command, all situated next to buildings in the ruins so as to take advantage of their cover, soon joined in. However, with the nature of their cover, they couldn't all target the same 'mech, which was the preferred tactic of the Republic. Instead, each MechWarrior picked out what seemed to them to be the most threatening enemy in their field of vision, and then let loose. Particle steams, laser bolts, and missiles reached out from the ruins, savaging three enemy 'mechs with their destructive power.

Then the trio of Abrams tanks in Checker Lance fired from their own concealed positions, and their heavy gauss slugs joined in the fray, each slamming into one of the three heavily damaged Blakest 'mechs. The _Warhammer_ that Tanaka had targeted took one to the leg, and it began to fall. But not before it and its cohorts returned fire, and Tanaka felt her 'mech shake as both of the _Warhammer_'s particle cannons managed a hit on her chest and left torso armor.

_Jesus! Another blast like that and I'm scrap!_ She thought worriedly. Tanaka then pulled her throttle back, and she carefully guided her 'mech around the house she was standing next to cover her.

_Gonna need a miracle to get outta this one_, Tanaka thought as she took aim on the next wave of enemies as they emerged from the forest. Then she fired her ER PPC, sending its displeasure to register on the right arm of the _Lightray_ she had seen earlier in the day.

* * *

"One's commin' in on the right!"

"Two more just past the treeline!"

"Johnson's down!"

The yells over the radio channel were beginning to merge together, or so it seemed to van Horn as he aimed his Heavy GyroJet rifle and unleashed one of its rockets towards the _Warhammer_ Tanaka and two other Republic 'mechs had ravaged. He was hoping that with the damage to its armor, which even his little rocket had hope of finding an exposed flaw and tear into some vital internal equipment. It was not to be, however, as the small warhead simply made a tiny splash of flame against the left breast of the 70-ton war machine, creating no other visible effect than to carve out a new crater in its armor.

Cursing under his breath, van Horn tensed his muscles, half-expecting the enemy MechWarrior to turn his attention to the rooftop where Earl had jumped at the beginning of the battle. He worried not only for himself, but also for Mikula and Alexis, both of whom he had grabbed and lifted with him as he had jetted up. However, the fearsome _Warhammer_ ignored the small shot, its pilot possibly not even noticing it as he turned his metal steed and began to cautiously approach the ruins, his weapons seeking out enemy contacts.

Then Alexis and Mikula fired their personal weapons, sending a laser beam and a salvo of bullets, respectively, to hit the Blakest. Van Horn glanced to either side of him, seeing his native friends on either side. "You two aren't going to do much damage with those," the human said matter-of-factly.

To his left, Mikula shrugged. "Better than doing nothing," he said as he aimed again. Before van Horn or Alexis could respond, however, the Republic 'mechs made a second appearance, and they fired another blistering salvo of 31st century weaponry to savage the enemy lines. The _Warhammer_ took a pair of gauss slugs to the chest, caving in its armor and crushing the fusion reactor, releasing the plasma in a brilliant flash of light, while nearby, an enemy _White Flame_ was hit by a flurry of lasers and missiles that sent the quad-legged 'mech toppling, despite its inherent stability. Van Horn finally started to have some hope, now that two and possibly more enemies were down.

However, that hope was short lived, as the Blakest return salvo was devastating. The dying _Warhammer_ had fired both of its particle cannons just as the gauss slugs were hitting, and their devastating beams slammed into something that made a tortured sound. Snapping his head around, van Horn saw that it was Stein's _Grizzly_ finally loosing the last of its chest armor underneath the jagged pseudo-lightning. Then a barrage of cluster munitions from a _Toyama_'s LB-10X slammed wave after wave of submunitions in afterwards, and the hundreds of small munitions ripped armor off like sand blasted rock in a desert. Several made their way into the heart of the Republic 'mech, and the tortured sound van Horn was hearing was the _Grizzly_'s gyro as it tore itself apart on the intruding metal.

The heavy 'mech began to fall forward, but before it did, the top of it's head blasted open, and Stein rocketed out in his command couch, which also served as an ejection chair. The rockets built into the bottom of the chair burned for only a few seconds before they died out, but during that time Stein had angled his chair towards the north, so that when the rockets finally died and the parachute fired out, he was well behind friendly lines.

_Not that it'll matter in a moment_, van Horn thought as he turned around and took aim at the _Toyama_, which was raising its arms up. _What is it? Oh, shit!_ With a sudden surge of dread, Earl realized that it was aiming for the ejected MechWarrior. Anger boiled in his gut then, and van Horn aimed just a bit more carefully, and then fired.

His shot flew straight and true, and the miniature rocket slammed straight into the center of the ferroglass canopy over the _Toyama_'s cockpit. The resulting explosion must have startled the pilot, van Horn thought, for the 'mech's arms jerked upward as they fired, sending its laser beams and LBX shells well away from Stein, who was now disappearing behind the central building of the ruins.

Then, the noise of battle suddenly dropped, and then diminished altogether as the Blakest 'mechs withdrew a few steps. The Republic forces didn't follow, nor did they open fire, as the sudden lull seemed to enthrall all of the soldiers of the area.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" A voice asked over the common frequency.

"Seems like they're waitin' for somethin'" a female voice replied.

"Cut the chatter," Tanaka's stern voice rolled into Earl's ears then. "Everyone, check your status and be ready to- Oh, what the Hell? Stand by everyone."

Van Horn frowned at that, and he glanced at Alexis and Mikula and saw that they, too, were confused. _Listening to the radio?_ He thought, asking silently of them by taping the side of his head. The two natives simply nodded their understanding, and van Horn sighed to relieve some of the tension in his body.

That was when the radio came alive again, this time with another, almost arrogant voice. "-And we will spare your lives."

"I'm sorry," Tanaka responded to the strange new voice sarcastically. "But I didn't quite get that."

The male voice made a disgusted huff. "I say again. This is Precentor Felix Daronde of the Word of Blake Militia. Given your situation, I am willing to accept your surrender in exchange for your 'mechs. If you power down now and come out of the ruins with your arms up, we will spare your lives."

Van Horn blinked as he realized that the Blakests were asking them to surrender. Suddenly, he began to laugh, his radio transmitting over the open frequency. Then he heard it echoed by another voice, and then another. Soon, almost the entire Republic force was laughing in the proverbial face of the enemy commander.

"There's your answer, you bastard!" Tanaka yelled, nearly screaming to be heard over the din.

"So be it, infidel!" The Precentor, Daronde, snapped back. "It will be our pleasure to see you all exterminated in the name of Blake! His will be done!"

"You talk big, mother fucker, but you don't have the balls," Tanaka growled back as the radio became quiet.

"Insolent whore!" Daronde yelled. "You will all suffer, and so will those filthy animals you have been guarding the whole way up here!"

"Not while I'm here you fascist son of a bitch!" This was spoken by yet another new voice, and van Horn was startled at the vehemence in it. Before he or anyone else could ask the speaker's identity, however, fire rained from the sky.

Van Horn's eyes grew wide as he saw searing hot beams of lasers and particle cannons rip along the Blakest forces. The Wobbies, being so confident, had lined up along the tree line of the forest, which made them excellent targets for the aerospace fighter that now strafed them from off to van Horn's left.

The weapons fire stopped then, and the blurry form of an aerospace fighter screeched loudly by the battlefield at a height usually reserved for those wishing to land. Before van Horn could even wonder at the precision of the combat run, another wave of energy weapons fire rained in from the right, the attack coming as a mirror-image of the previous run, right up to the newcomer aerospace fighter screaming past on its afterburners.

Then again, the image repeated itself, and then again, each one coming a split second after the previous attack. Van Horn and the other soldiers on the ground simply stared in mute astonishment as the back and forth assault occurred twelve times in all.

"My God!" Someone said over the radio channel as the assault finally lifted. "That was a diamond-patter firewall assault!"

"That's insane!" Lieutenant Williams voice resonated back. "Only five squadrons in the Republic have that precision!"

"And we're one of them." The response was in the same voice that had spoken just before the attack. "This is Eagle One to Oni One, stand by for reinforcements."

"Roger that, Eagle One," Tanaka breathed. "What's their ETA?"

"About five seconds," the pilot responded with a chuckle. "Look up."

Every soldier in the task force did so, van Horn, Mikula, and Alexis no exception, and all were astounded to see a _Leopard_-class DropShip soaring in from the south, angling right over the valley.

Their amazement grew even more as the 1,900-ton DropShip angled up, and then up as its thrust cut back. The pilot put the huge warcraft into a stall, even as the doors on the side opened and out leapt four massive Battlemechs. Barely had the new machines detached themselves form the side of the vessel when the _Leopard_'s pilot slammed the craft's engines into overdrive, sending a massive thunderclap of sound that pummeled van Horn even through his armor and propelling the 'mech-carrier through its split-second stall and thus keeping it from crashing.

Blinking at the sudden confusion the shockwave had imparted on him, van Horn barely had time to notice the four newly-arrived 'mechs dropping down, balanced on jets of flame that came from drop packs affixed to their backs. The huge, 'mech-sized backpacks were nothing more than massive rocket motors that served to slow 'mechs during an orbital drop, and deployed now, they let the new arrivals make perfect soft landings in the no-man's-land between the Republic and Blakest forces.

"Holy shit!" "Did you see that?" The voices began to chatter over the radio, until one finally rose above them all. "It's the Four Horsemen!" came the strained voice of Lieutenant Williams.

Van Horn shivered at the name. _The Four Horsemen, biblical representations of the forces that would herald the apocalypse_, his educated mind spouted in an instant. Then his martial training kicked in with another answer. _Also the four best MechWarriors in the entire Republic!_

True to their names and reputation, the lance of assault 'mechs were not only painted a mix of dark black and sickly pale white, but intricate symbols of their adopted names were painted on all over their armor. Barely had van Horn time to disseminate the information than the four 'mechs fired.

The first was a _Savage Coyote Prime_, painted with the symbols of Pestilence, and it sent a wave of deadly fire from its dual ATM-12 racks towards the enemy _Toyama_, the direct and fast trajectory of their arcs telling all who knew that the pilot had selected the extra-devastating HE ammo. The 75-ton 'mech disappeared briefly under a cloud of explosions so thick that light seemed to have replaced the enemy 'mech. Then the _Savage Coyote_ Unleashed the furious assault from its ER PPC and LB-10X autocannon, and the tremendous energy rippled into and through the _Toyama_ with such force that it seemed to fold in upon itself as it collapsed.

Nearby, an _Executioner Prime_, painted with the symbols of Famine, unleashed a devastating blow from its trio of heavy weapons towards a Blakest _Lightray_. The massive Gauss Rifle slammed straight through the left arm, amputating it at the elbow, and dual ER Large Lasers ripped globs of armor from its legs.

Off to the right, a _Warhawk G_ – a custom Republic variant – painted with the scheme of War lived up to both of its names as it dished out punishment from dual particle cannons and Large Pulse Lasers upon an enemy _Grasshopper_. The massive weapons scathed the 70-tonner with megajoules of raw, elemental energy, and the Blakest went down with its comrades.

Finally, in the center, the 'mech painted in the scheme of Death – a terrifying _Atlas IIC_ – Ran full force towards a Blakest _Atlas_, which van Horn recognized as the Precentor's command 'mech, from the emblems painted upon it. The 'Death' _Atlas_ forwent its arm-mounted PPCs, instead hurling scores of missiles towards its opposite number, washing it in fire. Meanwhile, its massive Ultra AC-20 sent out a fierce double-blast that ripped open the belly of its wayward cousin. This impressive display was somewhat countered by Daronde as he fired his own autocannon, SRMs and lasers back towards the oncoming Republic 'mech, but he was clearly shaken, and half his attacks missed.

Then it didn't matter, as the Republic _Atlas_ came close, raised its right arm, and delivered a metal-crunching blow straight to the Precentor's 'mech's head. With a screech of tortured metal, the death's head of the enemy _Atlas_ disappeared under the fist of its successor, and with it went a faint pink mist.

Van Horn just stared in mute wonder, stunned as he was by the sheer accuracy and savagery of the assault. Then things started to happen fast, as the Blakest 'mechs charged forward, rushing past the newly-arrive assault 'mechs to the relative safety of the ruins, where the enemy couldn't strafe or shoot them with impunity, lest they hit their own.

They never made it, as the Republic forces within the Ruins joined in with the Four Horsemen in their next salvo, sending massive tendrils of fire to wash over their enemies. 'Mech after 'mech fell, leaving only five out of the original fourteen 'mechs to approach the ruins.

Then these, too, felt the wash of fire, as shots came from behind the forces in the Ruins. Waves of missiles, autocannon barrages, and laser pulses signaled the arrival of even more reinforcements, and van Horn felt untold amounts of joy to see that it was a wave of four M.I. Assault Transports, each coming to a hover over the front lines of Task Group Echo, whereupon they each disgorged their load of a full platoon of battle armor. The newly arrived armor wasted no time, and soon they were swarming over the last Blakest 'mechs, ripping them asunder with unparalleled ferocity.

"Holy… Fucking… Shit!" Someone muttered over Echo Force's common frequency. It was soon replaced by Tanaka's astounded tones. "What the Hell just happened?"

"I can answer that," came a warmly familiar voice that van Horn rejoiced at hearing.

Evidently, Tanaka felt the same way. "Ladavic! You damn old crow, where the fuck have you been?"

* * *

Despite herself, Ladavic chuckled merrily at Tanaka's stunned response. "I've been a bit busy guiding in our reinforcements. Seems they came an awful long way, and didn't want to wait on a trip down from the jump points, so they took the L2 point instead."

"You must be alive and well," Tanaka muttered in reply. "Because you're talkin' that spacer gibberish again."

Ladavic chuckled again, though this time she heard another, male voice join the channel with the same vocalization. "Amusing deduction, Captain Tanaka," the man's rich baritone said. "Nice to see you can keep your wits about you."

"And who the hell are you?" Tanaka snapped, her nerves apparently frayed.

"Now now, captain," Ladavic admonished. "That's no way to talk to a Fleet Admiral."

"Fleet… What?" Tanaka sputtered, being confused for her entire force as they listened in. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes!" Ladavic replied jubilantly. "The incoming contacts weren't Blakests, or even pirates. They were the _First Fleet!_" Even as she spoke, the warship captain turned and looked again at the holographic display at the rear of the _Rodger Young_'s bridge.

"They're all here, Tanaka," Ladavic continued. "The _Montana_, the _Iowa_, the _Iwo Jima_, the _Warspite_… Even the _Enterprise_," she said, naming the largest ships on the display, each one labled with thrust vectors as they burned to slow down from their fast orbital insertion. "And they're carrying the entire First Division to kick some Wobbie ass!"

* * *

Van Horn just stood on the rooftop, completely still as Ladavic rolled off the list of names. They, combined with the sight of the enemy vanquished before the ruins, and the revelation of an entire division inbound made him mute with awe.

"Earl?" A hopeful voice asked from his side, which caused van Horn to look down finally to see both Alexis and Mikula staring up at him with mixed looks of hope and confusion. "What does this mean?" Alexis said, probing further.

Van Horn didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached up and slowly undid his helmet, taking it off and dropping it to the ground so he could smile broadly at his friends. "It means, Alexis," he said, and then halted as something in the fading twilight caught his eyes. He looked up, and the two natives followed his sight up until they saw what he was seeing, and they gasped.

Above, new lights crawled across the sky. The intense, kilometers-long exhaust plumes from WarShips as they entered orbit were the most easily seen, but soon one could make out the dozens of moving yellow-orange lights that came from dozens and dozens DropShips entering the atmosphere.

"What it means, Alexis, Mikula," van Horn managed to speak at just above a whisper. "Is that this is the end."

"The end of what?" Alexis asked, reluctantly turning her head from the spectacle above to look at her human friend. Van Horn mirrored her move, as did Mikula, and the two natives saw tears in van Horn's eyes.

"It's the end. The end of the Invasion, the end of the suffering, the end of the war…" He said quietly, almost reverently, as if someone would notice and change reality. Then he took in a breath and spoke much louder. "It means it's the end to the Blakests, for once and for all!"

* * *

Alexis just stared at her friend, her mind just beginning to absorb the import of van Horn's words. She then looked back up, at the many trails of light crossing the darkening sky, and she felt a maelstrom of emotions race through her mind.

Finally, though, she felt tears welling up, and she cried. "It's over…" She whispered, her voice brimming with joy. Then she looked up at Mikula, and was not surprised to see similar tears in his own eyes. "Mikula… It's over!" She yelped out and jumped at him, wrapping her arms tight around the one she loved.

"Yes, it is," Mikula replied as he returned the embrace, matching Alexis' strength with his own. "But I was taught that with every ending, there is a new beginning."

Alexis blinked her eyes clear and looked up at her love. "What… What would you say is beginning?" She asked breathlessly.

Smiling, Mikula just leaned over and kissed her; a gesture she returned with passion as fighters roared overhead.

* * *

Van Horn had turned away from his two friends and walked quietly to the far end of the roof to give them some form of privacy. He dared not jump down, lest he disturb them from their moment, and he took the time to think.

_Despite what I said_, he thought,_ this isn't quite the end… Not yet. The Blakests still have forces, hiding places, even allies_. The he smiled again. _And none of that means shit when you have over a thousand 'mechs and tanks and platoons out for your blood_.

Earl smiled even wider at that. _It may not be the end… But it's the beginning of the end._

Meanwhile, the falling stars began to roar, announcing the arrival of the Republic's First Division, and the end of a chapter in the story of History and the beginning of a new, better reality on Bowman's Planet.

**THE END.**


	46. Epilogue

"-And that's why the sky is blue," the gatón said to her classroom of students, who looked upon her with their undivided attention. She tapped the black chalkboard behind her to draw their attention from her own, unique appearance to the diagram she had drawn.

"Mrs. Farkas?" A student asked, raising his hand. Alexis nodded to him with a gentle smile. "Yes, Gavor?"

"Is that the same reason why there are rainbows?" The young lupar asked, his face a study of curiosity.

Alexis smiled a bit wider at him. "A good intuitive idea, Gavor," she said, but then shook her head. "But no, it isn't. Rainbows come from light being split by raindrops in the air, and not by the air itself. It is a similar process in effect, but still different." She saw his ears go down a bit in embarrassment, and she granted him another smile. "But don't feel bad. It was a very good guess, and even the Humans took a while before they figured it out."

The young lupar smiled back, and his countenance brightened a bit. Alexis nodded and was about to go one when the simple bell built into the schoolhouse rang, announcing the end of the day.

"Well, saved by the bell, eh?" She asked of the youngsters in the room, and they smiled and giggled. Alexis smiled back and then looked down at the planning book in front of her. "For your assignments over the weekend, I want you all to find five different leaves from any plant and bring them into class."

Another student raised her hand, and Alexis nodded to the young girl. "Yes Alayn?"

"Do they have to be only native plants?" The gatón asked innocently. Alexis smiled again and shook her head. "No, they don't. You can bring in some of the plants the humans have brought with, but at least one leaf should be from a native plant." She then paused and looked over the group of twenty-five. "Any other questions?" When none were forthcoming, she waved her left arm towards the door. "Class dismissed. Enjoy your weekend."

"Thank you Mrs. Farkas!" All of her students replied at once, and then they began to chaotically file out of the room. Alexis watched them go, and she sighed after the last one had left the sun-lit room. _Such nice kids_, she thought as she began to place papers into the folder she was using to carry around assignments and notes.

A knock interrupted her, and she looked up to see a very familiar face in the doorway. Smiling broadly, she walked over to meet the newcomer halfway. "Mikula!" She said happily, reaching out to hug him lightly. "Off duty so early?"

Mikula drew back from the hug and smiled at his wife. "With so little to do at this time of year, it's a wonder that I'm not off work early every day," he said warmly. "Colonel Tanaka likes to keep us busy, however, though today she let me sneak out a bit early." He then looked around a bit. "Where's little Earl?"

"With my parents," Alexis replied. "I think he resents having to come into school when he's not old enough and doesn't have anything to do." She chuckled then. "Especially when he'd rather be playing. That comes from _your_ side of the family, you know," she said and then razzed Mikula.

The lupar chuckled. "Well, maybe the new one will be more like you," he said and placed a hand on her swollen belly. "How has he been?"

"You mean how has _she_ been?" Alexis teased back. Then she smiled again and placed her hand over Mikula's. "And she's been quiet today, thank God. Yesterday I couldn't stand half the time in class, she was kicking so hard."

Mikula chuckled again. "You seem so confident that it will be a girl when you wouldn't let the doctor tell us the sex from the ultrasound."

Alexis razzed him again. "Woman's intuition," she said and then turned to collect the last of her papers as Mikula withdrew his hand. "Besides, they were wrong about little Earl, weren't they?"

"They've gotten better since then," Mikula said as he walked to the front of her desk so he could continue to face her. "And speaking of which, you'll remember in his last letter that 'Big' Earl said that our son isn't going to like being called little," he said with a smile to rob his words of any offense.

Alexis sighed. "I know, but he will always be my little baby," she said as she closed her folder and picked it up. "But I promise to stop calling him that if you will."

"It's a deal," Mikula said, waving for her to go first through the doorway. She did so, and eventually, the pair left the halls of the new, relatively modern schoolhouse behind and entered the streets of Shulana.

"You know, speaking of Earl," Alexis said contemplatively as she paused just outside the school. "That reminds me, isn't the fifth anniversary of the Blakest Surrender in two days?"

Mikula smiled and nodded. "Yes. I didn't think that you would forget so soon," he said, teasing her now. "Especially since you kept that hole in your ear."

Alexis razzed him. "It's a good conversation piece," she said, amused. Then she shook her head. "But it's not that I forgot, it's just…" She sighed. "Five years, and look how much we've accomplished," she said and waved her free arm over the town. Buildings made of concrete had started to appear, the schoolhouse included in that number, and what weren't made of concrete and rebar, had been reworked by power tools and modern wood construction techniques. The streets were paved now, though with concrete slabs rather than asphalt, as the natives of Bowman's Planet were still far from a completely mechanized society.

"It's a wonder, all right," Mikula said quietly as he reached over to hug his wife. "Not quite NeoTokyo, but a sight to behold nonetheless."

"Oh, definitely," Alexis said and then purred as he squeezed her shoulders. "Still, such a long way to go…"

"Hey now," Mikula said, interrupting her thoughts and bringing her attention to his face. "Don't you get sad on me, not when you're so close to term," he said and then smirked. "Bad luck, you know."

Alexis smiled up at him devilishly. "Sometimes, that's the best luck of all," she said, and then they reached out to kiss each other.


	47. Credits

Notes and Aknowledgements 

Battletech, 'Mech, Battlemech, MechWarrior, and all material non-original relating to the Battletech Universe (Such as nation names and history and animals) is copyrighted by Wizkids LLC. They reserve all legal rights, and I do not contest them. Nor should you, if you're smart.

Neo Tokyo – Dunno if the name itself is actually copyrighted, but the concept is from the anime movie/manga miniseries _Akria_, by Katsuhiro Otomo. _Akira_ is copyrighted by MASHROOM Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. English version distributed by Dark Horse Comics. I'd suggest you not fuck with them. The have _mojo_.

Mobile Infantry – The BOOK _Starship Troopers_, by Robert A. Heinlein (This man was a GOD of Sci Fi and a talented writer as ever lived. Read some of his books, and you'll see). I don't know if this is actually copyrighted, but whether it is or not, I give credit to where credit is certainly due and again, make no claim over this. The man was a genius.

Rodger Young – Young, Rodger W., Private, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division (the Ohio Buckeyes); born Tiffin, Ohio, 28 April 1918; died 31 July 1943, on the island New Georgia, Solomons, South Pacific, while single-handedly attacking and destroying an enemy machine-gun pillbox. His platoon had been pinned by intense fire from this pillbox; Private Young was wounded in the first burst. He crawled toward the pillbox, was wounded a second time but continued to advance, firing his rifle as he did so. He closed on the pillbox, attacked and destroyed it with a hand grenade, but in so doing was wounded a thrid time and was killed.

His bold and gallant action in the face of overwhelming odds enabled his teammates to escape without loss; he was awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor.

The above two paragraphs appear at the end of Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_, as he had picked the name of the vessel in that book to honor the courageous sacrifice of Private Young. Although I am shamelessly mimicking Heinlein's own use of his name for the same reasons, I feel that to pick any other name for the main warship in my story (especially one mentioning the Mobile Infantry) would be a meager substitute, at best, and so I place the same two paragraphs here so that the truth behind the name shall go on. The name is used without permission by me, and I don't pretend to have done it justice. I apologize to his family if any offense was taken, for it was not my intent.

God bless you, Private Young, wherever you are.

Magma Wolves – From the movie _Chronicals of Riddick_ (Dunno if that's the real name. I just saw them animals in the prison planet, and the name came to me.)

There is also a hidden reference to _The Simpsons_ somewhere in the story, but I'm not tellin' ya where. ;)

Notes on names:

Farkas: "Wolf" in Hungarian.

Reyka: I honestly didn't know that was a Hungarian name. The character's name was originally going to be "Mrs. Reyla," but I thought that it sounded too close to "Kayla" (Mikula's sister, who was introduced soon after), and so I changed the L sound to a K sound to help distinguish them from each other, and also to make the name fit more into the way I imaginged Lurapi to sound. (Growls and other gutteral sounds.)

Gatón: Derived from "Gato" which is Spanish for "cat." (I was taking a Spanish class in college when I started writing this, so go figure.)

Lupar: A variation on Lupine, which means, "Wolf-like."

Ronnie Cordova – From http/ The ship is named after one of the main protagonists in that strange, strange, strange movie miniseries.

Chris Metzen – Used without permission, but indended only as an homage to the man. Who is he? Read the back of the StarCraft: Brood War manual.

Turnabout Intruder – The name of this ship comes from the last episode of the original Star Trek TV series. It just seemed to fit… And besides, Star Trek got me hooked on sci-fi, so nya. ;p

MJOLNIR armor – The Seabee armor in the story is based off of a BT-type armor called Mjolnir, which I made using HeavyMetal Battle Armor and based it off of Halo's MJOLNIR. Basically, the only resemblence is visual, with the BT armor's abilities being more for stealth and maneuverability rather than bein' some alien-slaying ass-kicking armor. (Death to the Covenant!)

The name of the planet is an inspiration from Mark Stanley's Freefall webcomic. ( http/freefall. ) Namely, the "Bowman's Wolf" which is the direct inspiration for the Lupar race. Mr. Stanley's "Florence Ambrose" character is just a fascinating and endearing one, and the writing he puts into the story and background is wonderful enough that I was deeply inspired, and I couldn't help but adapt the Bowman's Wolf into Battletech.

My apologies to him for not doing his comic or his characters justice.

Musical notes: Although this is written media, rather than a movie or somesuch, I tend to think of this story as having its own soundtrack. So I suggest listening to these songs to help you understand the mood I was going for. (Yes, I listen to all of these and have 'em on my drive. My tastes are diverse.)

Blizzard: Terran 1, 2, and 3 tracks from StarCraft – For most non-battle scenes involving the humans of the Republic. (I'm a Southerner. P )  
John Anderson: Seminole Wind, Long Hard Lesson Learned, Bend It 'Til It Breaks – For most scenes in the first few chapters, usually Chapters 1-8.  
Metallica: Fuel – For the heavy action scene in Chapter 12. (You know what I'm talkin' about.)  
Metallica: Turn the Page (cover of Bob Seger's song) – For just about any travelling scene.  
Martain O'Donnell: Brothers in Arms (Halo Soundtrack) – For the liftoff from Bowman's Planet in chapter 18.  
Martain O'Donnell: Rock Anthem for Saving the Universe (ibid) - For the Mobile Infantry raid on Tanzano.  
Basil Poledouris: Klendathu Drop (_Starship Troopers _Soundtrack) – For the assault on the forces attacking Hercor in Chapter 22.  
Basil Poledouris: _The Hunt for Red October_ Soundtrack – For naval scenes in general, combat or no.  
Bill Brown: Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield Main Menu music – For the scenes just prior to the beginning of the WMD raid on Tanzano.  
Bill Brown: USA06 (C&C Generals soundtrack) – For Tanaka's Lance assaulting the Blakests outside of Tanzano.  
Linkin Park: Numb, Breaking the Habit, In The End, Pushing Me Away – For battle scenes towards the end of the story.  
Klaus Badelt: _Pirates of the Carribean_ Soundtrack – For any naval scene involving battling.  
Dance Dance Revolution: Butterfly – Credits section (Just sounds like the kind of music you'd hear in the credits of a movie)  
O-zone: Dragostea Din Tei – Credits section

Also: Anything by Frank Klepacki, the talented man behind the music from Westwood studios' Command & Conquer series. And anything by Richard "DarkspARCS" Nelson. Their music pretty much fits in anywhere, depending on the song, and I listened to their stuff as a background kind of music on WinAmp while I wrote.

URLs:  
http/ - Frank Klepacki  
http/ - Bill Brown  
http/ - Richard "DarkspARCS" Nelson

All original material and characters belong to me, Richard Andrew Szuhay, and they may not be used without my expressed written permission. All non-original stuff belongs to their respective owners, and I use them without permission and make no claim whatsoever to their creative output nor to any legal rights pertaining to or directly regarding any 'borrowed' material. As I have not done anything to actively undermine their financial capabiliteis, nor have I taken claim for anything that I did not create myself, the use of previously copyrighted material falls under the Fair Use Act of 1976 and its amended articles. So any whiny fanboys who got a problem with it can go screw yourselves.

I would like to give my thanks to some people: To James Bartlett (a.k.a. "Drys"), for encouraging me to put this up on the internet and for being supportive of my writing. To William Pennant (a.k.a. "RsBlackHawk"), and David Heise (a.k.a. "Xwinger7"), for listening to my bitching about things unrelated to the story that nevertheless kept me too pissed to write 'til I vented. To MaSaKaRi, the Owner/Admin of Battletech Mod Productions (http/ who let me try my hand at some script writing in one of his side projects, no matter how short-lived it was (It helped me to sharpen my skills). To the entire population of Regulars at the now-defunct MechWar3D forums, whom I'm glad to call friends, despite our differences of opinions. And last but most definitely not least, to all the readers who gave such wonderful and positive comments and reviews. Knowing that people actually read and liked my story is one of the best feelings I've ever had, and it kept me writing.

Thank you all.

-Stats-  
Begun: January 2004  
Hiatus: Febuary 2004-June 2004  
Finished: August 22, 2005  
Words: 484,967  
Reviews: 141+  
Frags: 89  
Average Lifespan: 5:21  
Flag Captures: 23  
Power Cores Destroyed: 10 (4 Assisted)  
Most Favored Weapon: Flak Cannon (54 Frags)  
Least Favored Weapon: Shield Gun (2 Frags)  
Rank: WICKED SICK  
Title: Flak Monkey

About the Author

R. Andrew Szuhay, born in June of 1981, in Orlando, Florida, United States of America. He has remained living there despite the heat and hurricanes because he cares not a whit for cold weather, and he will likely never live above the Northern 30th Parrallel.

Currently attending Valencia Community College in preperation for moving on to a university so that he may get a degree in Geology (Or Engineering, or Physics… I'll play it by ear), he also works a retail job that sucks the ever-loving life from him. This has resulted in a hatred for the general public that has grown into an obsession with taking over the world like a James Bond supervillan. Fortunately for mankind, he is too lazy to bother with such an undertaking, and his army of Robo-Ninjas are usually called on only to rent movies from Blockbuster or to fetch Chinese food.

He is also a shameless sap of a hack writer, who like all writers, thinks that he can make money at it someday. (Yeah, right)… And apparently, he is stuck in the third-person mode. HELP!


	48. Tech Readout

The following is a series of Technical Readouts created with the aid of Rick Raisley's Heavymetal programs. ( http/ ) All designs here are original creations, and as such, their specifications do not exist outside of my computer.

So, just in case you're a Battletech fan who wants to have some fun with the designs in the story, here they are with some fluff. They are presented in no particular order; just in the way I grabbed the info off of my HDD.

These are only the NON-CANON designs. Designs such as the _Guillotine IIC_ and others not found here are designs created by Fasa and/or Fanpro, and you can find their stats either in the Technical Readouts available in any GOOD gamestore (not the wussy ones who only carry Yu-gi-oh or Warhammer 40K 'cuz all they care about is faddish stuff), or the info can be found online. ( http/ is a good site for these, amongst others).

I am sorry to say that I don't have fluff for quite everything. I figured I'd work on the story more than the fluff. :p

Also, I'm lazy, so this isn't spell or grammar checked. Sorry, but there's just too much in here that would give me headaches and take forever to check over.

One final caveat: I can't promise that this'll be perfectly readable. I'll see about getting a file download available of the original document files, which are easier to read. That is, if people are interested.

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: M.I. Assault Transport

Tech: Clan / 3045

Vessel Type: Aerodyne Small Craft

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 185 tons

Hull: Type 9034-A

Length: 30 meters

Power Plant: Hellion-Lifter VTOL Series Alpha Standard

Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Armor Type: Federal Armorworks Mk-22FA Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

1 Type 20 "Great Bow" LRM 20

1 Ultra AC/5

2 Medium Pulse Laser

2 Series 14a Medium Pulse Laser

Manufacturer: Yoyodyne Aerospace, Warsaw Heavy Industries

Location: Washington (Yoyodyne), Warsaw (WHI), New Honshu (Yoyodyne)

Communications System: IVIS Mk-26

Targeting & Tracking System: Soli-Lock Tangent

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

The wholesale adoption of battle armor is a trait of the United Systems'

Armed Forces, and as such, the amalgaation of these forces with the Navy's

Marine Corps into the 'Mobile Infantry' has given the Republic a potent

rapid-response force.

However, while troopers on a raid may be dropped from orbit, it takes some

effort to get them back again. Although dropships can enter and leave a

planet's atmosphere, they have their own drawbacks. Aerodynes, for instance,

require a lengthy piece of flat land to alight upon, and without appropriate

ground control to help the pilot make his approach, the ship runs a risk of

crash-landing, thus stranding the raiding force and the ship's crew as well.

Sphereoids, meanwhile, are little better. Their unusual shape makes for a

more difficult reentry, increasing risk of accident once again. Also, their

method of thrust leaves little room for evasive maneuvers while the craft is

landing, thus making its landing zone an obvious target.

Thus, the Republic looked for an alternative. Research eventually led the

general staff to sigle out the shuttle known as the "Landing Craft Mk VII;" an

aerodyne with the VTOL characteristics of a spheroid craft. Within a short

period of time, a new, heavier design was built to pull the new Mobile

Infantry platoons out of even the worst mess: The uninspiredly-named "Assault

Transport."

Capabilities:

The Mobile infantry's Assault Transport is one hundred eighty-five tons of

armed and armored shuttlecraft. Designed with the idea that an extraction may

come under fire, the Assault Transport carries a varied and potent array of

weaponry that easily matches most light fightercraft in offensive capability.

The arsenal is centered around the nose, which mounts an Ultra autocannon

in a chin turret that gives the copilot/front gunner the ability to hit

targets in a wide frontal arc. Mounted above and behind the cockpit, the

LRM-20 launcher is angled up to provide area saturation, while medium pulse

lasers are mounted fore and aft on the wingtips to provide covering fire from

all directions.

In addition, the Assault Transport is protected with ninteen tons of

ferro-aluminum armor, which gives the craft the ability to absorb a good

amount of damage.

Of course, the MIAT wouldn't be useful if it couldn't carry all of a

raiding party off of the ground, and thus fifty-four tons of internal cargo

space allows the design to retrieve an entire platoon at once.

Finally, four large, ducted thrusters, two on each side of the craft's boxy

lower section, are variable-pitch. Thus, they can align downward for vertical

takeoffs or landings, and then swivel back to allow the craft to accelerate at

upwards of four gees.

Deployment

The years following the War of 3039 were quiet ones for the Inner Sphere.

Although tensions ran high at times and the armies of the Successor States

trained for renewed war, all had become complacent, envisioning the status quo

lasting for the next hundred years or so much like the Third Seccession War

had.

Meanwhile, though, the Republic, through agents in the Clans, knew that an

invasion was only a matter of time. Thus, along with various other military

designs of the time, the MIAT was nearly mass-produced. As such, it is now a

common shuttlecraft in the Republic, and any WarShip that carries an MI

platoon has at least two.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: M.I. Assault Transport

Mass: 185 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 56.50

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Structural Integrity: 8 7.40

Total Heat Sinks: 12 Double 12.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 5.50

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1.50

Fire Control Computers: .00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (500 total armor pts) 19.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 160

Left/Right Wings: 120/120

Aft: 100

Cargo:

Bay 1: Cargo (1) with 3 doors 54.60

Crew and Passengers:

1 Officers (0 minimum) 1.00

2 Crew (2 minimum) 2.00

1 Gunners (1 minimum) 1.00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 LRM 20 Nose 12 12 12 -- 6 5.00

Ammo (LRM 20) 12 --- 2.00

1 Ultra AC/5 Nose 7 7 7 -- 2 7.00

Ammo (Ult AC/5) 40 --- 2.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser RW 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser LW 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser RW(A) 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser LW(A) 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 24 185.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 13,041,772 C-Bills

Battle Value: 1,884

Cost per BV: 6,922.38

Weapon Value: 3,060 (Ratio 1.62)

Damage Factors: SRV 45; MRV 39; LRV 5; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 2,284

(776 Structure, 765 Life Support, 743 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 5,289 (232 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 5, Armor/Structure: 13 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 3/3/2, Overheat: 0

Class: DS; Point Value: 19

Specials: if

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Gray Fox (BA Transport)

Tech: Clan / 3029

Vessel Type: Aerodyne DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 1,700 tons

Hull: SFY-55

Power Plant: Yoyodyne Series Beta-12 Standard

Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Armor Type: Federal Armorworks FerroAluminum

Armament:

4 Series 6b ER Large Laser

2 Series 1 ER Small Laser

1 Irrlicht Gamma Series Ultra AC/20

2 Type XX "Great Bow" LRM 20+ArtIV

3 Ripper Series A1 ER PPC

9 Series 2b ER Medium Laser

2 Type Mu LB 10-X AC

Manufacturer: San Francisco Shipyards

Location: New America System

Communications System: TSC-3015

Targeting & Tracking System: M-1290 TTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

The USR is known for its widespread and wholesale embrace of Battle Armored

infantry. Thus, it would not and is not surprising to find more than one class

of transport designed for such forces.

The ship was designed during the height of the Fourth Seccession War, when

it became clear to the Republic that Hanse Davion and his military planners

had rediscovered the idea of mobile strategic warfare. With this powerful

concept in the hands of the most potent military in the Inner Sphere, which

also happened to be one of the closest Inner Sphere powers to Republic space,

the United Systems' Armed Forces general staff immediately called for a

plethora of new ship designs that could support any Republic actions in the

face of a theoretical assault by FedSuns forces.

Capabilities:

The Gray Fox is built along the paradigm of moving its deadly cargo quickly

to a drop zone and giving the battle armored troopers excellent protection

while in transit. To accompish these goals, the Gray Fox is equipped with a

massive Beta-12 drive system, which can propel the Gray Fox at a steady pace

of four gees, with burst capability of up to six full gees. This makes the

Gray Fox able to outrun or at least pace all known assault ship designs, and

only the quickest fighters can catch her.

The design also mounts an impressive forty-nine and a half tons of

Ferro-Aluminum armor, which gives the Gray Fox the equivilent protection of a

small WarShip.

The ship does have, however, some drawbacks. Most notable is the light

armament, which is decent for a light transport. However, given the Gray Fox's

abilities, the design could have easily been turned into a potent assault ship

had she been given a heavier armament.

Another drawback is the lack of supplies available to the vessel. The

Republic shows its reluctance to engage in prolonged conflicts with this

design, though recent additions to the fleet have managed to counter this

problem.

Deployment

The first Gray Fox-class vessel launched from the San Francisco Shipyards,

a facility orbiting the Republic capitol planet of Washington, in July of

3029. Since then, over four dozen of these ships have been built, though

official numbers remain hazy as the Republic seeks to obscure its strength

from outside sources. However, reliable information indicates that as many as

sixty of these craft have been built and distributed across the Republic. The

widespread use of this design in Operation Loki certainly lends creadence to

this total.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Gray Fox (BA Transport)

Mass: 1,700 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 830.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Structural Integrity: 12 102.00

Total Heat Sinks: 86 Double 45.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 102.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 13.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Food & Water: (69 days supply) 26.50

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (1,236 total armor pts) 49.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 350

Left/Right Wings: 303/303

Aft: 280

Cargo:

Bay 1: Battle Armor Points/Squads (11) with 4 doors 110.00

Cargo (1) 165.00

Life Boats: 5 (7 tons each) 35.00

Escape Pods: 5 (7 tons each) 35.00

Crew and Passengers:

2 Officers (1 minimum) 20.00

5 Crew (2 minimum) 35.00

4 Gunners (4 minimum) 28.00

66 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 ER Large Laser Nose 3(25) 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 24 8.00

1 ER Small Laser 2 .50

1 Ultra AC/20(30 rounds) Nose 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 14 18.00

2 LRM 20+ArtIV(36 rounds) Nose 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 18.00

1 ER PPC L/RW 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 30 12.00

3 ER Medium Laser L/RW 3(31) 3(31) 1(10) 1(10) 30 6.00

1 ER Large Laser 24 8.00

1 LB 10-X AC(20 rounds) L/RW 1(6) 1(6) -- -- 4 24.00

1 ER PPC Aft 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 15 6.00

3 ER Medium Laser Aft 3(26) 2(21) -- -- 15 3.00

1 ER Small Laser 2 .50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 172 1,700.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 349,340,400 C-Bills

Battle Value: 9,184

Cost per BV: 38,037.94

Weapon Value: 10,725 (Ratio 1.17)

Damage Factors: SRV 213; MRV 160; LRV 33; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 26,182

(10,382 Structure, 12,150 Life Support, 3,650 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 12,942 (49 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 8, Armor/Structure: 21 / 20

Damage PB/M/L: 19/19/10, Overheat: 0

Class: DS; Point Value: 92

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Landing Ship, Tank

Tech: Clan / 3023

Vessel Type: Spheroid DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 1,200 tons

Hull: KRA-6K0W

Power Plant: WHI Surethrust 11 Standard

Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Armor Type: Homespun 89 Standard

Armament:

8 Series GAA-22 Rapid-Fire Ultra AC/2

12 Kolibri Delta Series Medium Pulse Laser

4 Clan Mk. XVII ER PPC

2 Type 20 "Great Bow" LRM 20+ArtIV

4 Kolibri Delta Series Large Pulse Laser

Manufacturer: Warsaw Heavy Industries, Salamis Shipsmiths Inc

Location: Warsaw (WHI), Salamis (SSI)

Communications System: OPTS-5000

Targeting & Tracking System: Model G-7 "Buckler"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

An avid user of combined-arms formations, the Republic's USAF has made it a

goal to maintain enough transport so that tanks and other combat vehicles can

be moved as easily as battlemechs or aerospace fighters across interplanetary

and interstellar distances.

However, as new 'mech carriers built with Clan Technology received priority

for construction, most armored formations were assigned old, obsolescient

transports. To counter this trend, the USAF general staff solicited proposals

from various ship manufacturers in the Republic for a new class of tank

carrying dropship that would be effective, safe, and cheap. After an intense

competition, a design by Warsaw Heavy Industries made the cut.

Capabilities:

Designed along the lines of "Faster, Better, Cheaper," the LST-class is one

of the smallest troop transports in use throughout the Human Sphere. Massing

in at a mere 1,200 tons, the design is an oddity when compared to WHI's usual

preponderance for heavier ship and 'mech designs.

Nevertheless, WHI has made the best of the ship's small interior, managing

to fit in enough bays to carry a full lance of even the heaviest assault

tanks. This precious cargo is well defended with an astounding (for its size)

forty-three tons of standard armor, and as well with an arsenal that carries

an unusual mix of ranged and accurate weaponry.

The LST, alas, faces much the same problem as with most Republic ship

designs; It lacks any sort of extensive supply reserves, carrying a mere

twenty-one tons of cargo space; barely enough to keep the ship running, let

alone keep its lance supplied.

However, this may not be entirely a bad thing. In this manner, the Republic

can discourage avdenterous military commanders from launching unsanctioned

raids. In addition, the LST is made primarily for the Republic's traditional

style of warfare; strike hard, strike fast, and win quick.

Variants:

Although not a real variant, as the ship was designed this way, but some

LSTs have been modified to accomodate up to eight light vehicles instead of

four heavy ones. The LST can be reconfigured for this arrangement in as little

as a day, though persistant rumors indicate that some crews can accomplish

this transition in an unlikely twelve hours.

Deployment

The LST class has been nearly mass-produced by Warsaw Heavy Industries, and

a good number have been built under license from Salamis Shipsmiths. Dozens of

these ships are either in active service, ferrying forces back and forth, or

they have been placed in reserve depots against some dark day.

The design favored fairly well during Operations Tellus Libertas, and Loki,

respectively the liberation of Terra and the assault on the Chaos March. The

ships, when escorted properly, could easily smash through an enemy fighter

screen so that it could disgorge its cargo. However, a pair of these ships

were shot down by Blakest fighters over Epsilon Eridani, after a

miscommunication sent their fighter escort along the wrong entry vector.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Landing Ship, Tank

Mass: 1,200 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 366.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Structural Integrity: 12 29.00

Total Heat Sinks: 88 Double 39.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 51.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 9.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Food & Water: (49 days supply) 10.00

Armor Type: Standard (908 total armor pts) 43.00

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 240

Left/Right Sides: 226/226

Aft: 216

Cargo:

Bay 1: Heavy Vehicles (51-100T) (4) with 2 doors 400.00

Bay 2: Cargo (1) with 1 door 21.00

Escape Pods: 4 (7 tons each) 28.00

Crew and Passengers:

1 Officers (1 minimum) 10.00

3 Crew (3 minimum) 21.00

5 Gunners (5 minimum) 35.00

32 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 Ultra AC/2(90 rounds) Nose 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 4 12.00

4 Medium Pulse Laser Nose 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 16 8.00

2 ER PPC Nose 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 30 12.00

2 Ultra AC/2(90 rounds) FL/R 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 8 24.00

4 Medium Pulse Laser FL/R 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 32 16.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV(18 rounds) FL/R 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 12 18.00

1 ER PPC AL/R 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 30 12.00

2 Ultra AC/2(90 rounds) Aft 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 1(6) 4 12.00

4 Large Pulse Laser Aft 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 40 24.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 176 1,200.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 229,045,600 C-Bills

Battle Value: 7,123

Cost per BV: 32,155.78

Weapon Value: 9,041 (Ratio 1.27)

Damage Factors: SRV 230; MRV 197; LRV 52; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 13,489

(3,433 Structure, 5,710 Life Support, 4,346 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 9,229 (68 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 5, Armor/Structure: 15 / 15

Damage PB/M/L: 7/7/4, Overheat: 0

Class: DS; Point Value: 71

Specials: sph

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Apollo Transport

Tech: Clan / 3030

Vessel Type: Spheroid DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 4,100 tons

Power Plant: Standard

Safe Thrust: 4

Maximum Thrust: 6

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

24 ER Large Laser

3 ER Medium Laser

24 Large Pulse Laser

5 Gauss Rifle

4 LRM 20+ArtIV

3 Medium Pulse Laser

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

With the reorganization of the Army in the early 29th Century, the General

Staff soon discovered that the existing transport dropship designs were

inadequate to moving the kind of foreces they previously could handle with

ease. I.e., company-sized transports like the Union now could only carry about

three-quarters of a mech company, and the combined-arms nature of the new

organization meant that the company being transported might not even need

twelve mech bays.

As a result, construction on new transport dropships halted until new

designs could be built to make the Military Starlift Command more flexible in

transporting ground units. The addition of Clan-technology in the early 31st century has also complicated matters, and so the General Staff called for a new standardized transport.

Capabilities:

Designed to transport the most common type of army company, the Apollo is

made to carry the forces to their destination in relative comfort (for a

military vessel) and more importantly, safely. To these ends, the Apollo is

provided with a large amount of ferro-aluminum armor, forming a thick hide

that is only matched or exceeded by assault dropships and warships.

To fend off enemy attacks, the ship mounts a large array of lasers, both

pulse and extended-range, gauss rifles, and LRM launchers. This array is not

enough to fend off a determined attck from an organized power, like a Great

House or Clan fighter unit, but it is enough to ensure that the Apollo is no

easy target. With a fighter escort, the Apollo is a hard target, indeed.

Battle History:

Apollos have served in many of the border conflicts with the Fourth Reich

and the various pirate bands that continue to be a threat. Operation Tellus

Libertas proved the worth of these craft in a large-scale operation, where

several landed companies behind enemy lines for raiding, and others

participated in the diversionary attacks in the Chaos March.

Variants:

Over the years, many units have modified their Apollos to carry either

more vehicles, Mechs, or even some Battle Armor, usually at the cost of the

other types of units normally transported.

Deployment

Built in moderate numbers to suppliment the refitted Star League-era

dropship transports, the Apollo can be found in every fleet and with nearly

every Army Unit that has permanent transport assigned.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Apollo Transport

Mass: 4,100 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 1,000.50

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 4

Maximum Thrust: 6

Structural Integrity: 11 90.50

Total Heat Sinks: 292 Double 210.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 113.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 31.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (992 total armor pts) 39.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 290

Left/Right Sides: 250/250

Aft: 202

Cargo:

Bay 1: BattleMechs (8) with 2 doors 1,200.00

Bay 2: Heavy Vehicles (51-100T) (4) with 1 door 400.00

Light Vehicles (to 50T) (4) with 1 door 200.00

Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 1 door 231.50

Life Boats: 6 (7 tons each) 42.00

Escape Pods: 6 (7 tons each) 42.00

Crew and Passengers:

3 Officers (3 minimum) 30.00

5 Crew (2 minimum) 35.00

11 Gunners (11 minimum) 77.00

68 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 ER Large Laser Nose 6(61) 6(61) 4(40) 4(40) 48 16.00

3 ER Medium Laser 15 3.00

4 Large Pulse Laser Nose 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 40 24.00

1 Gauss Rifle(24 rounds) Nose 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 1 15.00

4 ER Large Laser FL/R 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

4 Large Pulse Laser FL/R 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 80 48.00

2 Gauss Rifle(48 rounds) FL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 4 60.00

4 ER Large Laser AL/R 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

4 Large Pulse Laser AL/R 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 80 48.00

2 LRM 20+ArtIV(30 rounds) AL/R 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 24 34.00

4 ER Large Laser Aft 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 48 16.00

4 Large Pulse Laser Aft 6(61) 6(61) 4(40) -- 40 24.00

3 Medium Pulse Laser 12 6.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 584 4,100.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 545,018,320 C-Bills

Battle Value: 16,289

Cost per BV: 33,459.29

Weapon Value: 14,879 (Ratio .91)

Damage Factors: SRV 628; MRV 528; LRV 223; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 38,956

(11,202 Structure, 14,355 Life Support, 13,399 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 55,575 (143 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 17 / 16

Damage PB/M/L: 23/23/23, Overheat: 0

Class: DM; Point Value: 163

Specials: sph

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Diomedes (Assault Ship)

Tech: Clan / 3015

Vessel Type: Aerodyne DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 4,600 tons

Length: 122 meters

Power Plant: Standard

Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

16 ER PPC

16 ER Large Laser

3 Ultra AC/20

3 ATM 12

6 Large Pulse Laser

8 ER Medium Laser

1 ER Small Laser

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

With the acquisition of Clan technology in the early 31st Century, the

Republic soon found most of its primary assault dropships obsolete. The

Achillies, one of the primere assault ship designs for the Inner Shpere and

the Republic, was one of these casualties, and so calls went out for a

replacement.

In 3014, the newly-founded Salamis Shipsmiths Incorporated sumbitted a

proposal for a larger, redesigned version of the Achillies. Adopting the

design quickly, the Federal Navy commissioned it after the legendary Greek hero who

faced the Gods... And lived.

Capabilities:

The design team at SSI quickly identified the best attributes of the

Achilles, and they went about designing their new ship to emhpasize these.

Chief amongst these were the heavy weapons array, with its PPCs and large-bore

autocannons making the ships a formidible foe. The team decided to increase

this loadout, adding whole banks of particle cannons, lasers, LRM launchers,

and several turret-mounted ultra autocannons. The arsenal of the Diomedes can

lay waste to whole fighter squadrons in a single salvo, and anything smaller

than a WarShip would find itself ripped to shreds. Indeed, even older-model

corvettes from the Star League era would find the Diomedes an opponent better

off not fought.

Making this array even more fearsome is the massive amounts of armor that

the Diomedes mounts. Over 67.5 tons of Ferro-Aluminum armor are spread around

the compact frameof the ship, giving the Diomedes the ability to survive even

direct hits from even a massive 40 series naval autocannon.

Alas, all of this performance comes at a cost. The Diomedes is over 100

tons heavier than its predecessor, and it does not carry any marines, either

armored or not. In addition, the ship also does not carry any small craft, save the pair of fighters left over from the original Achillies design. Some have said that this is a major drawback, given the effectiveness of the Achilles with its boarding capabilities. However, the numerous capable dropship and assault shuttle transports for the Navy's Mobile Infantry makes this 'drawback' almost entirely unnoticable.

Deployment

Salamis Shipsmiths has been building this design since it was introduced in

3015. Their production capability is somewhat limited, and so only a single

ship of this type has been built per year. Nevertheless, this gives the

Federal Navy over fifty of these potent assault craft for their fleets.

SSI, meanwhile, has halted production for now, though the machinery tools

and molds needed to restart production have not been destroyed, per usual

industrial procedure, but rather, they have been disassembled and moved to a

secure storage facility. The location of this facility is classified, but it

is believed to be in one of the Republic's semi-secret "Omega Depots."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Diomedes (Assault Ship)

Mass: 4,600 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 2,245.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Structural Integrity: 15 345.00

Total Heat Sinks: 300 Double 188.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 408.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 35.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Food & Water: (136 days supply) 15.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (1,680 total armor pts) 67.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 460

Left/Right Wings: 420/420

Aft: 380

Cargo:

Bay 1: Fighters (2) with 2 doors 300.00

Bay 2: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 530.00

Escape Pods: 4 (7 tons each) 28.00

Crew and Passengers:

3 Officers (3 minimum) 30.00

6 Crew (2 minimum) 42.00

9 Gunners (9 minimum) 63.00

4 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 ER PPC Nose 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 60 24.00

4 ER Large Laser Nose 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 48 16.00

1 Ultra AC/20(40 rounds) Nose 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 14 20.00

1 ATM 12(30 rounds) Nose 3(30) 2(20) 1(10) 1(10) 8 13.00

2 Large Pulse Laser Nose 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) -- 20 12.00

4 ER PPC L/RW 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 120 48.00

4 ER Large Laser L/RW 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

1 Ultra AC/20(40 rounds) L/RW 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 28 40.00

1 ATM 12(30 rounds) L/RW 3(30) 2(20) 1(10) 1(10) 16 26.00

2 Large Pulse Laser L/RW 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) -- 40 24.00

4 ER Medium Laser L/RW(A) 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 40 8.00

4 ER PPC Aft 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 60 24.00

4 ER Large Laser Aft 5(45) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 48 16.00

1 ER Small Laser 2 .50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 600 4,600.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 796,458,600 C-Bills

Battle Value: 25,298

Cost per BV: 31,483.07

Weapon Value: 19,835 (Ratio .78)

Damage Factors: SRV 620; MRV 493; LRV 141; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 71,146

(35,223 Structure, 23,550 Life Support, 12,373 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 20,595 (29 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 8, Armor/Structure: 28 / 28

Damage PB/M/L: 52/52/37, Overheat: 0

Class: DM; Point Value: 253

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Charleston (Attack Transport)

Tech: Clan / 3024

Vessel Type: Aerodyne DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 4,800 tons

Power Plant: Standard

Safe Thrust: 3

Maximum Thrust: 5

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

8 ER Large Laser

1 ER Medium Laser

16 Large Pulse Laser

1 Ultra AC/20

5 Gauss Rifle

6 LRM 15

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

The changes in doctrine and organization that differentiate the Republic

Army from its Inner Sphere cousins have resulted in DropShip designs that are

best suited to the different tactics.

Many of these designs, however, while potent, are a bit too specialzed.

Many lack cargo space for anything more than food, water, and minimal spare

parts. In the past, this was usually not a major problem, as operations

against pirate forces and clandestine raids against Successor State or Clan

planets that the Army usually conducted did not require large amounts of

supplies.

However, with the threat of a Clan invasion of the Republic possible, the

General Staff realized that their logistics network relied entirely upon

civilian designs for moving supplies. Although this usually meant that

shipping material was cheap and efficiently done, it also meant that they were

increadibly vulnerable to attack. In addition, any prolonged offensive

operation - which the Republic would have used to counter an invasion - would

require lots of supplies, supplies that would have to be guarded like the

proverbial Fort Knox of Terra, thus requiring escorts for the lightly armed

cargo ships.

Thus, several firms and the Naval Design Beareu were solicited for a new

transport design that could fend for itself in most combat situations that are

likely to arise from enemy raids against shipping.

Eventually, a design by Wasaw Heavy Industries was selected. Thus was born

the "Charleston" class Attack Transport.

Capabilities:

The _Charleston_ was given an aerodyne shape by its builders for ease of

operation, since aerodynes are more stable in atmosphere and have little

trouble reentering. The fact that an aerodyne needs a landing strip was not

considered a problem on offensive or defensive missions. In the latter, a

planet receiving the supplies carried is almost always a friendly planet with

sufficient landing strips. In the case of the former, even a well-armed and

armored transport like the _Charleston_ is not sent in until a stable beachhead

is secured, instead supplies are delivered via dropshuttles.

The _Charleston_, however, is expected to go into areas that may result in it

coming under fire, either in transit or on the ground. To defend the craft,

the designers at Warsaw Heavy Industries reinforced the internal structure,

and gave the craft excellent protection with thirty-seven-and-a-half tons of

Ferro-Aluminum armor. Although not as heavy as some assault dropships'

protection, this is usally more than enough to fend off enemy fighters or

smaller dropships.

Further helping the _Charleston_'s survival rating is its impressive arsenal.

The design features not less than twenty-four large lasers of both the pulse

and extended-range variety, five gauss rifles, six LRM-15 launch racks, and an

Ultra AC-20 in the nose for added protection. Again, this is not the heaviest

arsenal mounted on a dropship, but it is much heavier than what cargo ships

usually carry.

The _Charleston_ wouldn't be very effective in its role if it didn't carry a

good amount of cargo. In this case, the design carries just over three

thousand tons of cargo diveded into two holds, giving the _Charleston_ the

ability to carry approximately sixty-five percent of its mass as cargo. Each

hold, furthermore, has three access doors, allowing for quick unloading, thus

reducing the time the _Charleston_ needs to remain on-planet and therefore

reducing the risk to the vessel should it be assigned to supply an invasion

force.

The one area the _Charleston_ could be considered lacking is its engine

compartment. The design uses an older, Series 2860 drive system that can only

maintain about 1.5Gs, with a burst capability of 2.5Gs. This is slower than

most standardized Federal troop transports, and indeed, even slower than many

WarShips assigned escort duty. It was deemed neccessary, however, in light of

the need for excellent cargo capacity and the defensive abilities needed in

the design requirements to keep the engine size down. This is, however, not

considered a major drawback, as the _Charleston_ is usually not sent in until

aerospace superiority is assured, or at least denied to the enemy.

Battle History:

The _Charleston_ went to its first major test during Operation Tellus

Libertas. There, a supply group of three _Charleston_s making a run to the 6th

Division's aera of operation in Africa fell under attack from a

previously-hidden Word of Blake Fighter squadron group consisting of fourteen

fighters. The Blakests were surprised as the heavy firepower of the

_Charleston_s tore into their craft at long range, and then were further

surprised at the well-armored hide protecting the craft. The Blakest squadron

disengaged when a Republic interceptor squadron arrived on scene. Only five

Blakest ships survived, and none of them escaped without heavy damage.

Two days later, the secret aerodrome was discovered and attacked by elements

of the 6th Division.

Deployment

First built in 3024, the _Charleston_ has been built in steady numbers ever

since. Almost every Army Division has several of these ships for transporting

cargo, and the Navy has a large amount that they keep in reserve for major

combat operations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Charleston (Attack Transport)

Mass: 4,800 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 878.50

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 3

Maximum Thrust: 5

Structural Integrity: 9 216.00

Total Heat Sinks: 155 Double 112.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 123.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 36.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Food & Water: (67 days supply) 4.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (936 total armor pts) 37.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 280

Left/Right Wings: 228/228

Aft: 200

Cargo:

Bay 1: Cargo (1) with 3 doors 1,511.00

Bay 2: Cargo (1) with 3 doors 1,511.00

Life Boats: 3 (7 tons each) 21.00

Crew and Passengers:

2 Officers (2 minimum) 20.00

3 Crew (3 minimum) 21.00

7 Gunners (7 minimum) 49.00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 ER Large Laser Nose 3(27) 3(27) 2(20) 2(20) 24 8.00

1 ER Medium Laser 5 1.00

4 Large Pulse Laser Nose 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 40 24.00

1 Ultra AC/20(40 rounds) Nose 5(45) 5(45) 2(15) -- 14 20.00

1 Gauss Rifle(24 rounds) 1 15.00

2 ER Large Laser L/RW 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 48 16.00

4 Large Pulse Laser L/RW 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 80 48.00

1 Gauss Rifle(24 rounds) L/RW 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 2 30.00

2 LRM 15(40 rounds) L/RW 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 20 24.00

1 Gauss Rifle(24 rounds) L/RW(A) 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) -- 2 30.00

2 ER Large Laser Aft 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 24 8.00

4 Large Pulse Laser Aft 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) -- 40 24.00

2 LRM 15(40 rounds) Aft 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 10 12.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 310 4,800.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 461,807,280 C-Bills

Battle Value: 9,881

Cost per BV: 46,736.9

Weapon Value: 11,146 (Ratio 1.13)

Damage Factors: SRV 386; MRV 324; LRV 136; ERV 0

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 39,465

(22,028 Structure, 9,385 Life Support, 8,052 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 13,730 (35 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 3, Armor/Structure: 16 / 15

Damage PB/M/L: 31/31/27, Overheat: 0

Class: DM; Point Value: 99

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Independence Carrier

Tech: Clan / 3060

Vessel Type: Aerodyne DropShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 35,000 tons

Power Plant: Standard

Safe Thrust: 4

Maximum Thrust: 6

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

3 Killer Whale

18 ER Large Laser

8 Large Pulse Laser

2 AMS

8 Ultra AC/20

20 ER PPC

3 LRM 20+ArtIV

16 Heavy Medium Laser

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

A new design just entering service in the mid 3060s, the Republic-designed

_Independence_ is a fearsome fighter-carrier capable of carrying a complete

fighter regiment into battle where WarShips may be too valuable to risk.

Capabilities:

Originally envisioned as a massive assault ship, the design that would

become the _Independence_ was initially to have incorporated a large array of

capital missiles and fighter-scale autocannons. However, preliminary designs

showed that the ship was well suited for carrying fighters, and soon the

single-squadron capacity was increased to two squadrons, and then up to three.

Eventually, the design was reworked into a potent fighter carrier.

The design retains some of the assault-ship characteristics from its

preliminary design phase, including a decent thrust ability, massive amounts

of armor, and an arsenal of weaponry that is fearsome to any captain

commanding less than a full WarShip.

The centerpiece of the armament of the _Independence_ is its three Killer

Whale missile launchers, each supplied with ten ready-to-fire missiles. This

allows the Independence to support its fighters at long range against enemy

DropShips and WarShips, if neccessary. Further firepower is granted by a

plethora of pulse and extended-range lasers, ultra-class autocannons, and ER

PPCs. Meanwhile, a piar of AMS systems can intercept enemy missile streams,

lessening the reliance of the mothership on her fighters.

Notable Vessels & Crews:

USS _Independence_ - This ship participated in the Battle of Luna-L2, where the

Blakest-captured _Yggdrasil_ and a currently-unkown _Eagle_-class Frigate

attempted to outflank Republic WarShips by jumping in at the Lagrange point

bewteen Terra and Luna. The _Independence_ and her fighter compliment were

insturmental in not only protecting the trailing transports, but setting up a

nasty ambush that eventually led to the second surrender of the _Yggdrasil_.

Deployment

Currently, five of these massive DropShips have been completed. Two

participated in Operation Tellus Libertas, including the Nameship. They both

aquitted themselves well in battle, and their fighter capacity proved

effective in staging strikes against Blakest forces too focused in on the

Republic WarShips.

The fifth ship, the USS _Cabot_, has recently gone absent from its normal post

over the immensely valuable planet of New Honshu, along with several other

dropships, jumpships, and warships. Our analysts believe that they may be

involved in some unkown military operation beyond even Republic space, though

what sort of threat that deep into the Great Expanse would merit such awesome

firepower remains unanswered, especially with the massive move that Clan Snow

Raven has begun.

(Note: ROM is currently trying to place agents in the Republic, and

the reason for this mysterious military operation is a top priority. The time

prior to the Clan Invasion had similar such happenstances, and the eerie

coincidences have many top-level analysts worried. We shall keep you informed,

Precentor Martial, should anything new develop.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Independence Carrier

Mass: 35,000 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 8,540.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 4

Maximum Thrust: 6

Structural Integrity: 52 9,100.00

Total Heat Sinks: 450 Double 23.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 918.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 263.00

Fire Control Computers: 24.00

Food & Water: (123 days supply) 125.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (2,174 total armor pts) 234.00

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 560

Left/Right Wings: 540/540

Aft: 534

Cargo:

Bay 1: Fighters (36) with 4 doors 5,400.00

Small Craft (2) 400.00

Bay 2: Fighters (36) with 4 doors 5,400.00

Small Craft (2) 400.00

Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 1,271.00

Life Boats: 16 (7 tons each) 112.00

Escape Pods: 16 (7 tons each) 112.00

Crew and Passengers:

6 Officers (6 minimum) 60.00

18 Crew (5 minimum) 126.00

16 Gunners (16 minimum) 112.00

164 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Killer Whale(10 msls) Nose 4 4 4 4 20 650.00

8 ER Large Laser Nose 8(80) 8(80) 8(80) 8(80) 96 32.00

8 Large Pulse Laser Nose 8(80) 8(80) 8(80) -- 80 48.00

1 AMS(48 rounds) Nose -- -- -- -- 1 2.50

1 Killer Whale(10 msls) L/RW 4 4 4 4 40 1,300.00

4 Ultra AC/20(100 rounds) L/RW 12(120)12(120) -- -- 112 136.00

4 ER Large Laser L/RW 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

2 ER PPC L/RW 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 60 24.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV(30 rounds) L/RW 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 12 22.00

8 Heavy Medium Laser L/RW(A) 8(80) -- -- -- 112 16.00

4 ER PPC L/RW(A) 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 120 48.00

8 ER PPC Aft 12(120)12(120)12(120) -- 120 48.00

2 ER Large Laser Aft 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 2(20) 24 8.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV(30 rounds) Aft 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 6 11.00

1 AMS(48 rounds) Aft -- -- -- -- 1 2.50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 900 35,000.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 1,675,353,600 C-Bills

Battle Value: 27,602

Cost per BV: 60,696.82

Weapon Value: 23,837 (Ratio .86)

Damage Factors: SRV 1,037; MRV 738; LRV 274; ERV 35

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 972,778

(924,477 Structure, 27,280 Life Support, 21,021 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 44,342 (5 of MPV)

BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 36 / 36

Damage PB/M/L: 70/70/46, Overheat: 0

Class: DL; Point Value: 276

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Rodger Young (Corvette/Raider)

Tech: Clan / 3069

Vessel Type: WarShip

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 250,000 tons

K-F Drive System: (Unknown)

Length: 424 meters

Sail Diameter: 926 meters

Power Plant: Standard

Safe Thrust: 6

Maximum Thrust: 9

Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-carbide

Armament:

5 NAC/20

2 Light NPPC

2 Medium NPPC

2 NL35

35 ER Large Laser

20 Gauss Rifle

8 AMS

6 ATM 12

Manufacturer: various

Location: various

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

With the effectiveness of the Mobile Infantry concept proven with

operations conducted in the Chaos March, the Federal Navy and the Army jointly

proposed a new class of WarShip to make the best use out of the powerful

concept.

Thus, the TCT-X project, as it was codenamed, was born. Recently renamed to

honor the crew of the former USS _Rodger Young_, who selflessly made a suicidal

stand in the face of Clan Star Adder's naval forces in the Solomons system.

Capabilities:

The TCT-X design team initially proposed a 270,000 ton craft that would

mount minimal naval-grade weaponry and carry dropships and fighters. However,

the design proved difficult to finalize, and the project teetered on the brink

of cancellation.

The saving grace was found one of the design team's engineers' hobbies,

namely historical research. The young man discovered an old tech readout of

the Lyran-built _Mako_-class Corvette. Seeing the craft's specifications almost

exactly matched the TCT-X Project's goals, he brough the TRO in to show his

collegues. Initially skeptical, the team poured over the data and agreed that

the _Mako_ would make an excellent base for the new design after all.

Although a good base it was, the designers still tweaked the ship's

specifications a bit more. The Broadside NAC-25s were replaced with the same

kind of NAC-20 found in the nose of the craft, simplifying logistics and

increasing the space needed to increase endurance for the craft, which would

have to boost for significant timespans. The design team also increased the

mass by 50,000 tons to further incease the TCT-X's cargo load and fuel

bunkerage. ironically bringing the design closer to the original mass.

Additional changes took the form of upgraded Clan Weaponry, adding ATM-12s

and AMS systems to the hull, and modifying the Original _Mako_'s cooling system

to take into account the more advanced weaponry.

All of this is so the Rodger Young to carry a single M.I. Platoon into

battle. Although this seems strange to devote a WarShip to this - especially

as dropships can carry just as many troops at the same speed - the General

Staff are confident that the new WarShip/MI combo will prove devastating.

Deployment

None of these ships have been finished yet, though the lead vessel - the

_Rodger Young_ - is expected to be completed later this year, with trials and

full commissioning into the fleet in January 3069.

At least one more ship is expected to be built, and the laying-down

cerimony is schedueled to occour after the _Rodger Young_ finishes her main

phase of construction.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Rodger Young (Corvette/Raider)

Mass: 250,000 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant, Drive & Control: 90,000.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 6

Maximum Thrust: 9

Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity 7) 113,125.00

Lithium Fusion Battery 2,500.00

Jump Sail: (Integrity 3) 42.00

Structural Integrity: 50 12,500.00

Total Heat Sinks: 690 Double 221.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 3,162.00

Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 625.00

Fire Control Computers: .00

Food & Water: (100 days supply) 120.00

Hyperpulse Generator: 50.00

Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-carbide (290 total armor pts) 236.00

Capital Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Fore: 50

Fore-Left/Right: 48/48

Aft-Left/Right: 48/48

Aft: 48

Cargo:

Bay 1: Small Craft (4) with 2 doors 800.00

Bay 2: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 2,548.00

Bay 3: Battle Armor Points/Squads (11) with 1 door 110.00

Bay 4: Fighters (12) with 2 doors 1,800.00

Grav Deck #1: (75-meter diameter) 50.00

Life Boats: 18 (7 tons each) 126.00

Escape Pods: 18 (7 tons each) 126.00

Crew and Passengers:

25 Officers (21 minimum) 250.00

80 Crew (70 minimum) 560.00

25 Gunners (23 minimum) 175.00

110 Bay Personnel .00

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 NAC/20(20 rounds) Nose 20 20 20 -- 60 2,508.00

2 Light NPPC Nose 14 14 14 -- 210 2,800.00

5 ER Large Laser Nose 5(50) 5(50) 5(50) 5(50) 60 20.00

2 Gauss Rifle(32 rounds) Nose 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 2 28.00

1 AMS(72 rounds) Nose -- -- -- -- 1 3.50

5 ER Large Laser FL/R 5(50) 5(50) 5(50) 5(50) 120 40.00

3 Gauss Rifle(40 rounds) FL/R 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 6 82.00

1 AMS(72 rounds) FL/R -- -- -- -- 2 7.00

1 ATM 12(30 rounds) FL/R 3(30) 2(20) 1(10) 1(10) 16 26.00

2 NAC/20(30 rounds) L/RBS 40 40 40 -- 240 10,024.00

1 Medium NPPC L/RBS 9 9 9 9 270 3,600.00

4 ER Large Laser L/RBS 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

4 Gauss Rifle(80 rounds) L/RBS 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 8 116.00

1 AMS(72 rounds) L/RBS -- -- -- -- 2 7.00

4 ER Large Laser AL/R 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 96 32.00

2 ATM 12(90 rounds) AL/R 6(60) 4(40) 2(20) 2(20) 32 64.00

1 AMS(72 rounds) AL/R -- -- -- -- 2 7.00

2 NL35 Aft 7 7 7 -- 104 1,400.00

4 ER Large Laser Aft 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 48 16.00

4 Gauss Rifle(80 rounds) Aft 6(60) 6(60) 6(60) -- 4 58.00

1 AMS(72 rounds) Aft -- -- -- -- 1 3.50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 1,380 250,000.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 6,537,726,800 C-Bills

Battle Value: 74,788

Cost per BV: 87,416.79

Weapon Value: 32,925 (Ratio .44)

Damage Factors: SRV 2,017; MRV 1,830; LRV 1,188; ERV 389

Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) 604,876

(79,406 Structure, 473,312 Life Support, 52,158 Weapons)

Support Points (SP) 155,865 (26 of MPV)

BattleForce2: Not applicable

Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Republic Scout Armor

Tech/Era: Clan / 3067 / CBT Rules

Chassis Type: Humanoid

Weight Class: Light Battle Armor (401 - 750 kg)

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Ground Speed: 10.8 km/h

Jump Capacity: 120 meters

Armor Type: Standard Stealth

Overview:

The proliferation of Inner Sphere battle armor designs was a

wake-up call for the Republic, which had only concentrated on

improved 'Mech, DropShip, and WarShip designs until the Clan

Invasion of 3050.

The new suit designs incorporated concepts and ideas that many

lower-level commanders had been requesting for years, and so

operatives were sent out to gather technical specifications of

many designs.

Amongst these designs was the Grey Death Legion's Scout Armor

design. However, Legion security proved to be too strong,

initially, for Republic agents to infiltrate, and so for several

years, the Republic agents came up empty.

After three years, however, the Republic learned enough through

third-party sources about the capabilities of the GDL's Scout

armor. Although not enough to make a full copy, it was enough that

Republic engineers could design an armor that would approximate

the GDL's design.

After another three years of development, the Republic's Army

and M.I. units had their scout armor.

Capabilities:

Built along the same paradigm as the GDL Scout armor, the

Republic Scout Armor was designed along the idea of moving

quickly, gathering intelligence, and then falling back to report.

To this end, the Scout armor was given an advanced sensor suite

that grants it the same sensing ability of a Beagle Active Probe,

though its range is somewhat more limited. In addition, advanced

stealth armor composits and a jump booster allow the Scout armor

to make good an escape should it run into anything it can't

handle. These two systems alone are credited with saving over a

hundred lives of scout troopers in recent operations on Terra, in

the Chaos March, and in the Star Adder Invasion of the Republic.

Deployment

First produced in early 3058, the RSA design has proliferated

throughout the Republic, and a squad of such armor can be found

attached to nearly every platoon.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Republic Scout Armor

Equipment: Slots Mass

Chassis Type: Light Class Humanoid with HarJel 0 150

Motive System: Ground Movement (1 MP) 0 0

Jump Jets (3 MP) 0 75

Jump Booster (Body+1 Jump MP) 2 125

Armor Type: 6 Points Standard Stealth 4 210

Manipulators:

Left Arm: Armored Glove 0 0

Right Arm: Armored Glove 0 0

Weapons and Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Active Probe Body 2 150

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 8 710

Slots & Mass Left: 0 40

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 649,500 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 21 (105 for 5) Weapon Value: 5 (Ratio.24)

Cost per BV: 21,404.76 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 0 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 4J Armor/Structure: 2 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: -/-/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 1 Specials: mec, prb, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 8/7/6/6 Coverage: Full

IR+6, ECM+6, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 0, Target Size Modifier: 0

Movement Modifiers:

Walking: 0, Running: 0, Sprinting: 0

Jump: 120 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+2, DEX: 0, RFL: -1

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor

Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Marauder Battle Armor

(4 Configurations)

Tech/Era: Clan / 3067 / CBT Rules

Chassis Type: Humanoid

Weight Class: Medium Battle Armor (751 - 1,000 kg)

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Ground Speed: 10.8 km/h

Jump Capacity: 90 meters

Armor Type: Standard

Overview:

The United Systems' Republic has had acess to Clan technology,

including Elemental battle armor, for decades. However, only

recently has there been a push to develop new designs to better

augument the Republic's armored troopers. Much of this impetous

stems from the Inner Sphere's deployment of numerous designs,

which have also prompted growing development in the Clans.

The Republic has long held the edge in Battle Armored

formations, believing in the suits whole-heartedly. But the new

armor designs began to erode that advantage, and so a new study

was commissioned to create a series of requirements for new,

Republic-specific battle armor.

The Marauder is one of these designs.

Capabilities:

The Marauder began development in late 3061, after agents in

the Inner Sphere militaries uncovered reports showing the prowess

of the new Sphere-designed battle armor when it was used

effectively. In tight confines, Combine Kage and Raiden designs

could out perform Elemental suits, and in open combat, the

longer-ranged guns of battlemechs could overpower a unit provided

exclusively with Elemental armor.

Thus, a prime concern was the flexibility of the new design.

Republic engineers approached the challenge by designing the

Marauder along the lines of an omnimech. Modular ports are thus

mounted in the right arm and body, allowing a unit to reconfigure

its armor prior to battle with weapons more appropriate to the

task at hand.

The Marauder's main configuration, however, uses the newly

developed clan Micro Pulse Laser as its prime weapon, matching the

Elemental's small laser in range and firepower, but improving

accuracy and anti-infantry ability.

Also in the main configuration is a detatchable LRM-2 missile

launcher, which is provided with four full salvos of missles,

giving the Marauder the ability to hurt its enemies at range.

Finally, a standard anti-personnel weapon mount on the left arm

can accomidate almost any hand-held weapon in the Inner Sphere,

Clans, or Republic.

Other configurations have been seen, including ones sporting

SRMs, Support Particle cannons, and Recoiless Rifles.

Deployment

The Marauder had difficulties in development, and so deployment

was delayed until 3065. In the last two years, however, the

Republic has manufactured large amounts of these suits. The

majority have been assigned to the Republic's Mobile Infantry

branch of their Navy. Others have been sent to various Regular

Army units, though National Guard and Militia units still have not

received any of these potent suits so far.

Configuration: Base

Equipment: Slots Mass

Chassis Type: Medium Class Humanoid with HarJel 0 250

Motive System: Ground Movement (1 MP) 0 0

Jump Jets (3 MP) 0 150

Armor Type: 10 Points Standard 0 250

Manipulators:

Left Arm: Basic Manipulator 0 0

Right Arm: Basic Manipulator 0 0

Fixed Weapons & Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Missile-Capable Modular Weapon Mount RA 1 10

Missile-Capable Modular Weapon Mount Body 1 10

Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount LA 1 5

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 3 675

Slots & Mass Available for Configurations: 7 325

Configuration: Primary

Config Weapons & Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Micro Pulse Laser RA/MWM-M 68 2 175

Detachable Missile Pack Body/MW 0 10

LRM 2 Body/MWM 4 3 137

SMG, Gauss LA/APWM 120 0 0

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 8 997

Slots & Mass Left: 2 3

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 718,207 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 64 (320 for 5) Weapon Value: 58 (Ratio.91)

Cost per BV: 8,096.98 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 2 MRDmg 1 LRDmg 1

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 3 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 1/-/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 3 Specials: mec, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 9/8/8/8 Coverage: Full

IR: 0, ECM: 0, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 2, Target Size Modifier: -1

Movement Modifiers:

Walking: -1, Running: -2, Sprinting: -3

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+4, DEX: -1, RFL: -1

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Configuration: Close Assault

Config Weapons & Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Machine Gun RA/MWM-M 50 1 100

SRM 3 Body/MWM 4 3 225

Shotgun, Combat LA/APWM 32 0 0

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 7 1,000

Slots & Mass Left: 3 0

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 705,424 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 57 (285 for 5) Weapon Value: 55 (Ratio.96)

Cost per BV: 8,867.09 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 4 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 3 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 2/1/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 3 Specials: mec, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 9/8/8/8 Coverage: Full

IR: 0, ECM: 0, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 2, Target Size Modifier: -1

Movement Modifiers:

Walking: -1, Running: -2, Sprinting: -3

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+4, DEX: -1, RFL: -1

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Configuration: Ranger

Config Weapons & Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Light Machine Gun RA/MWM-M 50 1 75

Support PPC Body/MWM 42 3 250

Gyrojet Gun, Heavy LA/APWM 20 0 0

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 7 1,000

Slots & Mass Left: 3 0

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 697,000 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 55 (275 for 5) Weapon Value: 33 (Ratio.60)

Cost per BV: 9,036.36 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 2 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 3 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 3 Specials: mec, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 9/8/8/8 Coverage: Full

IR: 0, ECM: 0, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 2, Target Size Modifier: -1

Movement Modifiers:

Walking: -1, Running: -2, Sprinting: -3

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+4, DEX: -1, RFL: -1

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Configuration: WW2

Config Weapons & Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

SRM 1 RA/MWM-M 4 2 75

Light Recoilless Rifle Body/MWM 80 3 235

(with High-Explosive Ammo)

Pulse Laser Rifle LA/APWM 0 0

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 8 985

Slots & Mass Left: 2 15

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 692,680 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 56 (280 for 5) Weapon Value: 44 (Ratio.79)

Cost per BV: 8,797.86 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 3 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 3 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 3 Specials: mec, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 9/8/8/8 Coverage: Full

IR: 0, ECM: 0, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 2, Target Size Modifier: -1

Movement Modifiers:

Walking: -1, Running: -2, Sprinting: -3

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+4, DEX: -1, RFL: -1

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor

BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: SeaBee Jeep

Tech: Clan / 3020

Config: Wheeled Vehicle

Rules: Level 3, Standard design

Mass: 5 tons

Power Plant: 25 Chevrolet CH-45 300 HP I.C.E.

Cruise Speed: 97.2 km/h

Maximum Speed: 151.2 km/h

Armor Type: Compound 2110 Standard

Armament: None

Manufacturer: Dynamic Manufacturing Inc.

Location: Lincoln

Communications System: Mil spec VCS-1A

Targeting & Tracking System: None

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

The Seabee Corps is a branch of the Republic's Federal Navy, and they are

repsonsible for the construction and major repair of all groundside naval

bases. In addition, the Navy routinely 'loans' Seabee units to the Army, who

uses them in much the same fashion, though only in cases when a new base is

needed quickly.

To help with this kind of goal, a quick survey of the area being considered

is a top priority. Even more so than usual, since the area is usually

undeveloped or even unexplored. Unfortunately, conventional jeeps proved

limited in their abilities to support such endevours, and so the Seabee Corps

put out calls in the early 31st century for a replacement design.

What they got was a jeep named after their own service for good reason.

Capabilities:

The Seabee jeep is remarkably similar in capabilities to the older, more

conventional jeep designs found throughout human-occupied space.

However, the Seabee Jeep has been redesigned with a far tougher chassis,

which is armored somewhat to protect the engineers should they come under

fire, or just from nasty collisisons with unavoidable obstacles. The chassis

and armor design gives the Seabee jeep a unique profile, and some have

nicknamed it the 'warthog' for its ability to take a tremendous amount of

punishment and still remain usable.

Another feature improved over conventional jeeps is the motive system. Not

only is the Seabee Jeep capable of much higher speeds - up to 152 km/h on

paved roads, an average of 98 km/h over loose terrain - but it is also

equipped with special ducted propellers mounted underneath the rear flatbed

that give the jeep the ability to be fully amphibious.

All of this comes at some price. The Seabee jeep can only carry a single

ton of cargo before suffering speed limiatations; the most common jeep design

can carry seven hundred fifty kilograms more.

However, this carrying capacity is helped by the addition of a trailer

towing hitch, which allows the Seabee jeep to haul a specially designed

trailer for when a crew needs more cargo.

Deployment

First built in 3020, the Seabee Jeep can be found in every detatchment of

that corps. Many more have been sent to the Army Corps of Engineers (who

despise the fact that such a useful vehicle is named aftr their engineering

rivals).

A demiliterized version is sold under the commercial name "Warthog" to

citizens who can afford the steep price.

--------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: SeaBee Jeep

Mass: 5 tons

Equipment: Items Mass

Int. Struct.: 4 pts Reinforced 0 1.00

Engine: 25 I.C.E. 0 1.00

Cruise MP: 9

Flank MP: 14

Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00

Cockpit & Controls: 0 .50

Crew: 1 Members 0 .00

Amphibious Drive Equipment: 0 .50

Armor Factor: 16 pts Standard 0 1.00

Internal Armor

Structure Value

Front: 1 4

Left / Right Sides: 1 4/4

Rear: 1 4

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass

--------------------------------------------------------

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body 0 .00

1 Trailer Hitch Rear 1 .00

Cargo Bay Capacity Body 1 1.00

--------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 0 3 5.00

Items & Tons Left: 3 .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 79,010 C-Bills

Battle Value: 22

Cost per BV: 3,591.38

Weapon Value: 0 / 0 (Ratio .00 / .00)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 0; MRDmg 0; LRDmg 0

BattleForce2: MP: 9W, Armor/Structure: 0 / 1

Damage PB/M/L: -/-/-, Overheat: 0

Class: GL; Point Value: 0

Specials: tran1

BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Manta Hovertank

Tech: Clan / 3007

Config: Hovercraft

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Mass: 20 tons

Power Plant: 75 Ford I.C.E.

Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h

Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h

Armor Type: Combiweave 1.1 Standard

Armament:

1 Mk. 44 LRM 10

Manufacturer: Federated Armor Works, Dynamic Manufacturing Inc

Location: Lincoln (FAW), Desmonde (DMI)

Communications System: Mil Spec VCS-10B

Targeting & Tracking System: Firefox TTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

With the acquisition of Clan technology in the early 31st Century, it

became a natural worry for military planners in the Republic over the massive

amounts of upgrades that needed to be done in order to keep the USAF at the

peak of its capabilities. Of particular concern for those members of the

general staff haling from the National Guard was the second-hand nature of

much of their equipment. They already had to deal with technology made

obsolete by Star League standards, but now the Clan technology would make them

even further behind the curve.

To assauge the worries of local commanders, the general staff reccomended

the design and deployment of several new combat vehicles that would use

advanced Clan weaponry, but would also avoid using anything else advanced -

such as XL engines or ferro-fibrous armor - so as to speed development and

deployment of the new, advanced technology to the National Guard.

The Manta hovertank is one of these designs, and it was the first to be

deployed, being by far the simplest design the Republic could make.

Capabilities:

Built upon a small, 20-ton chassis, the Manta resembles less a combat

vehicle than it does a stylized shoebox. However, once a crew gets past the

appearance, they tend to fall in love with the Manta. The design mounts a

simple to use and maintain ten tube Long Range Missile system, which is

afforded a three hundred sixty degree arc of fire by its turret mount. The

Manta is supplied with two tons of ammo, wich gives the craft the ability to

maintain a constant stream of fire for up to four minutes. Although not

spectacular, this is usually enough for a light hovertank, which cannot take

much damage and usually retires before it uses up its ammunition anyway.

Another feature that Manta crews like is the intergral CASE design of the

tank's chassis, which allows them to escape with their lives should the ammo

storage take fire. In addition, six tons of armor and a maximum speed of 130

km/h allow the Manta to bring back its crews more often than not. Add to this

package the simple to maintain ICE engine, complete with the 'skirtlss' lift

system, it becomes easy to see how such an easy-to-maintain craft has

attracted its own set of admirers.

Variants:

Several Guard units that are assigned to defend cities have developed a

'Urban Operations' variant that replaces the LRM rack with a pair of SRM 4

launchers and a machine gun in the turret, and another machine gun in the

front.

Deployment

First built in 3007, the Manta has seen widescale production throughout the

last six decades. Thus, they can be found in every National Guard and militia

unit that uses hovertanks, and even many front line units have adopted the

Manta as a light cavalry vehicle.

--------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Manta Hovertank

Mass: 20 tons

Equipment: Items Mass

Int. Struct.: 10 pts Standard 0 2.00

Engine: 75 I.C.E. 0 4.00

Cruise MP: 8

Flank MP: 12

Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00

Cockpit & Controls: 0 1.00

Crew: 2 Members 0 .00

Lift Equipment: 0 2.00

Turret Equipment: 0 .50

Armor Factor: 96 pts Standard 0 6.00

Internal Armor

Structure Value

Front: 2 22

Left / Right Sides: 2 20/20

Rear: 2 18

Turret: 2 16

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass

--------------------------------------------------------

1 LRM 10 Turret 0 24 2 4.50

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body 0 .00

--------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 0 2 20.00

Items & Tons Left: 7 .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 514,500 C-Bills

Battle Value: 344

Cost per BV: 1,495.64

Weapon Value: 162 / 162 (Ratio .47 / .47)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 6; MRDmg 5; LRDmg 3

BattleForce2: MP: 8H, Armor/Structure: 0 / 4

Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/1, Overheat: 0

Class: GL; Point Value: 3

Specials: if

BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Abrams M-1A2

Tech: Clan / 3010

Config: Tracked Vehicle

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Mass: 70 tons

Power Plant: 350 XL Fusion

Cruise Speed: 54.0 km/h

Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h

Armor Type: Ferro-Fibrous

Armament:

1 Gauss Rifle

2 Machine Guns

Manufacturer: Federal Armor Works

Location: Georgia

Communications System: EVA Mk-1a

Targeting & Tracking System: AAH-7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

With the prospect of a Clan Invasion possible, the Federal Army decided

that its armor regiments were in poor shape, what with the piecemeal clan-tech

upgrades that seemed to never get out fast enough. To make the upgrading of

the armor formations easier, the Army asked manufacturers to come up with new

deisgns that would be able to be quickly put into use with little needed in

the way of adjusment to combat formations that would receive them.

The Abrams, modeled after a 20th century Main Battle Tank, was designed

by the Federal Armor Works on the world of Georgia to replace the older

main line tanks, such as the Star League vintage Fury or the upgraded versions

of the Vedette.

Capabilities:

Designed around the three principles of Speed, Firepower, and Armor, the

Abrams is certainly a fearsome tank. The design, however, does skimp a bit on

firepower, when compared to some heavier tanks, but nowhere else will a body

find a better mix for the MBT role.

The armament consists of a M-101 Gauss Rifle mounted in the turret, and a

pair of machine guns, one mounted coaxally with the Gauss Rifle and the other

mounted in the front for the driver to control. What makes these weapons

fearsome is the addition of an advanced Clan Targeting Computer, which allows

the vechicle crew a powerful advantage, either when moving or standing still.

But moving is the best thing, since the Abrams is one of the fastest heavy

tanks to roll onto the battlefield. An XL Fusion engine gives it the ability to

cruise at a potent 55 kilomteters per hour, and the ability to make speed runs

of up to 86 km/h.

Finally, the design is heavily armored, and can take extensive damage

before the crew decides to make good an escape.

Deployment

After field testing, which included the unexpected neccessity to repel a

pirate raid on the world that was chosen for the tests, the Abrams was put

into mass production to re-equip most of the armored regiments in the Army.

This kind of production continued for ten years before the production rate

was slowed to a more moderate pace, after it was realized that the Clans were

not preparing an invasion... Yet.

However, Federal Armor Works continues to build these tanks for the Army

and National Guard units, and not to mention a small stockpile to possibly

trade to the Inner Sphere or Clans, should relations be opened up. In the case

of Clan Diamond Shark, this kind of trade seems certain, and the Abrahms, as

common as it is in the Republic, may soon be seen throughout known space.

--------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Abrams M-1A2

Mass: 70 tons

Equipment: Items Mass

Int. Struct.: 35 pts Standard 0 7.00

Engine: 350 XL Fusion 1 15.00

Shielding & Transmission Equipment: 0 7.50

Cruise MP: 5

Flank MP: 8

Heat Sinks: 10 Single 0 .00

Cockpit & Controls: 0 3.50

Crew: 3 Members 0 .00

Turret Equipment: 0 1.50

Armor Factor: 316 pts Ferro-Fibrous 1 16.50

Internal Armor

Structure Value

Front: 7 68

Left / Right Sides: 7 62/62

Rear: 7 56

Turret: 7 68

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass

--------------------------------------------------------

1 Gauss Rifle Turret 0 24 2 15.00

1 Machine Gun Turret 0 100 2 .75

1 Machine Gun Front 0 1 .25

1 Targeting Computer 1 3.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body 0 .00

--------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 0 8 70.00

Items & Tons Left: 11 .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 12,624,767 C-Bills

Battle Value: 1,025

Cost per BV: 12,316.85

Weapon Value: 979 / 979 (Ratio .96 / .96)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 15; MRDmg 12; LRDmg 9

BattleForce2: MP: 5T, Armor/Structure: 0 / 12

Damage PB/M/L: 2/2/2, Overheat: 0

Class: GH; Point Value: 10

Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Seabee Armor

Tech/Era: Clan / 3067 / CBT Rules

Chassis Type: Humanoid

Weight Class: PA(L)/Exoskeleton (0 - 400 kg)

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Ground Speed: 32.4 km/h

Jump Capacity: 90 meters

Armor Type: Basic Stealth

Overview:

The Navy's anachronistically-named Seaborne Construction

Battalions - affectionately called "Seabees" - are a cornerstone

of the Republic's war machine. While the Army Corps of Engineers

can undertake projects massive in scale, the Seabees have

consistantly proven themselves to be the masters of quick, small,

but potent bases, field fortifications, and even ship repairs.

Key to these capabilities is the Seabee's embracing of the

most advanced technology available. From amphibious jeeps to

construction shuttles, the Seabees have made the use of

high-technology more than just an advantage, but rather a

requirement.

Thus, it was only a matter of time until the Seabees demanded

a replacement for their old exoskeletons, which though effective,

were cumbersome to use in some of the tight places aboard ships or

within structures that engineers must sometimes go. Thus, in an

attempt to recoup some of the money spent on developing the

Mjolnier armor, engineers at the Buearu of Design & Technology

quickly adapted the basic chassis of the Mjolnir to conduct more

mundane tasks than what the SART forces undertake.

Capabilities:

The Mjolnier armor that the Seabee design is based off of is

as advanced as they come. However, when it came to modifying the

design for construction duties, the designers quickly dispensed

with some of the more advanced equipment, such as the top-secret

stealth armor composites and advanced communications gear used by

the spartans.

Replacing these items are a high-powered cutting torch,

mounted in the left vambrace piece, which is reinforced and

enlarged to hold the torch. Both vambrace and glove armor pieces

also contain advanced mine detection and disarming equipment,

allowng the Seabees to clear out minefields far more efficiently

than before. In addition, a searchlight for operating in the dark

has been mounted on the right shoulder, and since the Seabees are

known for conducting work even admist a combat situation, the

design is provided with basic stealth composite armor for

protection from enemy fire.

Finally, the Mjolnier's excellent improved stregnth, speed, jup

capability, and advanced sensors have been retained for their

usefulness to the Seabees.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Seabee Armor

Equipment: Slots Mass

Chassis Type: PA(L) Class Humanoid with HarJel 0 130

Motive System: Ground Movement (3 MP) 0 50

Jump Jets (3 MP) 0 75

Armor Type: 2 Points Basic Stealth 3 60

Manipulators:

Left Arm: Mine Clearance 0 15

Right Arm: Mine Clearance 0 15

Weapons and Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Improved Sensors Body 1 45

Searchlight Body 1 5

Cutting Torch LA 1 5

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 6 400

Slots & Mass Left: 0 0

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 554,400 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 9 (45 for 5) Weapon Value: 2 (Ratio.22)

Cost per BV: 39,377.78 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 0 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 2 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: -/-/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 0 Specials: mec, srs, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 5/5/6/5 Coverage: Full

IR+6, ECM+6, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 1, Target Size Modifier: 0

Movement Modifiers:

Walking+4, Running+8, Sprinting+12

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+1, DEX: -1, RFL: 0

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor

Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Type/Model: Mjolnir Armor

Tech/Era: Clan / 3067 / CBT Rules

Chassis Type: Humanoid

Weight Class: PA(L)/Exoskeleton (0 - 400 kg)

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Ground Speed: 32.4 km/h

Jump Capacity: 90 meters

Armor Type: Improved Stealth

Overview:

The proliferation of new Battle Armor designs has sparked

interest in many circles that previously didn't bother to consider

the suits as anything but an extravegance. Amongst these circles

are several special operations groups, including the Special

Advanced Reconissence Teams (nicknamed "Spartans" for short).

The Spartans are the special ops masters of the Republic Army,

and they wanted to have the same advantage as their heavier

bretheren. Thus, their commanders soon pressed for a design that

would be their sole property.

Therefor, the development of a Power Armor (Light) design was

commissioned. In honor of the Spartans, the design was based off

of a fictional armor design imagined in the late 20th Century for

a video game.

That armor is Mjolnir.

Capabilities:

Unlike its fictional inspiration, the Republic's Mjolnir armor

is meant to be an infiltration and light combat suit. Mobility and

stealth were primary concerns. with agility second.

The SART forces pride themselves on their stealth and

lethality, and so the Mjolnir incorporates some of the most

advanced stealth armor composites and ECM systems available

anywhere in the Human Sphere. Backing this up is an armor design

that has reinforced leg myomers, which allow a person in a Mjolnir

to reach ground speeds of just over thirty-two kilometers per

hour. This improved myomer is also evident in the rest of the

armor, and a Mjolnir-equipped soldeir can rip metal off of

battlemechs alongside the heavier battle armor designs. Adding to

this impressive mobility is a ninety-meter jump capacity, which

allows the Mjolnir the ability to reach areas that wouldn't

normally be accessable to the Spartan forces.

Finally, the Mjolnir incorporates advanced sensing equipment in

the helmet and torso. Although this isn't up to par of an advanced

Active Probe suite, it is nevertheless much more than what most

Spartans could carry before they got their armor.

Deployment

Exact deployment of the Mjolnir is unkown, as the Spartan

forces are a semi-secret organization. Most Republic citizens

interested in such matters have heard of them, as have nearly

every one in the military. But aside from top-level commanders and

the spartans themselves, no one really knows how many there are.

Thus it is unkown how many suits they have, and how many spares

have been built.

What is known is that Spartans in Mjolnir armor were dropped

onto Terra and several Chaos March worlds just prior to Operation

Tellus Libertas, where they disabled key communication centers and

equipment stockpiles. In addition, at least one Spartan team

remained on-planet on Terra to help hunt down Blakest

insurrectionists. The fact that there hasn't been an attack of

that nature since 3068 is a testament to the ruthless efficiency

of the spartan forces and their Mjolnir armor.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Mjolnir Armor

Equipment: Slots Mass

Chassis Type: PA(L) Class Humanoid with HarJel 0 130

Motive System: Ground Movement (3 MP) 0 50

Jump Jets (3 MP) 0 75

Armor Type: 2 Points Improved Stealth 5 70

Manipulators:

Left Arm: Armored Glove 0 0

Right Arm: Armored Glove 0 0

Weapons and Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------

Improved Sensors Body 1 45

------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 6 370

Slots & Mass Left: 0 30

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 559,500 C-Bills, Including Trooper

Training Costs of 200,000 C-bills

Battle Value: 10 (50 for 5) Weapon Value: 2 (Ratio.20)

Cost per BV: 35,950.0 (w/o Trooper Training costs)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 0 MRDmg 0 LRDmg 0

Mechanized: Travels on OmniMechs

Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks

BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3J Armor/Structure: 2 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: -/-/- Overheat: 0

Point Value: 1 Specials: mec, srs, car5

CBT:RPG Data: Armor Value (M/B/E/X): 5/5/6/5 Coverage: Full

IR+6, ECM+6, Camo: 0

Melee AP: 0, Target Size Modifier: -1

Movement Modifiers:

Walking+4, Running+8, Sprinting+12

Jump: 90 m/turn

Attribute Modifiers: STR+1, DEX: 0, RFL: 0

Equipment Rating: F/D/E

Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: F-56 Stormchaser

Tech: Clan / 3025

Vessel Type: Aerospace Fighter

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 40 tons

Power Plant: 240 XL Fusion

Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

1 LRM 10

2 ER Large Laser

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview:

The acquisition of Clan military technology made several designs within

the Republic nearly obsolete overnight. Most especially telling was the

National Guard, who had always received the hand-me-downs from front line

units for many years.

One of these older designs was the F-8 Crusader, a 40-ton fightercraft

designed for air supreamacy and ground attack. Its weaponry was old-fashioned

even before Clan technology could be had, and afterwards, the craft was nearly

a joke.

To combat the growing inefficiency of the Air National Guard, the Republic

General Staff called up for a design that would make the ranks of the Guard

more formidible. What they got was the Stormchaser.

Capabilities:

The manufacturer of the Stormchaser is the little-known company of Ageira

Technologies, a dedicated aerospace manufacturing company that also produces

the newer Defender omnifighter. Although still relatively new, they have

already made a splash in the fighter market. This all started with the

Stormchaser, which has set the tone for the company's designs for the last

several years.

This success is due to the Stormchaser's design team, who started their

roll by building the F-56 along the lines of the old F-8 Crusader. This was

decided upon so that ships that carried the older fighter wouldn't have to

shift around their weight loads for boosting, which would insure a rapid

deployment of the new craft.

The designers then identified what made the Crusader effective. They found

that the combination of lasers and missiles was an ideal mix for a National

Guard unit, though the short range of the Crusader's Medium Lasers often menat

that the older craft had to engage in a dogfight before it could become fully

effective.

Working off of these strengths and weaknesses, the Ageira designers added

in a pair of Flashpoint III ER Large Lasers to the wings, giving the

Stormchaser range and hitting power. Adding to these potent weapons is a

single Mark 51 LRM-10 rack in the nose, allowing the Stormchaser to carry

specialized ammo and also to augument its long-ranged arsenal.

The Stormchaser already performs well in its intended role with such

equipment, but the designers went further to ensure a solid design. The craft

is thus armored heavily with Ferro-Aluminum armor, and an XL Fusion engine

drives the craft forward at delta-vs approaching six Gs. A better than average

fuel tank allows for extended patrols and/or engagements, and several under

wing hardpoints allow the Stormchaser to carry upwards of eight heavy bombs.

Deployment

First deployed during the invasion scare of 3020, the Stormchaser has

become synonomous with the National Guard's motto of "The First and Last Line

of Civil Defense." This motto is a bit inaccurate in terms of the other

Republic military branches, but it is apt when describing the sheer numbers

that have been sent to units across the Republic.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: F-56 Stormchaser

Mass: 40 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant: 240 XL Fusion 6.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 8

Maximum Thrust: 12

Structural Integrity: 8 .00

Total Heat Sinks: 14 Double 4.00

Fuel: 6.00

Cockpit & Attitude Thrusters: 3.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (163 total armor pts) 8.50

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Nose: 47

Left/Right Wings: 40/40

Aft: 36

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 LRM 10 Nose 6 6 6 -- 4 2.50

Ammo (LRM 10) 24 --- 2.00

1 ER Large Laser RW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 ER Large Laser LW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 28 40.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 5,016,720 C-Bills

Battle Value: 1,665

Cost per BV: 3,013.05

Weapon Value: 1,620 (Ratio .97)

Damage Factors: SRV 24; MRV 19; LRV 7; ERV 0

BattleForce2: MP: 8, Armor/Structure: 4 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 3/3/3, Overheat: 0

Class: FL; Point Value: 17

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor Prime

Tech: Clan / 3067

Vessel Type: Aerospace OmniFighter

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 65 tons

Power Plant: 325 XL Fusion

Safe Thrust: 7

Maximum Thrust: 11

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

1 ER PPC

1 ER Medium Laser

2 ATM 9

1 Medium Pulse Laser

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor Prime

Mass: 65 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant: 325 XL Fusion 12.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 7

Maximum Thrust: 11

Structural Integrity: 7 .00

Total Heat Sinks: 16 Double 6.00

Fuel: 5.00

Cockpit & Attitude Thrusters: 3.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (269 total armor pts) 14.00

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Nose: 80

Left/Right Wings: 67/67

Aft: 55

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 ER PPC Nose 15 15 15 -- 15 6.00

1 ER Medium Laser Nose 7 7 -- -- 5 1.00

1 ATM 9 RW 21 14 7 7 6 5.00

1 ATM 9 LW 21 14 7 7 6 5.00

Ammo (ATM 9) 42 --- 6.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser Aft 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 36 65.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 14,253,660 C-Bills

Battle Value: 2,579

Cost per BV: 5,526.82

Weapon Value: 2,681 (Ratio 1.04)

Damage Factors: SRV 47; MRV 38; LRV 4; ERV 0

BattleForce2: MP: 7, Armor/Structure: 7 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 6/5/3, Overheat: 0

Class: FM; Point Value: 26

Specials: omni

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor A

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Ultra AC/20 Nose 30 30 -- -- 14 12.00

Ammo (Ult AC/20) 20 --- 4.00

2 Medium Pulse Laser RW 7 7 -- -- 8 4.00

2 Medium Pulse Laser LW 7 7 -- -- 8 4.00

1 SRM 4 Aft 6 -- -- -- 3 1.00

Ammo (SRM 4) 25 --- 1.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 33 65.00

Tons Left: .00

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor B

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 ER PPC Nose 15 15 15 -- 15 6.00

1 Streak SRM 4 Nose 8 8 -- -- 3 2.00

Ammo (Streak 4) 25 --- 1.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV RW 16 16 16 -- 6 6.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV LW 16 16 16 -- 6 6.00

Ammo (LRM 20) 30 --- 5.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 30 65.00

Tons Left: .00

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor C

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Gauss Rifle Nose 15 15 15 -- 1 12.00

Ammo (Gauss) 16 --- 2.00

1 ER PPC RW 15 15 15 -- 15 6.00

1 ER PPC LW 15 15 15 -- 15 6.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 31 65.00

Tons Left: .00

Class/Model/Name: F-22 Raptor D

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 ER Medium Laser Nose 7 7 -- -- 20 4.00

3 Medium Pulse Laser RW 7 7 -- -- 12 6.00

3 Medium Pulse Laser LW 7 7 -- -- 12 6.00

1 Streak SRM 4 Aft 8 8 -- -- 3 2.00

Ammo (Streak 4) 25 --- 1.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 47 65.00

Tons Left: .00

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout

VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name: Stuka IIC

Tech: Clan / 3025

Vessel Type: Aerospace Fighter

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Rules Set: AeroTech2

Mass: 100 tons

Frame: Lycomb 11

Power Plant: GM ATF 300 Fusion

Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum

Armament:

3 Medium Pulse Laser

1 Simpson LRM 20+ArtIV

1 Streak SRM 6

4 Exostar ER Large Laser

Manufacturer:

Communications System:

Targeting & Tracking System:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Stuka IIC

Mass: 100 tons

Equipment: Mass

Power Plant: 300 Fusion 19.00

Thrust: Safe Thrust: 5

Maximum Thrust: 8

Structural Integrity: 10 .00

Total Heat Sinks: 31 Double 21.00

Fuel: 5.00

Cockpit & Attitude Thrusters: 3.00

Armor Type: Ferro-aluminum (288 total armor pts) 15.00

Standard Scale Armor Pts

Location: L / R

Nose: 88

Left/Right Wings: 70/70

Aft: 60

Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Medium Pulse Laser Nose 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 LRM 20+ArtIV Nose 16 16 16 -- 6 6.00

Ammo (LRM 20) 24 --- 4.00

1 Streak SRM 6 Nose 12 12 -- -- 4 3.00

Ammo (Streak 6) 30 --- 2.00

1 ER Large Laser RW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 ER Large Laser LW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 ER Large Laser RW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 ER Large Laser LW 10 10 10 10 12 4.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser Aft 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser Aft 7 7 -- -- 4 2.00

1 C.A.S.E. Equipment Body .00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: Heat: 70 100.00

Tons Left: .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 7,966,500 C-Bills

Battle Value: 3,167

Cost per BV: 2,515.47

Weapon Value: 3,416 (Ratio 1.08)

Damage Factors: SRV 74; MRV 61; LRV 14; ERV 0

BattleForce2: MP: 5, Armor/Structure: 7 / 0

Damage PB/M/L: 8/8/6, Overheat: 0

Class: FH; Point Value: 32

BattleMech Technical Readout

Type/Model: Atlas IIC

Tech: Clan / 3000

Config: Biped BattleMech

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Mass: 100 tons

Chassis: Standard

Power Plant: 300 XL Fusion

Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h

Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h

Jump Jets: None

Jump Capacity: 0 meters

Armor Type: Standard

Armament:

2 ER PPCs

1 Ultra AC/20

1 LRM 20 w/ Artemis IV

1 Streak SRM 6

3 Medium Pulse Lasers

Manufacturer: (Unknown)

Location: (Unknown)

Communications System: (Unknown)

Targeting & Tracking System: (Unknown)

--------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Atlas IIC

Mass: 100 tons

Equipment: Crits Mass

Int. Struct.: 152 pts Standard 0 10.00

Engine: 300 XL Fusion 10 9.50

Walking MP: 3

Running MP: 5

Jumping MP: 0

Heat Sinks: 18 Double 36 12 8.00

(Heat Sink Loc: 3 LA, 3 RA)

Gyro: 4 3.00

Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00

Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA+H R: Sh+UA+LA+H 16 .00

Armor Factor: 307 pts Standard 0 19.50

Internal Armor

Structure Value

Head: 3 9

Center Torso: 31 46

Center Torso (Rear): 16

L/R Side Torso: 21 32/32

L/R Side Torso (Rear): 10/10

L/R Arm: 17 34/34

L/R Leg: 21 42/42

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass

--------------------------------------------------------

1 ER PPC RA 15 2 6.00

1 ER PPC LA 15 2 6.00

1 Ultra AC/20 RT 7 20 12 16.00

(Ammo Locations: 2 RT, 2 RL)

1 LRM 20 w/ Artemis IV LT 6 18 8 9.00

(Ammo Locations: 3 LT)

1 Streak SRM 6 LT 4 15 3 4.00

(Ammo Locations: 1 LL)

2 Medium Pulse Lasers CT(R) 8 2 4.00

1 Medium Pulse Laser HD 4 1 2.00

--------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 66 77 100.00

Crits & Tons Left: 1 .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 24,506,000 C-Bills

Battle Value: 2,480

Cost per BV: 9,881.45

Weapon Value: 4,591 / 4,341 (Ratio 1.85 / 1.75)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 58; MRDmg 36; LRDmg 19

BattleForce2: MP: 3, Armor/Structure: 8/6

Damage PB/M/L: 7/6/3, Overheat: 4

Class: MA; Point Value: 25

BattleMech Technical Readout

Type/Model: Warhawk (Masakari) G

Tech: Clan / 3050

Config: Biped OmniMech

Rules: Level 2, Standard design

Mass: 85 tons

Chassis: Standard

Power Plant: 340 XL Fusion

Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h

Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h

Jump Jets: None

Jump Capacity: 0 meters

Armor Type: Ferro-Fibrous

Armament:

2 ER PPCs

2 Large Pulse Lasers

2 ER Micro Lasers

Manufacturer: (Unknown)

Location: (Unknown)

Communications System: (Unknown)

Targeting & Tracking System: (Unknown)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Type/Model: Warhawk (Masakari) G

Mass: 85 tons

Equipment: Crits Mass

Int. Struct.: 130 pts Standard 0 8.50

Engine: 340 XL Fusion 10 13.50

Walking MP: 4

Running MP: 6

Jumping MP: 0

Heat Sinks: 23 Double 46 20 13.00

(Heat Sink Loc: 2 LA, 1 RA, 4 LT, 1 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL)

Gyro: 4 4.00

Cockpit, Life Supt.: 5 3.00

Actuators: L: Sh+UA R: Sh+UA 12 .00

Armor Factor: 259 pts Ferro-Fibrous 7 13.50

(Armor Crit Loc: 1 HD, 1 LA, 1 RA, 2 LT, 2 RT)

Internal Armor

Structure Value

Head: 3 9

Center Torso: 27 42

Center Torso (Rear): 10

L/R Side Torso: 18 26/26

L/R Side Torso (Rear): 10/10

L/R Arm: 14 28/28

L/R Leg: 18 35/35

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass

--------------------------------------------------------

1 ER PPC RA 15 2 6.00

1 Large Pulse Laser RA 10 2 6.00

1 ER PPC LA 15 2 6.00

1 Large Pulse Laser LA 10 2 6.00

2 ER Micro Lasers CT 2 2 .50

1 Targeting Computer RT 5 5.00

--------------------------------------------------------

TOTALS: 52 73 85.00

Crits & Tons Left: 5 .00

Calculated Factors:

Total Cost: 25,518,824 C-Bills

Battle Value: 2,554

Cost per BV: 9,991.71

Weapon Value: 5,915 / 5,915 (Ratio 2.32 / 2.32)

Damage Factors: SRDmg 47; MRDmg 41; LRDmg 29

BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 6/5

Damage PB/M/L: 7/6/5, Overheat: 1

Class: MA; Point Value: 26

Specials: omni


	49. Report

**TOP SECRET – EYES ONLY**

To: Prince Hohiro Kurita

From: Victor Steiner-Davion, Precentor Martial, Comstar

Subject: Motivations and Recent Movements of the USR

Hohiro,

I wish that the circumstances of this communication were better, but it appears we are condemned to live in interesting times. In only a short time, our entire reality has again been overturned by the emergence of yet another periphery-based power that rivals any Great House. Given the recent actions by this alleged 'Republic,' and its location, I felt that you should have this intelligence document that ROM compiled for me. Certain pieces of information have been edited out, of course, as I'm sure you will understand. However, I have seen to it that what has been removed is only to protect our operatives in the field.

In addition, I will also give you now my first impression of the representative that this Republic sent to the First Circuit and the data he gave us. Although wary of us, he was forthcoming with any information he was allowed to give, and he was polite in the face of the barbs from a certain someone. I met with this man afterwards, and looked him in the eyes. I can say, without a doubt, that the look I saw in his eyes is the same I have seen in every serious warrior, present company included, of course. Frankly, I will admit to being intimidated a bit, so forceful he was in speaking of his homeland. You know me, so you can appreciate my words most effectively.

As for the data, you know that I am no analyst. Still, if what is presented is even half true – and I dare say that all of it may be true – then what we have in the Republic may be an indomitable ally… Or an implacable foe. They have already fended off a full-scale Clan invasion of their own, and their sparring against the Snow Ravens shows them to be tenacious. I recommend caution and restraint when dealing with them.

As for now, I give you this report, compiled from various other reports. I have taken the liberty of placing some of my thoughts here and there to provide a warrior's view on things; something you will no doubt find agreeable.

-Victor.

* * *

**United Systems' Republic: Intentions and Motivations****History**

The political entity we know as the Republic today was created in the wake of Kerensky's Exodus. From all accounts, dissent against Kerensky's decision and total lack of information over his ultimate goal caused many to question his orders and motivation.

Thus, some units in the SLDF, although agreeing with Kerensky's goal of leaving the Inner Sphere but feeling the complete and total removal from the Sphere's affairs was a mistake, began making other plans. Lead by a mere Major, this group nevertheless grew to include the crew of a warship, several jumpships, and an entire battlemech division. However, they did not challenge Kerensky openly, but instead made alternative plans. Thus, when the Exodus Fleet made the last jump out of the Periphery nation of the Outworlds Alliance, the ships of this conspiracy made a separate jump in the opposite direction.

Initially angered over the defection, Kerensky decided that to go back and bring the mutinous ships into the fold again would be too costly. Thus, he pressed on and the Exodus Fleet continued with its date with destiny. However, it may be noted that this little-known event may have inspired the uncharacteristically harsh measure Kerensky used during the _Prinz Eugen_ revolt later on during the Exodus.

This new, small force, led by its sole WarShip, the SLS _Invincible_, ventured out and spinward from the Inner Sphere, rather than following Kerensky in his coreward route. This proved to be beneficial, since the area this force moved into contained several verdant worlds. Picking a central one with an eye for later expansion, the small force settled on a planet that their leader – who grew up on Terra's North America continent – Washington, while the system itself was named New America.

The early years of this colony proved to be trying, as they were not the only group to discover the hidden bounty available beyond settled space. Other colonies sprung up nearby as refugees from the First Succession War vacated the Inner Sphere en masse, and behind them came bands of outlaws and disgraced military units, who turned to piracy.

However, this adversity only strengthened the fledgling Washington colony, as its defense force was equipped with the best the Star League had to offer, and unlike their pirate opponents, weren't driven away from the Inner Sphere without preparation. Thus, the Washington forces continued to annihilate pirate bands, and soon began patrols to defend the other planets in the area. Grateful for this defense, the better off worlds began to reciprocate with supplies that the Washington colony lacked, as the soldiers from that planet were often out fighting rather than farming.

These informal trades soon grew to signed pacts of defense and aid. Then, the elected President of the Washington colony suggested that the several worlds unite to become one government. Initially wary, the other colonies eventually accepted, and the United Systems' Republic was born.

This, however, occurred right as the Second Succession War began, and this new government found itself tested with another wave of refugees and piracy. However, with the former SLDF units at its core, and making use of local militias and flexibility, the United Systems' Armed Forces fought off pirates and helped new colonies to be settled on more planets.

By the dawn of the Thirtieth Century, the Republic had grown immensely, and its economy was driven by constant expansion, as the federalist government provided the flexibility for settlements to grow without red tape or harsh taxes. The core worlds, now past the sustenance level of development, received a near-constant influx of immigrants as a mass exodus from the Inner Sphere still continued. Republic ships actually went out and actively sought these refugees, encouraging them to settle in the Republic's relatively empty worlds. In this way, the Republic grew by leaps and bounds, eventually gaining enough resources to begin secret operations in the Inner Sphere.

At this point, a few notes must be made. Firstly, much has been made of Kerensky's Exodus taking the vast majority of the SLDF outside of the Human Sphere. However, few historians or other learned persons have questioned the other arms of the massive bureaucracy, including the feared Star League Intelligence Service. Once the ultimate word in covert operations and information gathering, this formidable service mysteriously disappeared following Kerensky's Exodus. Initially, no one cared much, as the beginning of the First Succession War and the rampant barbarity that followed naturally proved far more pressing. However, later periods of peace saw historians and researchers dismiss the SLIS as either overblown or simply absorbed into the Exodus Fleet, or even into Comstar. (Let it be noted that ROM never once engaged in any dialogue with anyone claiming to be from the SLIS, and that ROM has never once engaged any such force during its existence.)  
The truth, as always, has proven more interesting and far more frightening than any fiction. The SLIS, operating on directives stemming from its surviving command structure – which had joined the fledgling Republic – began a systematic infiltration of all House intelligence agencies. This was soon followed up by the infiltration of Comstar even as it formed. As a result, Comstar has always been a compromised organization. No matter how effective ROM, no matter how tight the control over the HPG net, the Republic had a direct pipeline into the heart of every capitol planet in the Inner Sphere.

Then, the net went dormant. The only activity SLIS/Republic agents undertook was to secure replacements for them when they began to grow old and die. No significant data was sent anywhere, though the occasional report did get transmitted as the Republic sought to keep tabs on their erstwhile brethren in Comstar and the Great Houses.

_That is no joke, Hohiro. The information comes straight from Republic school textbooks ROM has purchased on Terra. That the Republic is even admitting to such security breeches is foreboding. Are they so smug and confident that they feel they should not fear for reprisal? Or are they implying that no matter what, we cannot hurt them? Either way, ROM is working on this, and I think your father's ISF should too. –Victor_

As potentially cancerous as this intelligence network could have been, the Republic only used it, initially, to make contact with refugees and to direct them spinward. However, events that took place in the middle of the twenty-ninth century may have been some cause for this quiescence.

In 2823, a Trial of Annihilation was staged by the Clans against one of their own; Clan Wolverine. Initially thought utterly destroyed, recent investigations over the past several years have shown that warriors and civilians from that clan did indeed survive, and even traveled back to the Inner Sphere as the Minnesota Tribe. Striking nearly a dozen worlds, the Tribe vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. Now, we know why.

Intelligence agents of the Republic had quickly identified the Minnesota Tribe as belonging to the SLDF, due largely to their relatively pristine equipment and their characteristic insignia and tactics. Working on pure initiative, an agent in the DCMS managed to move his military unit into the line of the advancing Tribe and engaged them just long enough to separate himself from his unit. Believing their commander dead, this unnamed unit retreated back to lick their wounds and regroup.

The unknown officer almost was killed by the Minnesota Tribe, as angered and distrustful they had been. However, one of the Minnesota officers recognized an old Recognition Signal used by the SLIS to contact certain persons within the SLDF. Quickly gaining an audience with the Minnesota Tribe commander, one Janice MacLeon, this agent quickly pointed the rogue military unit towards where a branch of the Exodus Fleet had gone on their own.

Thus, the Minnesota Tribe disappeared from the Inner Sphere, and traveled spinward to look for their brethren that had not been corrupted by Nicholas Kerensky's Clans. However, the SLIS operative, still unawares of just what form the government that he now served had taken, couldn't inform the former clansmen of how to make contact. Reportedly, all he had said was, "just go far enough, and they will find _you_."

Contact was indeed made. Deciding to land on a planet that was the location of an obviously recently settled colony, the Minnesota Tribe deployed to take supplies of medicine they needed for their sick and wounded.

However, when they approached the settlement, they found not an anticipated weak militia force, but an entire mixed-formation regiment of tanks, 'mechs, and infantry. Clashes erupted between the two sides briefly before the Minnesota Tribe fell back to reassess their situation.

It was then that MacLeon recognized the tanks and 'mechs as being Star League designs. Taking a risk, she marched her battered _Ostsol_ slowly up to the enemy formation and opened a channel, asking an innocuous question: "Where's the beef?"

This code phrase, derived from the depths of human history, was a code signal given by agents to any military unit heading for solace in the Republic. The commander of the opposing force – Richard Fitzgerald of the Republic's 1st Armored Regiment – stood his troops down.

The result of this series of events led the Republic's intelligence gathering apparati to not only know where the rest of the SLDF had ended up, but also let them know of the potential danger of the Clans. Thus while the Clans became infatuated with their petty feuds, the Republic worked its tendrils through the newly formed "Dark Caste" and into Clan society, taking advantage of former SLIS agents who had decided to stay with Kerensky and then regretted it.

Therefore, when it is said that while the Inner Sphere was experiencing new levels of barbarity and the Clans were developing their fearsome fighting arsenal, the Republic had built itself into a preeminent superpower, one should not scoff.

Knowing about the Clans and observing – but not interfering in – Comstar's manipulations of the Inner Sphere, the Republic began to arm itself. Using its connections within the Clans' scientist caste, the USAF was constantly upgraded with newer and newer technology, even as the republic's massive industrial base was turned to building up the largest military seen since the SLDF had been disbanded. This industrial powerhouse, fueled by raw materials from worlds newly settled and from the immigrants from the Inner Sphere, ensured a strong, consistent economy. This therefore supplied the necessary amount of monetary liquidity for the Republic's population to thrive in living standards as high as that on Terra during the Star League's golden age even as Spheroids found themselves forced into new serfdom, while clan citizens found their lives turned into cogs for the clan war machine.

Even with so much wealth, the USAF continued to hunger for more armaments. Of particular interest for the Federal Navy were the numerous WarShips known to have escaped total destruction. Many such ships dotted the Inner Sphere, and the Navy soon proposed plans to retrieve these lost ships. Initially skeptical that recovery teams could remain undetected, the General Staff of the USAF eventually relented.

The Athena program, as the recovery effort was soon named, was an unqualified success. Dozens of WarShips from across the Inner Sphere were located, refurbished, and absconded with from under the eyes of all the Successor states, and even Comstar. So successful was this program, that a second phase, Athena II, was authorized. However, Athena II, despite netting some of the Fleet's best WarShips, recovered a much smaller amount, and so the program stopped, leaving many ships still floating in space.

Nevertheless, the Athena programs, plus the constant construction of new WarShips, DropShips, JumpShips, fighters, and all sorts of military equipment, proceeded at a leisurely pace. That is, until the dawn of the 31st century.

Through its agents in the Clans, the Republic knew of the growing discontent within their organization. The so-called "Crusader" movement was recognized immediately as trouble, and the Republic agents began their first attempts toe influence another power by working against the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the thirst for war is too strong when one's life is harsh, and the Clans' harsh homeworlds and society only pushed them further and further towards war.

The USAF General Staff thus began to quietly prepare its forces for a potential engagement with the Clans. Whether because the Clans may detect the republic and strike it first, or simply because of the nation's potential willingness to help the Inner Sphere remains in question. In either case, the effect was the same: The knowledge of the Clans and their intentions to return to the Inner Sphere started to become common knowledge within the Republic citizenry at the same time that the information about the General Staff's plans came out.

These dual revelations caused a growing uncertainty within the Republic, an uncertainty that eventually reached a head during the 3020s. With the news of the alliance between Houses Steiner and Davion, the counter alliance between Liao, Marik, and Kurita, many people began to see likenesses from the Cold War of the 20th Century. However, when this news hit the Clans, it created a firestorm, a firestorm that grew to immense proportions with the results of the Fourth Succession War.

At this point, it was leaked to the press that the General Staff and begun hasty plans for a defense against a deep strike by House Davion, and rumors of the Clans gathering their forces gave people the illusion that somehow, the Republic had been found out and targeted. For several months in 3028 and '29, the economy of the Republic ground into its first recession in over a century, and this only served to unnerve the population more.

To combat this, the federal government ordered up a program to update their armaments. While the Republic as a whole had benefited from Clan and homegrown technology, the Military had become a hodge-podge of upgraded or obsolete units. Thus, while the Invasion Scare of 3028 was unfounded, it opened the eyes of military planners. The government re-armament plan thus came at just the right time, and soon, the Republic was moving forward again, this time refitting obsolescent WarShips and replacing outdated military equipment in ground units.

It is at this point, interestingly enough, that many conspiracy theories began to circulate within the Republic, theories that remain to this day. Tall tales to be sure, though some of the more interesting consist of either genetic experimentation on animal breeds to turn them into a race of slave-soldiers (Unlikely, to say the least. All cultural analyses of the Republic and its government indicate that such activities are considered atrocious and would not be condoned) to the creation of so-called "Omega Depots" where weapons of mass destruction are kept alongside the obsolete hardware that the Republic replaced in their military divisions. This latter theory may yet hold water, as no public record of the replaced military hardware has fully accounted for all of it.

Following the Fourth Succession War and then the War of 3039, the Republic, like the Inner Sphere, breathed a sigh of relief, hoping against hope that peace would finally have a chance to reign. However, this was not to be, for as histories show, the ECS _Outbound Light_ jumped to Huntress, becoming the pebble that started a landslide.

The 'go vote' for Operation Revival was quickly relayed to the Republic's government, and they soon began to gird themselves for war, just in case the Clans made a last-minute discovery of the USR and chose them as a more worthy target instead. The Clan advance into the coreward Periphery in 3049 and the subsequent onslaught into the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine in 3050 brought a brief sigh of relief to the USAF. But only a brief one, as several front-line units were quietly moved outside of the Republic to monitor the conflict. Rumors contend that the 351st Battlemech Regiment – the descendents of the Minnesota Tribe/Clan Wolverine – even went so far as to raid Clan supply lines in a black operation codenamed Gadfly. To this day, the government denies that such an operation took place, but records from the time show increased supply consumption from the 351st and the ships and fighters attached to it.

Whether or not Gadfly existed, the Clans were indeed harassed, thus slowing down their logistics. This is cited as one of the reasons the Clan juggernaut was even defeated, and so if the Republic is behind the increased raiding on Clanner supply lines during this time, then they are responsible, in part, for bringing the Clans to heel as much as the Com Guards were, as the Clans would no doubt have ignored Anastasias Focht's parley with ilKhan Kerensky had they not felt the pressure on their figurative throats.

_I have to agree with this assessment. There was no compelling reason for the Clans to accept the challenge by Focht. Only the most progressive amongst the Clans could see that they were being worn down, but nary a one was a Crusader Khan. The more I look at it, the more likely it seems that, along with guerilla activities on captured worlds, the Clans were beginning to feel the crunch of long and possibly harassed supply lines. I've spoken with Phelan on this, and he agrees that, save for Clan Wolf, all the other clans received heavy raiding on their shipping. It makes you wonder. –Victor_

Regardless, the Republic went relatively quiescent again; simply operating in neutral while they absorbed the few refugees that fled the Inner Sphere at this time. Indeed, it wasn't until 3058, when the Word of Blake seized Terra that the Republic began to prepare for war again.

However, this time, the Republic wasn't preparing for an invader, but preparing _as_ an invader. The Republic traces its democratic heritage and the lineage of its founders straight to Terra, and the idea that the homeworld of Humanity in the hands of religious zealots was, apparently, too much. _Not that I blame them. If it wasn't for the clans, Comstar could've asked for my help to retake Terra and I'd have agreed in a heartbeat. –Victor_ Calls went out from all sectors, and thousands and thousands of young men and women began volunteering for Federal Service (this includes the military. Please see the report on Republic Government, Culture, and Society for details).

Preparations were made, and soon the Republic began to move men and material into the Inner Sphere. Staging from planets that were never colonized due to their inhospitable nature, or from dead moons of ignored gas giants, or even from bases constructed in the middle of the Successor States' territories, the Republic began the slow preparation for retaking Terra. Wishing only to inflict the bare minimum of damage on The Homeworld, the general Staff knew that only overwhelming force moving at a relentless speed could hope to achieve this goal. Thus, the Republic bided its time, training new legions of troops and crews for reactivated ships, and waited for a ripe time.

However, events within the Inner Sphere and Clans gave the Republic pause as the General Staff waited to see how they would affect their plans and, indeed, how their plans unleashed may influence events. Deciding to be patient as always, the USAF simply built up, trained, and waited through the torrid bush wars of the late 3050s, the Star League reformation, and Operations Bulldog and Serpent. The latter was especially watched, as the task force's path took it dangerously close to several Republic staging bases and even colonized worlds under the Republic's aegis.

Then came the St. Ives Conflict, the FedCom Civil War, the Ghost Bear-Combine War, and the Jade Falcon Incursion. This massive conflagration looked to be the Republic's chance to sneak in and take Terra whilst all parties were engaged, but the sudden roaming of Clan Snow Raven's Alpha Galaxy and Blakest movements made the General Staff edgy, and so plans were forced to wait again.

Finally, however, after twelve years of preparation, Operation Tellus Libertas (Latin for "Earth Liberty") and its companion, Operation Loki, were authorized. Fully three quarters of the USAF traveled to staging bases made well prepared over a decade of work, and then moved to their jump off points. All forces were ready by the end of August 3067, and a date was set: September 11th, 3067; a date etched into the minds of the Republic citizenry for the atrocity committed against its spiritual and cultural ancestor, the United States of America.

On that day, nearly three hundred jump-capable craft jumped into the Terran system, concentrated at the zenith jump point. A full eighty of these ships were WarShips, while the remainder was evenly divided between militarized JumpShips and standard transports. All carried a full load of assault, carrier, and transport DropShips.

Moving in at a leisurely standard gee of thrust, this armada headed inexorably towards Terra. All transport jumpships activated lithium-fusion batteries and jumped back out, while their militarized cousins either remained at the zenith jump point, or made an intrasystem jump to the nadir to interdict normal merchant traffic to and from Terra.

The Word of Blake was caught flat-footed. So prepared they had been for the upcoming Star League conference and their now-infamous assault on Outreach and plans for the Inner Sphere, that they hadn't even began to think that anyone could slip past their intelligence-gathering network with such a massive force. To compound their surprise, communications and power grids began to fail across Terra and Mars, as previously inserted special operations teams – code name "Spartans" – struck with lightning speed. Then the Spartan teams began to assassinate top Blakest commanders, often leaving their heads on pikes in front of their units' headquarters. _It's true; I've seen them firsthand when I was allowed to visit right after the end of major combat operations. St. Jamais had such a terrified look on his face that I almost pitied him. Almost. – Victor_

The outrage over the sudden appearance of the armada and of sabotage, combined with the destruction of comm nets and leaders who could have kept the zealots in control, broke what remaining command the Blakest leaders had over their armies as units and ships went out piecemeal to engage the enemy armada, and then the army when it landed. _Apparently, the Blakests' inculcation of their forces was _too_ effective. Their soldiers, so wrapped up in righteous fury, forgot everything but the blind anger that only a religious zealot can have. –Victor_

The armada thus was relatively unaccosted as it traveled through Terran space. Some Blakest DropShip and Fighter commanders did try to organize and launch themselves en masse at the invading force, but the sheer weight of the Republic ships' fire annihilated them before they could even approach the fleet. Attempted suicide rammings also failed, as ships with massive Naval PPCs fired over and over, evaporating the suicide ships and dispersing their matter too wide for it to become anything more than a mild hazard to escorting fightercraft.

A real battle, however, awaited them in the Terra-Luna system. Moving into orbital insertion vectors, the Republic fleet was surprised when Blakest WarShips – including the stolen _Yggdrasil_ – jumped in behind them at the L2 point between Terra and Luna, while a small fleet of twelve WarShips and hundreds, if not thousands of fighters burned at them from Terran orbit.

The Battle of Luna-L2, this fight has been called. It saw the heavy damage – but not destruction of – many WarShips in the Republic fleet, though several DropShips were lost, however.

Nevertheless, the Republic fleet battered aside the Blakests with superior technology, numbers, and pure tactics. Advanced neutrino sensors, far more effective than anything created in the Inner Sphere or Clans, located the telltale signatures of atomic weaponry, and those ships armed with such warheads were marked for destruction early on. Thus, the Blakests could not use their nuclear weapons in what some in the Republic have called their "board kickers;" a reference to knocking over a game board, which is considered the sign of a poor loser. Furthermore, Republic ships are very well defended against fighter attacks, compared to many Star League, Clan, and Inner Sphere ships. Indeed, the anti-fighter armament in a single WarShip alone may exceed that of most assault DropShips.

As a result, the Blakest fleet was left in tatters, with barely five squadrons and three DropShips surviving the battle to land on Terra. The _Yggdrasil_ and the WBS _Usurper's Bane_ – a previously undocumented _Riga_-class corvette – were captured, albeit heavily damaged, while all other Blakest WarShips were destroyed. One, the WBS _Blake's Wrath_, spectacularly self-destructed as the battle ended in Terran orbit, the _Texas_-class battleship taking a nose dive into the atmosphere over North America before a malfunction triggered her jump drive on the way down. The ship ripped itself apart spectacularly, spreading a massive shower of debris over three continents. _And spreading rumors of 'temporal vortices' in some sort of triangle there, as well. All scandalvid fiction of course, but I'm just warning you against such rumors. –Victor_

Following the conclusion of the naval battle, over twenty regiments' worth of battlemechs and battle armor made a massive combat drop over every inhabited continent, with Antarctica being ignored temporarily as the Army and moved to seize key supply depots, Castles Brian, and in general interpose themselves between Blakest military units and the nearest large urban center. The latter was especially insightful, as the Blakests tried to make high-speed runs to take up positions in cities so as to make the battle for Terra a costly one. However, the Republic moved in first and intercepted the Blakests in the outskirts of urban centers, limiting the collateral damage and forestalling any costly lengthening of the campaign. It is a testament to the skill and dedication of the Federal Army that not a single Blakest battlemech made it from their wilderness and suburban bases to any city proper.

For further reflections and lessons of Tellus Libertas and its companion, Loki, one should read the previous briefing document made available on the USR. _I'll see about getting you that one, as well. –Victor_ However, it should be noted that Dragoon survivors of the Blakest-instigated attack on Outreach made contact with Republic forces and brought back the first information that Terra had been invaded via their HPGs. The Republic and Wolf's Dragoons reached an arrangement, and the Dragoons were 'hired' by the Republic to help out a beleaguered 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment finish clearing the continent Australia of Blakest forces.

Following Tellus Libertas, the Republic used Terra's position as center of the HPG network to send out a so-called 'all points bulletin,' advising the Inner Sphere of the Blakests' plans and calling for the arrest and execution of "the traitors of Mankind." They furthermore uploaded vast, detailed files that showed even to many laymen the intricate web of treachery and deceit that the Blakests – most especially their radical 6th of June movement – had woven. Included amongst these were hundreds of thousands of sleeper agents spread from Shiloh in the Free Worlds League as part of the adoption program that had supposedly "saved" a large number of children from the harsh, technologically-backwards cult of the Exituri. Instead, the cult had been subverted by the Word of Blake and had sent its many children deliberately into exile so as to strike at the heart of what they called "the corrupt technology users."

Upon hearing this, many of the adoptees went into rages, trying to kill as many people as they could, many even trying to destroy vital life support equipment on space stations, or agrodomes on harsh worlds. Following this spat of violence, the Republic sent a task force to Shiloh and dropped a single, strategic-sized nuclear warhead into one of the vast tracts of unusable wasteland that cover the planet, though they picked one close enough so that most of the world's major population centers could see it. Following that, the Republic ship (now identified as one of their _LST_ series of ships, obviously converted to bomb-dropping duty) left Shiloh and the Free Worlds League via _Scout_-class JumpShip.

Following Tellus Libertas and Loki, the Republic established relations with the battered Allied Mercenary Command, and together the two forces established a protectorate over the Chaos March worlds that had not yet been swallowed up by the Great Houses. This protectorate eventually has become an all-Republic affair, with the AMC disbanding when Wolf's Dragoons had learned enough of their new allies to trust them.

Since those tumultuous times, when half the Inner Sphere was still fighting the unsupported Blakest elements not destroyed by the Republic, the USR had become quiescent again. Systematic patrols of unpopulated systems are conducted, and convoys move between the Terran Protectorate and the Republic's home systems, but for a while, a quiet reigned over the Inner Sphere, as everyone paused to reflect on the sudden change in the universe. On one hand, a new faction had appeared from out of nowhere to erupt with cold fury over worlds at the center of human civilization, while on the other hand, the revelations of Blakest plotting and the realization of how close they had come to fulfilling their nefarious plans shook everyone to the core. Even the clans became quiet as they absorbed the happenings and conducted – like everyone else – intelligence sweeps and purges throughout their own society to rid themselves of Blakest taint.

Eighteen months passed, and things appeared to settle down into a new equilibrium. The Republic bastion in the center of the Inner Sphere was opening itself up again to commerce and travel, each House and Clan worried more over its own internal instabilities and renegade groups than over their neighbors, and even Clan Diamond Shark moving into the trading network of the Inner Sphere seemed tame.

For the Republic, however, the end of these eighteen months proved stunning.

In mid 3069, two coreward worlds of the United Systems' Republic were invaded by troops from Clan Star Adder. The Adders, apparently, had learned of the Republic just in advance of Tellus Libertas. From what the Republic has learned – and released – Clan Burrock, absorbed because of dealings with the Dark Caste, had apparently maintained some of those contacts, despite their protests to the contrary during the vote over their Trial of Absorption. The Star Adders, in an amazing show of subtlety for a Clan, bided their time until they could apprehend one of the higher-up Dark Caste leaders. A leader who had had dealings with Republic agents.

Angered over Republic infiltration and possible manipulation, the Adders began preparations for an assault. Then the Republic lashed out at Terra, and the sheer scope and size of the operation made the Adders pause.

Unfortunately for the Republic, however, the story of their origins – released freely to foster understanding – angered all of the Clans, who considered the Republic traitors to Kerensky's vision, the Star Adders amongst them. Thus, the Adders mobilized six Galaxies – four front-line, two second-line – and set off with the majority of their fleet. Arriving at a predetermined jump off point, the massive task force readied itself for the upcoming invasion.

Fate would intervene, however, as a Republic ship, the USS _Nevada_ – a recovered _Farragut_-class battleship – jumped right into the Adder task force during a patrol sweep.

Realizing the threat the Adders posed so close to a Republic that had not seen its entire military strength returned in the wake of Tellus Libertas, the commander of the _Nevada_, Captain Danielle Arini, made the fateful decision to not jump out again using her ship's lithium-fusion batteries. Instead, she had an HPG message sent out to every Republic world within range (the Republic has apparently made a breakthrough in HPG technology, allowing multiple destinations for one burst) and then proceeded to engage the Adder task force.

Accounts over this battle are not clear, as the _Nevada_ and her two accompanying assault DropShips did not survive the fight. However, from data recorders recovered by the Republic after the battle, and from reports leaking from the surviving Adders tell that the _Nevada_ made a headlong charge straight for the Adder transport JumpShips, ignoring the surrounding WarShips and DropShips. She apparently shrugged off salvo after salvos from clanner weaponry, replying only with whatever weapons she couldn't immediately bring to bear on any transport. Instead, Captain Arini focused her crew and resources on destroying the Adders' ability to move their forces.

Reports of the _Nevada_'s final moments are the most muddied. Some recordings indicate a massive explosion as her reactor destabilized when a Killer Whale missile blasted its control circuits. Others indicate that she deliberately rammed the _Nightlord_-class _Absolute Truth_ when her weapons failed. Whatever the cause, however, the result was the same: The valiant, self-sacrificing actions of the _Nevada_'s crew ensured that the Adders would only hit two planets, instead of six, as they had planned. In addition, many Adder ships were stranded at their staging point as they waited for the transports to come back for them, thus forcing the Clan to commit its troops piecemeal.

This stranding became far worse for the Star Adders, however, when Republic Naval assets moved in to engage the enemy. Realizing that they still lacked enough force to directly confront the Adders' main force of WarShips, Coreward Fleet Command located on New Port Richey ordered two corvette task groups, consisting of _Vigilant_ and _Bonaventure_-class ships reactivated to guard the Republic from pirates, to move in and eliminate the Adders' forces.

Clan Star Adder, like most clans, was and is geared towards a ground mindset. They, like many others throughout history, have underestimated the power of a navy to amplify the capabilities and defenses of an army. As a result, only a single Adder WarShip, the _Essex_-class _Tuhantepec_, remained behind to guard the transports. This old Star League-era ship was no match for the modernized corvettes attacking en masse, and the _Tuhantepec_ and its charges fell one after the other, until none was left. The Republic corvettes then recovered as many data flight recorders and bodies from the _Nevada_ as they could, and then jumped out to join the 6th Fleet as it moved coreward from its position over Warsaw.

Thus, when the Adders sent their jumpships back to bring in more troops, their leaders were stunned to find that two galaxies of troops had been erased, with not a single trace of their attackers left behind.

This kind of hit-and-run tactic style was key to fighting the Clans during their initial invasion, and it was effective then. Now, its used by a force that had trained to repel just such an invasion, against an enemy that had not learned from its brethren in the Inner Sphere. As a result, the Adders became bogged down in the two systems they had targeted; Arrakis, a dry world rich in many minerals, including germanium, and the Solomons system, renowned for its highly improbable four habitable worlds. Both were relatively underdeveloped by Clan and Republic standards, and the Adder Khans had thought their smaller populations to be more easily cowed.

They were wrong. The Republic has, through its open, fair, and democratic lifestyle, produced a citizenry as tenacious, combative, and completely determined as any in history. In addition to National Guard and Militia units that engaged the enemy on the fields of battle, numerous groups of armed citizens formed partisan groups that harassed the Adders whenever they could. Whole cities evacuated into the countryside, and when the Adders arrived into the ghost towns, they frequently found them booby-trapped. Many points of elementals and light 'mechs were eaten up by these irregular tactics alone, and the Adders suddenly found themselves bogged down. Furthermore, in the Solomons system, the USS _Rodger Young_, a heavily-refitted _Vincent Mk50_ corvette in-system when the Adders had arrived, made the Clanners' lives tough, as the skillful crew and commander, Captain Edward Takuro, made high-speed passes and strikes, often delivering a well-aimed orbital strike without even entering orbit at all, as they made extremely-close fly-bys. Other times, the _Young_ seemed to appear out of nowhere, apparently using the system's unique magnetic instabilities caused by its star to mask their approach. These times, the _Rodger Young_ attacked enemy transports and fighter carriers, but always, the ship avoided direct confrontation with Adder WarShips as they bid their time.

However, the _Young_'s luck didn't hold out. The Adders managed to spot her during one of her trademark approaches, and in a furious firefight, the _Rodger Young_ was destroyed. Though not before she eliminated another two assault DropShips and a star of fighters.

Soon after, however, the Republic struck back. Already in the process of returning three fleets and two thirds of its invasion force to their normal stations, the Republic quickly marshaled its armed forces and proceeded to counter-strike the Adder forces. Battered and attacked from every angle, the Adder commanders – Khan N'Buta, leader of the invasion, had been killed by a Spartan team deployed to Arrakis – pulled what troops they could from the embattled worlds, and then attempted to escape. It is a testament to Republic naval strength that, of the sixteen WarShips the Clan had taken with them, only five made it through the various battles to return to the Kerensky Cluster.

The Republic, however, didn't stop there. The 6th Fleet, consisting of the newly commissioned battleship USS _Wisconsin_, in addition to the USS _Resolution_, _Invincible_, _Pensacola_, _Galveston_, _Marblehead_, _Olendorf_, _Robert E. Lee_, and _Wile E. Coyote_, plus assorted DropShips and jumpships in support, followed the clan force back to their homeworlds.

Arriving over the Star Adder-controlled world of Sheridan, the 6th Fleet landed several platoons of Mobile Infantry marines, which then ran rampant through industrial areas, blasting anything they could find and avoiding enemy forces, until they were extracted. The Sixth Fleet then moved to Stranya Mechty and broadcast this message, as recorded by our ambassadors there:

"Your attention, please. This is Vice Admiral Basil Wright of the Sixth Fleet of the United Systems' Republic. Clan Star Adder has engaged in an unlawful and unprovoked war of aggression with the Republic. They have been resoundingly defeated, as will be proven with the data we will be sending following this broadcast. They have lost five galaxies' worth of troops, and eleven WarShips. We leave you to comprehend the results of this act. Goodbye, and never, _ever_, attack us without expecting the same consequences."

The results of this message and the data downloaded soon became apparent. Not only did the Republic prove itself the equal of any Clan, but it also showed the Adders to have been weakened, thus prompting many, many more trials against them by their enemies. As a direct consequence, the Adders have been far too busy fighting off challenges in their homeworlds to rebuild quickly, or even to think of attempting to extract revenge on the Republic.

This brings us to the present day, where the Republic is still settling down after mass mobilizations of its National Guard formations. Concentrating more on undoing the effects of Blakest propaganda on Terra and other worlds, and fighting off the sporadic raid by surviving Blakest units, the Republic stands as a monolith to all of its potential enemies, and an enigma to everyone else.

**Motivations**

Formed on the principles of democracy, social responsibility, and self-determination, the United Systems' Republic is a bastion of 20th and 21st century thinking brought forth into the modern day. While this period of history has profoundly affected the fate of all humanity dramatically and dictated the course of events since the dawn of the Terran Exodus, no where else has it taken such a firm rooting.

The citizenry of the Republic is largely descended from those who fled the ravages of the Succession Wars, but one would never know it by walking down a street in busy city like bustling Port Tampa, dynamic Neo Tokyo, or the awe-inspiring Washington City. Here, immigrants or their descendents from one state may live next to the great grandchildren of one of their nation's mortal enemies, and either not know, or more likely, not care. Children are brought up with the view that all people stand equal to each other, no matter race, creed, or heritage. This, combined with the not insignificant shock of the Succession Wars and the great compassion of the Republic's already assimilated citizenry have produced the effect that, within two generations, an immigrant family is fully and completely integrated into Republic society.

As a result of these effects, the Republic population is remarkably homogenized when it comes to societal mores and concepts. Although one may find the usual sort of discontent and lawless elements that exist within any healthy society, such groups are usually marginalized, as the vast majority of Republic citizens are quite happy with their lot in life.

This contentedness, however, comes at a cost. The Republic, like many democracies before it, has taken the step of creating an unusual 'poll tax' that someone must pay to vote. However, this 'tax' is not so much monetary in nature, but rather, is based only upon whether a person has done Federal Service.

Federal Service is a general term, covering as it does everything from the military, to labor battalions working on terraforming planets, to groups working on public works projects, and anything and everything in between. Basically, anything the Federal Government needs a simple, high school educated person to do unskilled or mildly skilled labor is included along with the military in the Federal Service. In order to receive the right to vote, a citizen has to enroll in the Federal Service, and then serve out his or her term to the satisfaction of the Federal Government. However, it is noted that the last truly free decision a citizen makes before he or she is discharged is whether or not to join the service. Once the oath is taken, the person must do whatever he or she is told to do, save for anything that would violate their basic rights. Failure to do so results in an 'unsatisfactory service' discharge. The results of this are not immediately bad, as this means that the discharged person simply is no longer in the Federal Service. However, this person cannot vote, and will never get another chance to work for that vote. Any person, even in the military, may choose to suddenly quit the service at any time, save during emergency or combat situations. Again, the only result is the person is removed from federal service and never gets another chance to prove him- or herself as someone 'worthy' of the voting power.

All of this is to instill within the voting population the actual value of a vote. Previous so-called 'unrestrictive' democracies, it has been noted, tend to become unstable and bloated as voters apathetically used their power, uncaring as to the greater social consequence. However, the idea behind the Republic system – interestingly enough, first postulated by a 20th century science-fiction author whose name is emblazoned on Library halls throughout Republic space – is that, once a person has to work, to _sacrifice_ for the chance to vote, then they take that voting seriously, no matter what else their qualities or beliefs.

The result of this is to ultimately produce a voting culture that values its power, and tends to use it wisely for the good of all peoples within the Republic. There are exceptions, but these are not the rule by any real or imagined standard.

The motivations of the Republic, its Government, and Military can thus be summed up thus:

Moral – People in the Republic have worked long and hard to create a stable, free, and peaceful society. Part of this effort and society are the rules of conduct most correctly called morals. Wrong acts ranging from driving while intoxicated all the way up to murder and treason are frowned upon by all but a very sparse few. Thus, whenever someone does commit a wrongful act, they are quickly caught and punished. The People of the Republic expect this in their day-to-day lives, and they expect their leaders to uphold these standards when challenged by other powers. This is a very potent unifying force, one that stopped the Star Adders in their tracks.

Economic – The citizenry of the republic, and especially its businesses, all know that their lives run more smoothly with a well-oiled economy. Disruptions of the economy in the past have resulted in the removal of a President in the next election, while any attacks on economic interests usually garners military action. Piracy and raiding against the Republic is risky at best, suicidal at worst.

Political – Though an amalgamation of economic and moral concerns, the political motivations of the Republic warrant its own look. Often, politicians must make decisions not only based on these concerns, but also on what sort of political backlash that will result. Most of the time, these ramifications are ignored, as Republic citizenry usually care for efficient governing, not political showboating. However, direct contact with the Inner Sphere has given politics more importance in the Republic, as people become aware that the Great Houses and other powers generally require a more delicate touch than the brusque and direct manner of internal political affairs.

Nevertheless, officeholders in the Republic know who elects them, pays their bills, and generally lets them live. Thus, whenever politics demand action, action will be taken without wrangling or political sidetracking.

Military – The United Systems' Armed Forces represent more than just the arm of the Republic. Indeed, the fact that the majority of voters were once in the military, and even those who haven't done service often have friends or family who have has made the military the heart and soul of the Republic's self-image. Stemming from the Republic's early years, when the USAF went out and beat back the predations of pirates and rogues, almost the entire population identifies with and loves their citizen-soldiers. Pride in their military and its heritage of defending the weak ensures that any military action seen as just will be supported to the end, no matter what the cost.

**Conclusion**

We may thus infer from the history and current motivations of the Republic that it is now, and shall remain for the foreseeable future, a powerful political entity with the backing of its population. Believers in justice, a fair society, and the principles of democracy and self-determination, the United Systems' Republic is a potential juggernaut that could rival the Clans as the greatest threat the Inner Sphere could face. However, given the Republic's views and morals, it is unlikely that they will engage in any aggressive war, save those fought 'preemptively' to remove a threat they see on the horizon. Thus, so long as no power directly confronts, engages, or threatens the Republic, it is likely that they will remain quiet and semi-isolationist, content to leave the affairs of other states to their own peoples.

One caveat that must be placed here, however, is based upon the Republic's moral character. Part of their extreme reaction towards the Word of Blake and their plans is due to the holocaust-like nature of the zealots' plans. If any such event should be precipitated by any power, it is likely that the Republic may very well interpose itself into such a situation to stop atrocities and restore civility.

_I really don't have anything to add to that last section, save to mention that this fits in with what I've observed on Terra and from the Republic's representatives. They all seek to undo injustices, whether it is someone cutting in line to get relief from the effects of a battle, or whether it's berating a certain Precentor for his complacency during the recent Civil War._

_Given the information in the previous sections, I think the following report that I received only days ago should be presented in the appropriate light. Frankly, I'm a bit worried, given that we haven't found all of the Blakests that fled the Chaos March or Free Worlds League. Which is why I've forwarded this to you, so you may be able to prepare for anything. A tall order, I know, given the recent Snow Raven move and the way they don't like your realm. However, if our reports are correct and not a result of counter-intelligence games, then something big is about to happen. Or has happened._

_Either way, I wish you luck, my friend._

_-Victor_

* * *

**Recent Movements Within the United Systems' Republic**

The last year and a half has seen a calming in the Republic that has made ROM's investigations easier, given the free-flowing information within the Republic's borders. We have thus been able to monitor fleet movements through innocuous news channel reports and periodical articles. Therefore, when a small fleet goes missing from the far side of the Republic, it garners attention.

To wit, several ships of the Republic Navy, along with a decently-sized task force, have disappeared from their stations on or over the vitally important world of New Honshu; a source of the miracle material, HarJel. According to news reports, the task force consisted of a brand new WarShip design not a year in commission yet, another, new and massive carrier dropship of the well-known _Independence_-class, several assault DropShips, and finally, a reinforced battalion consisting of mixed elements from the Army and National Guard unit on New Honshu, in addition to the Mobile Infantry platoon embarked upon the Republic WarShip.

The reasons for this sudden mobilization are unclear. Prior to these movements, the aforementioned WarShip appeared in-system six weeks before its scheduled return to Port Kure, the massive space station and naval base located in the Lagrange point between New Honshu and its moon, Kyushu. Upon arrival, the ship immediately docked with Port Kure and, according to a released statement by the local National Guard commander, transferred a "critically wounded soldier" first to the station before said person was sent via medical shuttle to the famous Katsuhiro Otomo Memorial Hospital complex.

Following this, another shuttle soon departed from Port Kure, carrying several personnel not dressed in military uniforms, according to an inside source that a local scandalvid quoted. The vid went on to claim that several of the people that had been picked up by the WarShip – named USS _Rodger Young_ after a corvette that was destroyed fighting the Star Adders – were "not human, possibly alien." Normally, our operative would not have bothered to forward such information, save that the report mentioned military escort for the people off of those two shuttles, and for the disturbing fact that more reports, this time from more reliable sources, began to circulate about non-human anthropomorphs sighted on the military reservation north of Neo Tokyo and within the city itself. These creatures were always described to have a thick military escort of Mobile Infantry from the _Rodger Young_; an unusual happenstance on a planet with a thick a garrison as New Honshu. In addition, reports eventually leaked from KOM that one of the so-called 'aliens' was treated there for "severe wounds."

All of this preceded a buildup of military forces, including WarShips, transport JumpShips, and combat DropShips moving through the New Honshu system towards an unspecified destination, and the arrival of two battalions of the 5th Marauder Regiment (Desert Thunder).

Then, following the departure of the initial task force, Clan Snow Raven began to probe the Republic's anti-spinward defenses. Put on full alert, the USAF stopped moving troops through New Honshu and started to prepare for another invasion.

Recent reports, however, indicate that the Snow Ravens were resoundingly defeated in a naval action; an event that has wounded their pride and challenged their belief in their own superiority. They are likely not going to engage the Republic any time soon, at least, not until their move into the Outworlds Alliance is completed.

Following the news of the Snow Ravens' defeat, the USAF began to again move troops through New Honshu towards the still unknown destination. In addition, the First Fleet of the Navy took on the entire First Division at Washington, and then disappeared from public view.

It is our opinion at this time that a significant military threat has appeared in the borderlands spinward of the Republic. However, as the Republic willingly halted its actions in this matter to focus on a possible invasion, leading us to believe that this new threat may not be of great caliber.

Nevertheless, the sudden influx of top-notch equipment and elite soldiers indicates a matter of grave importance to the Republic's motivations, if not its specific survival. The reports of nonhuman sentient life forms brings up the disturbing possibility of invasion by another species, though one that is so underdeveloped that the Republic finds it easy enough to defeat. However, the descriptions of the aliens (see appendix B) lends credence to another, more disturbing theory. Namely, that one of the Word of Blakes' "dirty little secrets" has reared its ugly head. Given the alterations done to the Bloody Hand operatives of the 6th of June faction, it is not out of the question for the Word of Blake to have begun engineering their own army out of censored and censored, increasing their intelligence just enough to make them effective.

No matter what the circumstances, however, we recommend careful watching of this situation and an increased readiness in Com Guards and Explorer Corps detachments operating in the spinward theater.

-ROM analyst team Epsilon-5

_My apologies for these last, gratuitous edits and the lack of an appendices, but the descriptions of these alleged non-humans are from secondhand accounts, and they are specific enough that the Republic's CIA may be able to use them to track down our operative on New Honshu. Given their admitted penetration into our security organs, I am loath to risk the agent's life on this, especially as this may yet still be a hoax._

_In any case, Hohiro, a lot of military hardware is moving around for reasons not understood. The First Circuit and I are having ROM keep an eye on it, and I hope you will too._

_For now, let us hope that this is only a temporary affair._

_-Victor_

END COMMUNICATION


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